Home Painting

The way to Incorporate an Armoire

| Ause1977

Refinishing an outdated, worn or drab armoire using paint — and with it turn out fantastic — is possible, even in the event that you have no prior painting experience. The key to a successful paint job is planning. Ensuring that the armoire’s surface is smooth and grime-free will pay off once you apply the first coat of paint. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the type of colour and paint you can use to transform your armoire. Latex paints are water-soluable, unlike striped paints, so they have a much less pungent odor, and the paint washes easily off of brushes. But oil-based paints create a more durable finish that tends to mimic brushstrokes better than latex paint. Put the armoire over a drop cloth to protect the floor from paint spills. Remove the armoire’s doors, drawers and hardware, using a screwdriver. Place the doors, drawers and hardware…

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Gardening and Landscaping

How to Design Annual Flower Beds

| Ause1977

Yearly flowers last for only one growing season, unlike perennials, which come back year after year. Because of this, annuals tend to be much cheaper than their perennial counterparts and also create an excellent selection for adding bursts of color throughout your landscape for a portion of the cost. When designing a bed of annuals, the very same rules apply as if you’re designing perennial beds. You will want to plan the beds based on height, texture and colour, in addition to choose the right plants for your land and the amount of sun the bed receives. Mark out your flower bed by means of a garden hose, string or spray paint. This will help you when you till the dirt and include amendments or fertilizers. Annual beds can be as small or big as you need because the blooms only last one season and also don’t develop especially big….

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Furnishings

How to Fix Leaks in a Swimming Pool Around the Jets

| Ause1977

No pool is all of the piece — pumps and motors circulate water during debris-catching filters and cleaning feeders, pushing the water in and out of the pool vacuum ports and returns, also called “jets .” Even though it takes a whole group of components to keep your pool trucking, the points at which various components meet are the most susceptible to leaks. To pickup leaks yourself, turn to a different knockout combo — two-part “pool putty” epoxy. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and fill out a dropper-like tester bottle — the type that comes with pool testing kits — with red food coloring. The red shade contrasts with blue chlorine, assisting you to identify the leak’s particular position. Position yourself at the edge of the pool so you can reach the leaky jet by lying safely on your stomach, if you’re working with an in-ground pool. For…

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Furnishings

The way to Remove a Couch Color That Rubbed on a Wall

| Ause1977

The way you eliminate a rubbed-on couch color from the wall is usually less about the stain and also more concerning the wall. It’s ideal to start with a gentle cleaning method, then transfer to stronger options for the finishing type, if needed. Whenever possible, check with the paint or wallpaper manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations to avoid damage. On Paint If the couch color doesn’t come off with a soft sponge and mild, soapy water, try out a 16-to-1 component vinegar-to-water solution on flat paint, or even a baking-soda glue on shiny paint. Use a soft cloth and gentle pressure. Generally, shiny paints are more washable than flat paints, but initial test either finish for colorfastness in an inconspicuous area. On Paper For washable vinyl wallpaper, try taking away the shade rub with a soft sponge and soapy water. Wring out the sponge, work from the seams’ management, and rinse and…

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Home Painting

Cleaning Grimy Painted Doors and Trim

| Ause1977

Painted doors and trim may show dirt and grime very quickly, but it’s equally as quick to wash the spots. Most of the dirt showing on decorated trim is among the oily variety, especially that around doorknobs and other high-use places. Oily marks like fingerprints pull and hold onto dirt, which makes the trim appear dirtier than it really is, and normal wiping may not get rid of the oily residue. Assess the Surface First Before cleaning any painted surface, make sure it’s safe to get it wet. Modern painted trims are generally safe, but some historic surfaces may not be. Dampen a cleaning cloth with water, and wipe in a inconspicuous area to ensure water won’t damage or stain the paint. Glossy-looking finishes are almost always safe to wash with water, whilst matte finishes should be examined first. No matter what the finish, it’s ideal to prevent over-wetting the…

