10 to-dos for home and yard winterization (BPT) – Scarves. Pumpkin spice lattes. Leaves crunching underfoot. Sweater season is moving in fast, which means it’s time to start transitioning to fall maintenance to make sure your home and yard are ready for winter. The following are 10 things you can do to prepare for the cold and wet weather ahead.
1. Interseed your lawn A summer of heavy use can take its toll on even the healthiest of lawns. If your turf has some thin or bare patches, fall is the ideal time to reseed. A turf specialist at a garden shop or university extension office can help you choose the right kind of seed for your local conditions. After spreading the seed, water lightly and frequently (if it doesn’t rain) to keep the soil slightly damp until the seed germinates. For those who live in the warmer, Southern regions of the U.S., interseeding with cool season grass seed can help you enjoy a lush green lawn year-round. Speak with a local landscaper or your university extension office to determine the best timing, seed and process for interseeding with cool season grasses as warm season lawns turn dormant.
Don’t leave your lawn buried under a thick layer of leaves. If you don’t want to rake, try mulch mowing - chopping the leaves up into small pieces allows them to decompose more quickly, so that they fertilize the grass instead of suffocating it. You may need to mow more frequently to keep up with the falling leaves, even if the grass itself isn’t growing quickly.
2. Winterize your irrigation system
5. Clean up your yard
If the ground in your area freezes down to the depth of your irrigation pipes during the winter, be sure to shut off the water to the system and drain the pipes before the first freeze.
Any object that sits on your grass all winter can create a dead spot. To protect your lawn, remove toys, furniture and other items from the grass. Be sure to cover or store anything that’s not designed to be out in the rain or snow indoors.
3. Lower your mower blades For the last few mowings in the fall (and the first few in the spring), set your lawn mower blades at the lowest recommended height for your type of turf. You no longer need the
height of the grass to shade the soil and keep it cool, and minimizing the amount of moisture that’s trapped by the grass can help prevent fungal disease.
4. Remove the leaves
6. Prep your equipment for spring lawn care
ing the blades before you put it away for the winter, it will be ready to get back to work when the grass starts growing again in the spring.
7. Check your roof, gutters and downspouts Leaks can lead to costly water damage, so check for potential trouble spots now, before the winter storms start. Look for broken shingles and damaged flashing around vents, chimneys and skylights; clean the leaves out of your gutters; and add extensions to your downspouts if the water runs less than three feet away from the foundation of the house.
8. Check your doors and windows for leaks Eliminating air leaks around doors and window frames is one of the most effective ways to lower your heating bills. Caulk and replace weatherstripping where needed to prevent cold air (and potentially water) from entering. Don’t forget to make sure the seal between the garage door and the ground is tight as well.
In addition to seeding, 9. Service your another great way to get heating system a jumpstart on spring is to give your lawn mower Before you turn a tune-up. By sharpenyour heating system on for the winter, have it cleaned and inspected by a professional. Regular preventive maintenance will keep it running safely and efficiently and make
sure minor issues are resolved before they become major problems.
10. Test your emergency power generator Winter wind and ice storms can bring down power lines and cause lengthy blackouts. If you live in an area where
power outages are common and you have an emergency backup generator, test it now, and make sure you have engine oil and filters on hand. Spending a bit of time in the fall to prepare your home and yard will allow you to enjoy the winter months with peace of
mind. What’s more, the effort you invest in the health of your lawn now can pay dividends in the spring by jumpstarting your turf’s growth and minimizing weeds. Have you completed everything on the list? It must be time to curl up with a good book, a hot beverage and relax!
3 reasons fall is a great time for roofing (BPT) – Cool breezes and falling leaves are around the corner, and for many parts of the country those telltale signs of fall signal the best possible season for roofing. So what makes fall a great time for roof repairs or a full replacement?
2. Spring and summer storms
damp weather require the roof to be in top shape to defend against The warmth and these threats during the humidity of the spring winter months. Winter and summer months are can be a difficult time to notorious for spawning roof, so leaks that show severe thunderstorms. up during the winter Hail can fall any time months can take longer of the year, but is most to fix. common in the spring “Weather is always a and summer months, concern - as a contracreaching a peak in tor, I would never tear June in several regions. more off a roof than 1. Perfect weather High winds from spring what could be re-shinstorms can also uproot The same perfectly gled in one day,” said cool weather that makes trees and snap limbs, Rick Taylor, a longtime both of which can fall roofing contractor, now fall a favorite time of on the roof. working as an industry year for camping and “We always recomsales trainer known as outdoor activities also mend homeowners hire Rick the Roofer. “And makes it a great time a professional to exif there was more than for roofing - and not amine their roofs, both a 50 percent chance of just because it’s more for their safety, and to rain that day, I waited to comfortable for the protect their roof,” said start the project.” roofer. Asphalt shinStephen McNally, vice With the optimal gles, the most popular president of sales and temperatures and form of roofing in the weather - and the need marketing for TAMKO U.S., have an optimum Building Products, a to prepare for wintemperature for installa- major manufacturer of ter - homeowners will find fall to be a great tion. Keep in mind, the asphalt shingles. time for roofing. With perfect roofing weather 3. Winter is coming a skilled labor shortage of fall can mean busy Depending on already pushing project contractors. the area of the counstart dates out weeks or try, winter can bring months, homeowners subzero temperatures should act quickly to and up to 10 feet of schedule their roof project if they want it comsnow. Freeze-thaw pleted before winter. cycles, ice dams and
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Sophisticated kitchen design for a stately aesthetic (BPT) – A balanced aesthetic across styles creates a truly sophisticated kitchen design. Bring this concept to life with contemporary nuances that complete a space and complement an overall traditional tone. From spatial layout to thoughtful fittings, merge design influences to elevate the heart of the home and achieve an altogether stately elegance.
