Author : Aydan Corkern

If the past several years can be any indication of what many home owners have to look forward to in the spring, there will be enough heavy rainfall, tornadoes, and floods to go around for everybody Thankfully, everyone will not be affected by the wacky weather that can occur so quickly, but for those that are, it will be no picnic When Mother Nature comes calling, she does not care whether you are home or not or ready or not

It is always difficult, if not impossible, to be prepared for any type of natural disaster Even though we do have better and earlier warnings from our weather services, it can still be of little use in some cases When there are tornadoes watches or warnings broadcast, it can give you only a matter of minutes to get you and your family to safety, let alone do anything to prevent damage to your home With a tornado, there is very little protection you can provide for your home anyway About the best you can hope for when a tornado hits is that your family is in the safest area of the home possible and that the tornado passes you by If it does not, it can bring destruction to your home and death or injury to those you love

Floods are unpredictable as well We can be advised of flash flood warnings, but sometimes the smaller streams or creeks can rise up faster and higher than expected You can be caught off guard so quickly In some more advantageous instances, there will be a couple of days of warning that flash flooding could be imminent when there is heavy rainfall occurring for an extended period, thus allowing the predictions of rising rivers to be more accurate Sometimes this allows a home owner time to place sandbags around their home and to evacuate some of their most prized belongings and their family beforehand

Flash flooding can also be caused by melting snow in the higher elevations when temperatures start to rise in the springtime Heavy rains combined with deep snows melting will eventually make its way southward to cause rivers to engorge and flood Even those home owners that do not get the rain and did not have the snowfall earlier in the year, can suffer the floods that can be caused by these things Your best defense against flooding is to be adequately insured Since you can rarely hold back the water, your only hope of protecting your house and property is to know that you are covered when and if the water comes The water damage that a home can suffer from flooding can be mild to major and you will never know which one until it shows up

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Author : Bruce Tucker

There are literally hundreds of different varieties and species of tomatoes You can get them from very small like a cherry tomato to a larger one like beefsteak, and everything in between Besides the number of varieties you have to choose from, they come in varying colors and shapes as well Orange, yellow, red, to name a few colors, pear, plum and grape to name a few shapes

Regardless of which type of tomato plants you decide to grow, following a few steps can go a long way to hardier harvest, producing more tomatoes than you thought possible and tasting a lot better

Adjust the pH Level

Tomatoes like soil that is a bit more acidic, (pH level of 5 5 to 7 5), than most plants In case you don’t remember the pH scale, which measures the acidity of something, it ranges from 0 to 14 Anything under 7 is acidic, over 7 is alkaline with 7 being neutral You can pick up a pH soil testing kit for a couple of bucks at your home or garden center Simply follow the instructions on the kit to obtain the reading If you need to bring the pH level down mix in some compost and manure in the fall before the spring/summer planting season

Start the Seeds Indoors

Tomatoes like the heat and if you live in an area of the country like I do where the heat doesn’t set it until mid to late June, then you will need to start your seeds indoors to give them plenty of time to grow when they are in your garden Use a planter pot that is no more than 4 inches in diameter Place one seed per pot and place the pot on a window sill in your house that receives sunlight first thing in the morning Keep the water moist but not saturated

Bury ‘em

When you are ready to move your tomato plants from the indoors to the outdoors don’t forget to bury them deep When you remove your tomato plant from the pot, make sure you bury them up to the first set of leaves on the plant Tomatoes can develop a root system along the stems on the plant which is why you can do this with them This will the plant stronger and more developed

Remove bottom leaves

Now that you have buried your tomato plant up to the first leaves of the plant, wait until your tomato plants are a good 2 to 3 feet tall and then remove the leaves closest to the soil The bottom leaves are subject to developing various fungus and rotting problems and if you leave them on those problems will spread to the remainder of the plant

Remove the Nutrient Stealers

Tomato plants develop what are called suckers These are growths that form in the “v” sections of the plants stem system They will never bare fruit and do nothing but require the plant to transport resources to them Simply remove these from the plant so more of the vitamins and nutrients are heading to the branches that will actually produce tomatoes

Keep in mind tomatoes require full sun and regular watering Planting your tomatoes in an area in your garden that receives partial shade will do your plants a great injustice Similarly, watering your plants only once in a while could stunt there growth, and overwatering will cause blossom end rot Regular, consistent watering will yield the best results

About the Author
Mike is the author of the book Vegetable Gardening for the Average Person: A Guide to Vegetable Gardening for the Rest of Us, available where gardening books are sold. Sign up for Mike’s vegetable gardening newsletter at his website: AveragePersonGardening.com and he will send you a free pack of vegetable seeds to get your garden started.

