Monday, May 19, 2014

4 Persistent and Annoying Lawn Weeds

The persistent and annoying growth of weeds on the lawn and garden is certain to cause problems for the proud gardener and homeowner. A key issue to tackling the unsightly weed growth is how to identify them. By having a better understanding of the different types of weeds, it is possible to put in place the most-effective procedures to kill them and stop future growth. Here are four of the most common weeds to blot the appearance of the lawn:
Bermuda grass
A perennial like the Bermuda grass is one of the most difficult weeds to completely eliminate from the lawn and garden. It appears with textured leaves and is light green in color. Bermuda grass can quickly spread via rhizomes, stems, or seeds. If left to take hold, the type of weed can soon start to take over the entire lawn area. The most-effective option to fight this weed is using the pre-emergent solutions to stop the initial germination growth cycle. A regular application of a reliable herbicide is certain to help with keeping this perennial grass at bay.
Crabgrass
The fast-growing crabgrass appears with green-blue leaves which from like a compact cluster and looks pretty much like a crab. It is one of the very tall-growing weeds, and therefore quite easy to notice if the lawn isn't mowed often. Crabgrass is kept to a minimum by giving proper care and attention to the lawn. A regular schedule of mowing, fertilizing, and watering is necessary to avoid the spread of this weed. Treat crabgrass with an appropriate herbicide, although the well established weeds can be pulled by hand.
Dallis grass
Dallis grass is perennial grass and is a very difficult to control weed. This is a warm season grass that actively invades all grassy areas. It is light green in appearance and often needs to be pulled out individually to ensure the rhizomes and root structure is fully removed. Dallis grass is also treatable with the pre and post-emergence weed killers.
Annual Bluegrass
The Annual Bluegrass is bright green in appearance with seed heads that often resemble grains. A large cluster of Annual Bluegrass can give the lawn a very whitish appearance due to the light color of the weed heads. Mowing the lawn at regular intervals throughout the season should help to prevent the weeds reaching maturity and giving the white appearance. Apply a pre-emergence herbicide in late summer / early fall to try to control the growth of this type of winter grass.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Building a Home - Things to Think About In a Log Home

Everybody wants to have a beautiful house with a high-quality furniture and cozy atmosphere. Today, new technologies go very fast and gives us an opportunity to build the houses of our dreams. With the increasing number of log houses, it is clear that more and more people are dreaming about the timber houses. Everybody knows that log houses can be small, rustic, and simple but not everybody know that they can also be very big, luxurious, and prestigious. Nowadays, most of the wooden houses are designed by an architect like any house.
To begin with, you will need to have an idea of your dream house. You have to think about a lot of details. Begin with the small and simple plan. Imagine all the details. You should also think about the size, style, and furniture you want. It is useful to visit other log houses and take some pictures. Of course, do not forget to ask the homeowners if it is not forbidden to take pictures in their houses. You can also have a look at the various brochures and magazines about gardening and home improvement.
Once you decide that you know what you want, find an architect who will meet all your needs. Do not forget that usually architects specialize in certain styles of architecture of log houses. Talk to your architect and decide if this architect can satisfy all your needs. Next step is to think which method you want to build your wooden house because there are numbers of styles. Log cabins are available in many different sizes and structures as well. There a lot of building companies offering only a few styles, while the others offer many. Obviously, the one who deals with a lot of styles would have greater choice to look through and now the main question is which company offers the most different designs.
You should also decide the type of wood you want your log cabin is made of. The most popular types of wood are spruce, cypress, and cedar, but there are other options as well. Moreover, you have to contact local building authorities for permits and licenses. All these steps are really simple and easy to do, but they can take a long time.
The best way to find wooden home plans that you can be assured as being those which come from professional architects is really very ordinary. The best option is to look to those who are specialists in constructing wooden houses. Begin with making your plan and getting various offers from at least four or five suppliers for foundation, timber, and plumbing. The main thing is to be sure that you have enough money to cover all expenses. A log cabin can be built in a few weeks if you have all the building materials in your yard. It is recommended to secure the area where you will be storing all the materials to prevent theft. All the materials are quite expensive and you do not want to lose them. It is also reasonable to camp out at your site during building.
If you really want to build a wooden house, it is dramatically important to choose the right manufacturer. Don't forget that many manufacturers can offer you a wooden house directly from the factory at manufacturer's price. No mediators or other third parties are involved, so you have a perfect opportunity to get a high-quality log cabin at very competitive prices. However, if you are going to build a log home, be sure to check all the potential problems. And decide whether the benefits of a log home you are more important than the disadvantages. Despite the shortcomings, every year more and more people build timber houses.
Natural buildings such as log cabins or wooden houses are very popular in many countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, Thailand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and France. If you are interested in sustainable development, ecological lifestyle, and environmental problems you should think about owning a wooden house. Compared log houses to other houses which walls are sealed due to their hollow cavities, wooden houses are absent of these problems. Because of this, wooden houses are really easier to keep up in terms of mold and pest infestation. The logs are easier to inspect for problems giving homeowners the chance to resolve them at the earlier phases.
The building standards that are used for wooden houses are really high today. This means you get a high-quality house and you also have great value in your house. Usually wooden houses appraise out higher than regular houses that are about the same size. In addition, you will end up with more equity in your house and if you have to sell it, you will be able to make a great profit too.