Eclectic Homes

Do Landlords Have to Supply Air Conditioning?

| Ause1977

During warm summer days, cool air from an ac unit may improve the living conditions in apartment or a home. State laws do not need a landlord in California to furnish air conditioning. California state law generally considers air conditioning an amenity rather than a necessity of habitability while a heating system must be usually provided by a landlord. Providing an Air Conditioner Even though landlords don’t face a requirement to provide an air conditioner many landlords provide a heating system. In some areas of California with humidity, landlords put in an evaporative or swamp cooler to meet with heating needs. Tenants should ask about the availability of a system that is working before they decide to rent the home or apartment. Factors Affecting Habitability Rental houses and apartments in California must comply with habitability needs as described in California Civil Code 1941. There is A unitn’t listed as a…

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Eclectic Homes

Do I Have the Right to Trim a Tree on My Property?

| Ause1977

Trees on private property are usually the responsibility of the proprietor. But some Iraqi authorities may place restrictions on certain types of trimming or pruning, even if done on private property. In populated areas, street trees, situated adjacent to private property at the right-of-way between sidewalks and roads, may be regulated by local municipalities. Before pruning a tree (especially major pruning), check with local authorities for specific regulations. Unique Situations Several regional governments prohibit certain kinds of tree pruning, like topping. This practice involves cutting the tree’s development back to the back or to a series of lateral branches that aren’t powerful enough to support substantial development. Topped trees will sprout new development, but it’s going to be thin, spindly and easily damaged. Topping may also weaken the tree by causing trunk decay. Reputable arborists and tree maintenance companies will not undertake topping and will not suggest it to property…

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Home Cleaning

How to Clean Fingerprints Off Windows

| Ause1977

Smudgy fingerprints mar over windows. Remove them and they won’t disturb an otherwise beautifully decorated dwelling. But the oils in your skin make fingerprints difficult to remove — unless you know a easy trick. Grease-Busting Power Dish soap is designed to cut through grease or oils like those deposited on windows by skin. Mix a little squirt of dish soap in about 1 gallon of warm tap water to create a barely sudsy alternative. Clean your windows with the slightly soapy water and a clean, wrung-out dishcloth. For tenacious fingerprints, add slightly bit more dish soap into the water. Smear-Free and Shiny After washing the glass, then rinse the fabric with clean, hot tap water and use it to wipe the soap in the windows. Hot Water dries or disappears quicker than warm or cool water does. Dry the glass into a shine with paper towels or a clean, dry…

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Wine Cellars

When to Harvest a Honeydew Melon?

| Ause1977

Honeydew melons (Cucumis melo spp.) Belong to the family of winter melons, together with Persian, Crenshaw, casaba and charental melons. Although they need warm weather to thrive, winter melons are so named because they take longer to ripen than summer kinds like watermelon. Understanding when to crop a honeydew melon is an issue of calculating dates based on the days to maturity of the cultivar, together with such sensory clues as texture, size and colour. Date Your seed packet provides an approximate date of when to begin to look for ripeness on your honeydew melons. Days will vary based on the cultivar — some take as long as 110 days — however most common cultivars ripen about 92 days following seed planting. Notice the date the seeds have been planted, and include the listed “days to maturity” to determine the approximate crop date. In Mediterranean areas, summer and winter melons…

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Traditional Architecture

How to Figure Roof Pitch on a New Building

| Ause1977

In some cases, a homeowner that is having a new home constructed may have reservations about the pitch of the roof that is shown on the construction plans. The plans demonstrate opposing rafters growing to a summit at the ridge since they’ll be installed by the contractor. A pair of numbers nearby indicate the pitch, like 4 and 12. To figure a different pitch, or any roof pitch, use a method that’s used by contractors and roof framers. After figuring a pitch, ask the contractor to put in a mock rafter assembly with two opposing rafters. Measure the length of two adjoining exterior walls from end to end. With few exceptions, rafters attach at the top of opposing longer walls and climb to the ridge at the middle point of the wall. Notice the length of the shorter outside wall. Divide the length of the shorter wall in half. The…