Contemporary classic Embrace classicism while maintaining a modern overtone and celebrate the kitchen as a true focal point with an open concept, removing barriers to free the space and framing it with a wide archway trimmed with intricate crown molding. With an
eye for pragmatism, add bold design elements. Consider a custom-built kitchen island with integrated plush, tufted velvet bench seating for an air of stately elegance, or a bespoke canopy that conceals the range hood while making a structural statement. Ground the aesthetic in darker tones, such as a deep Aegean blue or juniper green for a rich and dignified quality, and offset with contemporary components, such as deep-veined marble countertops or unexpected skylight windows.
instance, book-match marble countertops for symmetrical impact, creating a strikingly beautiful center point, or further institute the equilibrium and crown the room with a tieredring chandelier directly above. Meanwhile, consider dark maple or walnut chevron floors to provide a warm elegance hardware with the Rook and classic foundation Kitchen Collection by for contrast. Brizo. Providing a sense of visual intrigue, the Elegant newly configured Articucraftsmanship lating Bridge Faucet adds To achieve a true a layer of refined sophissense of stately luxury, tication for an elevated incorporate elements kitchen space. Carry Exquisitely balanced of craftsmanship and craftsman style through customization througheven the seemingly Balance is key in out the kitchen. Integrate minute details and select sophisticated kitchen panel-ready appliances to artisanal accessories, design, whether referstreamline the aesthetic from coordinating drawer ring to spatial balance and seamlessly unify the pulls and cabinet handles or the perfect blend of within the Rook Kitchen form and function. Make room with Shaker-style Collection, to a hamcalculated design choices cabinetry, or recall the mered, copper-framed to anchor the room. For architecture of classic
mirror for a harmonious design.
quartered, swept head window for the perfect juxtaposition of forDignified details ward-thinking traditionalComplete the space ism. As a space is coming with accent elements to together, contemplate culminate a sophisticated subtle yet distinguishing look and feel, identifying enhancements. Place a finishing touches that light, white oak backing take the design beyond inside kitchen cabinetry the expected. Ground and showcase the grain the kitchen island with through bubble-glass hand-carved, understat- doors, or take a creative ed corbels to augment approach to lighting and a classic aesthetic, or integrate floor fixtures for a soft, unexpected modernize the space glow to elevate the overwith an antiqued mirror tile backsplash next to a all kitchen experience.
Design a more functional pantry say cooking at home is their preferred way to prepare a meal. And despite the wide array of restaurants, prepared meals and fast food options nearby, more than one-third of people cook at home daily, with nearly 50 percent cooking between three and six days a week. In order to accommodate for spending more time in the kitchen, homeowners are directing additional attention to kitchen preparation and storage features. In fact, one recent trend in kitchen renovations is creating custom-designed pantries.
Many homeowners wish they had more storage space, and kitchens are one area where people seemingly can always use more storage. Despite a desire for more kitchen space, until recently, kitchen pantries
a kitchen. What is the climate? Will food spoil? Is there a possibility that vermin or insects can infiltrate the room and access food? These factors will dictate whether to have closed cabinets, airtight bins or open shelves or if other modifications must be made to the room prior to building.
Choose the type of pantry
Accessibility is essential in a pantry. Everything should be easily reached and grabbed as needed without having to move too many things. Ideally, foods should be arranged in a single layer so that all items can be viewed at a Locate the glance. Shelves of various appropriate space depths and heights can fell out of favor. Builders Association of Home Ideally, pantries should accommodate items of and architects may have different sizes. Adjustable Builders, a kitchen pantry be in or adjacent to the thought that close prox- is the most desirable kitchen. But not every shelves are ideal because imity to supermarkets as kitchen feature for buyers home layout allows for they can be modified as well as multi-use cabinets in the market for a new this setup. Some homefoods change. Sliding in kitchens would offset owners need to move drawers can improve home. the need for pantries. storage pantries into the reach in cabinets. According to a 2016 But according to a recent survey from ReportLinker, garage, the basement or In smaller spaces, survey from the National 98 percent of Americans a mud/laundry room. French door-style reach-in Various factors should cabinets are convenient be considered before and flexible. In complete placing a pantry outside kitchen remodels or new
constructions, walk-in pantries offer the most space and flexibility.
Must-have features Pantries serve different functions in different homes. For the bulk shopper, a pantry with plenty of room for large items will be needed. Lighting can be beneficial in all pantries. Lights can improve visibility when trying to locate items. Others prefer an outlet for charging handheld vacuums or other small appliances. Counter space in the pantry enables homeowners to unload groceries directly onto pantry shelves. For pantries located outside of the kitchen, built-in freezers can maximize storage possibilities, especially for those who freeze-and-eat after bulk shopping ventures. Pantries are popular features that homeowners can customize depending on their storage needs and the amount of time they spend in their kitchens.
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