Friday, January 27, 2012

How to attach a garden hose to a facet

It is convenient to attach a garden hose to a kitchen faucet when a large container needs to be filled with water, or when plants need to be watered. This is especially the case when an outdoor garden hose spigot is not available. Even when a garden spigot is available, hot water may be needed. Large containers may be too heavy to lift from the kitchen sink, and may not fit in the sink or under the faucet at all. Containers may also be unsanitary and pose a health risk if they come in contact with the kitchen sink or counter top. Garden hoses can be easily attached to kitchen faucets that have screw-on tips.


Get a faucet adapter. This is a small adapter that screws onto the faucet and converts the end of the faucet into a male garden hose fitting.
Unscrew the faucet tip. Take care not to drop pieces that are contained within the tip. A good idea is to put a towel in the sink to catch anything you may drop; the towel will prevent things from going down the drain. Screw on the faucet adapter. Make sure that it forms a good seal with the faucet, but there is no need to use tools to tighten it. Screw on the hose. The hose screws onto the faucet adapter. Make sure it is screwed on tightly enough so that it forms a watertight seal. Replace the faucet tip after using the hose. Remove the hose and faucet adapter, then screw the faucet tip back on relatively tightly so that it forms a good seal. Check for leaks. The faucet may leak from the replaced faucet tip. Use the leak-free faucet.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

coyotes out of your yard

Coyotes are very smart, opportunistic, and innovative animals; indeed, they're so smart that they've even learned to chase schoolchildren to get them to drop their lunch bags![1] As the numbers of coyotes increase, they're becoming more courageous and adaptive to our human-shaped environments and they're less easily intimidated. With brave coyotes starting to venture farther out of the forest and into rural areas and campsites, we have both a need and a responsibility to deter them from built environments or where humans are undertaking activities, in order to avoid harm to either humans or coyotes.

Monday, January 23, 2012

History of your home

If walls could speak, oh, the stories your house would tell… If you own an older home, you’ve probably at some point wondered who slept in your bedroom long before you, when your plumbing was last updated, or, maybe, why that ghost keeps hiding your car keys. Want to get a glimpse into the secret past of your abode? Try these steps.



Inspect your house closely. You can learn a lot just by looking. Check out how your house was built and what type of building materials were used. Examine the walls and moldings. Look for original materials, such as the bricks of the fireplace. Housing design has changed dramatically over the years, and you may be able to find some clues as to when your home was built, what substantial changes it has endured, and how well off the original inhabitants were. If you don't know how old the house is, try looking under the water tank lid on the toilet. Toilets are usually date-stamped under the lid, giving you a rough estimate of when the house was built, since the toilet would presumably have been installed shortly after it was manufactured. You can also get a good idea of how long it has been since a room was remodeled. Different styles of kitchen cabinets and appliances, for example, go in and out of vogue every few years.

Talk to your neighbors. If you’re new to the neighborhood and want to find out about the recent history of your house, your longtime neighbors may be able to help. Plus, asking about your house and the neighborhood is a great way to break the ice.

If you live in the United States, visit your local or county courthouse to look at the deed registry. The registry is usually found in the clerk and recorder’s office. Ask for the registry of deeds for your particular property. In the U.S. this information is indexed by a lot and block number in a city, and a section, township and range for rural property.

Track down previous owners to find out what improvements were made. The owner information can also be accessed by tracing the deed history. Once you find out who the previous owners were, track them down by searching the Internet or using one of the many commercial people-locator's services available. Speaking with those who came before you may allow you to get a better image of the original house. Of course, this is easier said than done if the owners you’re looking for died a hundred years ago.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Aluminum Foil Use Tips

Aluminum foil, isn't just for baking any more. I want to share with you, some tips, for using aluminum foil.

Did you ever reach for your brown sugar, after its been open, and it's as hard as a brick? Well here is how to make it soft once again. Take some aluminum foil, and place some of your brown sugar in it. Preheat your oven to 300 and cook the brown sugar for only five mins. And you will have soft brown sugar.

Did you know you can also use aluminum foil for fabric softener. Yup, you can, just roll some aluminum foil up into a ball, toss it in the dryer, and your foil will be the new fabric softener you ran out of. It will attract all the static from your clothes.

The aluminum foil will also help you improve your ironing board. Just remove your ironing board cover and place some aluminum foil at the top of the board. Then you will replace the cover. By doing this the foil will hold heat from your iron, and this will help you get a better press on your clothes, not only on top but on the bottom as well.

Don't have a sharpener for your scissors, well get out the aluminum foil and let it do the job. Using several layers of aluminum foil will sharpen your scissors by cutting through the layers. This is a cheap and quick way to get the job done.

Ah, grilled cheese, this can be messy. But not if using aluminum foil. Make your sandwich as you normally would. But after your done put it in aluminum foil and make a pouch. Then take and place in a cast iron pan and press on both sides, and you will have the perfect grill cheese.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Gypsum Board in Cold Weather


If you are trying to finish any work in the cold weather on gypsum board, this can affect its performance. It can also affect the behavior of the board as well. 

Using the right joint compound will help minimize this problem.

Also make sure you are using the right ventilation system, it will help to generate the right conditions that affect your material.

For more information please feel free to contact me.
 

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Furnace thermostat

Your furnaace thermostat is what controls when and how your heat will produce. If you have a low voltage this type reduces the incoming line from 120 volts down to 12, this will depend on your furance. Ask your professional if this type is good for your home.

Monday, January 09, 2012

The unheated space

Did you know that homes in warm climates may not even have a heating system. This is because the home stays warm naturally. This may be nice, but if you don't live in a warm climate, this can be a problem for a space in your home that does not get heat.

This can be a costly problem, using space heaters and other heaters. It can also cause a fire.

The best option is to contact a professional and see if they can run off your heating vents into your room with no heat.

Never try this on your own.

Monday, January 02, 2012