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Tropical Style

When to Harvest Irish Potatoes

| Ause1977

Irish potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) a term used to distinguish them from sweet potatoes, are indigenous to South America and never Ireland, in which they were a staple food. Potatoes are annuals that may be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 11. Depending on the number, potato vines will start to wilt and turn brown between 90 and 120 days after you plant them. This is the time to crop them. The Way Potatoes Mature Potato blooming is just a sign that potatoes are growing. New potatoes that have low starch and high water content grow from the next month. Since the potatoes get larger from the fourth month, their water content decreases, their starch increases and their skins thicken. Their dying vines will tell you that it is time to dig them up. Complete harvesting before freezing weather arrives if you have frost in your…

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Tropical Style

How Large a Garden Do I Need for Zucchini?

| Ause1977

A kind of summer squash, zucchini (Cucurbita pepa) grows as a yearly during spring and summer. Some varieties have a bushy form and also take up less dirt space, even while vining varieties that take up more space can be trained to grow on supports in case you have limited garden space. Plan on devoting enough space between the plants and the borders of the garden to enable the vines to spread without crowding out other plants or every other. Hill and Row Spacing You may grow zucchini in rows or in hills. When you plant a hill, plant four to five seeds spaced about 2 inches apart. Space rows 4 to 5 feet apart, along with slopes 3 to 4 feet apart. Using these distances, you’ll need a garden space measuring roughly 12 from 12 feet for four hills, which also allows for space between them and other plants….

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Fireplaces

Can You Kill the Roots of Ivy by Smothering Them With Plastic?

| Ause1977

Many varieties of ivy (Hedera spp.) Grow throughout the USA, and a few varieties are thought to be invasive trousers. English ivy (Hedera helix), for example, which is hardy at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, is considered invasive throughout the Pacific Northwest and at other places. Roots and the other parts of unwanted ivy and additional garden weeds can be killed using a plastic covering to smother the plants. More environmentally friendly techniques of smothering ivy exist, however. These procedures ultimately require less labor since they remove the need to reposition the plastic following weather and animals transfer and/or tear it. Covering Weeds The easiest way to kill ivy and other unwanted crops will be to cover them with a 12-inch-thick layer of coarse, wood chip mulch. Most covered ivy dies entirely after about three months. Another option is to cover ivy with paper, arranged…

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Wine Cellars

How to Cross Breed a Pepper

| Ause1977

Based on the match you’ve got in mind, cross breeding peppers is a straightforward undertaking. Most common peppers grown as annuals in the U.S. cross with abandon in nature and at the hybridizer’s hand. Armed with a basic knowledge of a few tools and pepper species to simplify the pollinating job, you are able to cross breed peppers just like a pro. A part of the equation is beating peppers and then waiting till next year to your results. Pepper Species and Compatibility Common peppers are dominated by five species. The most-widely grown, Capsicum annuum, is composed of sweet bell-type peppers along with sexy jalapenos (Capsicum annuum var. jalapeno). Capsicum chinense provides a number of the hottest of the hot, from habanero (Capsicum chinense var. Habanero) to Scotch bonnet (Capsicum chinense var. Scotch bonnet). Capsicum frutescens includes tabasco pepper (Capsicum frutescens var. tabasco) and Thai hot chile (Capsicum frutescens var….

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Tropical Style

How to Start a Baby Azalea Plant

| Ause1977

With leathery or hairy leaves and trusses of all funnel-shaped blooms in white, purple and pink, azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) Add spring color to the garden. They grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. Baby plants can be produced by seeds, layering or cuttings, although plants from seed may not look the same as the parent plant. Beginning From Seeds You may harvest azalea seed pods once they begin to brown in autumn, storing them in paper envelopes to complete the drying process. Prepare a pot for those seeds in late autumn of the identical year, filling it up to within 1 inch of its top using a damp mix of 1 part peat moss and 1 part sand. After moistening milled sphagnum moss, squeeze out the excess water and distribute a 1/2-inch layer of the moss over the peat and sand mix. Scatter the azalea…

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