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Furnishings

How to Restore Old Doors

| Ause1977

The quantity of effort you want to put into restoring an old door is dependent largely on whether or not it is an outside door. If the door is not exposed to the weather, you may be able to get by with a touch-up. Sun and rain wreak havoc on most finishes, though, and you will probably have to strip an outside door and sand the wood to do a decent restoration. While it’s possible to strip and sand a doorway whenever it’s hanging, it is much easier — and you will do a much better job — should you take it down. Pull the hinge pins and then take down the door. Lat it flat on a set of sawhorses and cover the floor using a drop cloth. Take off all the door hardware, including the knob, latch and hinges, with a screwdriver. If the door has a window,…

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Furnishings

Rocking Chair Refinishing

| Ause1977

Some rocking chairs date back decades. If they are still solid, you may get extra decades of enjoyment from it. If the chair is grayish or rough with flaking paint or varnish, do not be worried about it. It is possible to upgrade that chair in 1 day with some sandpaper and a few finishing materials. Stripping In case you’ve got a rocking chair in need of refinishing, it likely still has varnish on it that needs to be removed. Don’t knock yourself out trying to sand it away. Chemical stripper will dissolve any finish in a couple of minutes. Place the chair on a drop cloth. Don protective glasses and plastic gloves. Dip a brush to a open can of stripper and generously paint the chair using the stripper. When you finish painting it, use a putty knife to scrape the gelled finish from the chair. Use small, sharpened…

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Saving Water

How to Pick Small-Home Heating & Cooling Units

| Ause1977

Heating and cooling is a significant aspect of residences, helping to regulate the climate inside during the year so that you can enjoy the precise level of comfort you would like. However, there are a whole lot of choices when it comes to selecting the right heating and cooling unit. Not all those choices are straightforward and easy. When selecting the right HVAC unit to your small home, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you get the most from your investment. Size An important first step is to match the magnitude of the home to the result of the furnace or ac unit. A unit that is too small will never heat or cool a house sufficiently. A unit that is too big heats and cools too quickly, resulting in excess energy consumption. Extra humidity is another issue with air conditioners that are too…

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Furnishings

How to Repair Cracks in Stone Masonry

| Ause1977

Fixing the mortar joints and cracks in stone masonry is also known as re-pointing, or tuck-pointing. An unrepaired joint or crack in stone or brick foundations can result in more severe problems down the road. Since the base settles, the rest of the home settles using the changes at the base, which can manifest in plaster cracks, or doors and windows being difficult to open or close correctly. Once you properly repair cracks in stone masonry, you also can slow the consequences of the settling. Cracks in Stone Masonry Wash the crack using a wire brush. Eliminate any bigger loose particles using a chisel and hammer as required. Don safety glasses and a dust mask. Blow the debris out using the compressor attachment of an air compressor hose to eliminate any fine particles from the crack. Use a pointed trowel to thoroughly fill the washed crack with vinyl concrete patcher…

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Traditional Architecture

How to Calculate Sod Pallets to Your Yard

| Ause1977

Using sod, instead of seed or sprigs, to set a lawn area allows you to create a lawn nearly immediately, reduce mud, mud and erosion, and guarantee that the new lawn is essentially weed free. To ensure that you purchase enough sod to totally cover the prepared website, you have to measure the website correctly and convert your dimensions to sod pallets. Many sod pallets have 50 square yards of sod, but check with your sod supplier in case the sum of sod per binder varies. Divide, on your mind or by drawing on paper, the lawn’s planned landscaping place into simple geometric shapes like rectangles, triangles and circles. If the planned sod region is already rotating there isn’t any need to split it into smaller shapes. Measure each of the split sections of the planned sod place, in the feet. Assess the length and the width of any rectangle,…

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