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Author : Richard Vande Sompel

During the construction of a deck it is never possible to overerstate the importance of using the safest possible construction methods The suggestions that follow are work procedures and tool safety reminders that apply not only to deck building but also home projects in general

Of course none of them are substitutes for your own common sense

1 Always use care, caution and good judgment when working at any phase of building a deck, especially above ground level Ladders and scaffolding systems are readily available at home improvement retail outlets and building equipment rental businesses

2 Always ensure that the electrical setup is safe Make sure that no circuit is overloaded See that all power tools and outlets are properly grounded and avoid the use of power tools in wet locations Make a point of using an electrical power bar, especially when using extension cords Use outdoor type extension cords that are specifically sized to handle the types of power tools to be used in the construction of a deck

3 Always read the instructions for using a new power tool that you have no previous experience with, especially rental ones Heed the warnings listed Ask for a demonstration at the rental facility to ensure that it is working and that you are aware of the method for its proper use Wear any safety gear such as gloves or eyewear that is required

4 Always pay deliberate attention to how a tool functions to avoid any chance of injury Know the limitations of the tool and avoid trying to force it to do something that it was not designed to do

5 Always ensure that any adjustment mechanism on a power tool is locked before the start of work This is especially important when working with portable circular saws, and table saws Make sure that blades are properly fixed in place and tightened with such tools as jigsaws and reciprocating saws

6 Always wear eye protection when using power tools or striking concrete or metal on metal as a chip or piece can fly off injuring an eye

7 Always keep fingers or hands away from the business ends of saw blades, cutters and drill bits Ensure that the blade guards especially are functioning properly on circular saws and table saws

8 Always use the auxiliary handle with a drill in order to control the torque when larger drill bits are used This is very important when using a hammer drill to bore into concrete

9 Always change a saw blade, drill bit or router bit when the power tool is unplugged to avoid an accident that could be prevented by the use of good judgment

10 Always cut tiny pieces of wood or metal off larger pieces that are securely clamped or fastened to a work surface that is stable

11 Always wear a disposable face mask when creating dust by sawing or sanding to avoid inhaling small particles that could become a health issue

12 Always hold a circular saw firmly with one hand on the trigger handle and the other hand on the secondary support handle Avoid placing a hand in the path of any saw blade

13 Always work in lighting that is sufficient to allow you to perform the task properly Move the materials and tools if necessary to another area so that it is possible to work safely

14 Carry sharp or pointed tools such as awls, chisel and box cutters in a tool belt with leather pockets and holders rather than in your pockets

15 Always check with local building codes when planning your project and follow them to the letter when working since they are intended to protect your safety

Taking the time to exercise good judgment and use safe work procedures will ensure that you spend your time on your newly finished deck rather than in the emergency ward of your local hospital

Be smart and work safe!

Richard Vande Sompel is a professional deck builder of 35 years and over 850
decks built and is the author of ‘How to Plan, Design and Build a Deck from
Start to Finish’. To Discover More About
Deck Building Safety and Claim your 2
FREE Deck Plans, Insider Report, MP3 Audio and discover everything to know about
building a deck visit:
http://www.DeckBuildingRevealed.com

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Author : Aydan Corkern

If you are one of the many families who enjoy spending each summer outside using the water hose for recreational activities or for yard work, you may find that you are wasting your hard earned money and helping to add wear and tear to your yard If you feel that you cannot cut back on the amount of water you use whenever you are outside, then you may want to rethink that stance There are many ways that you can cut back on the amount of water you use outside and this can save you a good deal of money and also do your part to contribute to saving our environment Water conservation is becoming a serious matter on our planet

Are you a person who is in love with their car? By that I mean do you give just as much attention to your car as you would a dog or cat? If you are, then washing your car is a habit that you feel is something you must do on your own and no other hand may touch your beloved vehicle However, you could be wasting an exponential amount of money and water by doing this yourself The water you are using could easily be saved by doing nothing more than taking your car to a car wash, where you spend significantly less money for your car to be washed than if you were to wash it on your own

Another way people waste water outside is by gardening Now if you are a hobbyist gardener, then I am not saying it is gardening itself that is wasting the water But often times, people use too much water when they are gardening and this is another money waster that can make your water bill higher Something that will help you save more water when you garden is to buy a sprayer and fill it with the desired amount of water Use just enough water to finish your gardening without using too much

Another thing that wastes water outside is playing in it It is understandable if you are going through a heat wave and have no pool, but if your children like to play with water balloons or water guns, then your best bet for saving money is to simply use the water faucet in your kitchen or bathrooms to fill these items up This will also help you keep from messing up your yard by filling it with mud and causing your grass to become loose and patchy

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Author : Barbara Tobiasz

The central theme in my home repeats itself over and over from room to room In my family, one of the greatest pleasures we have is to read Walking through my house you will find wall book shelves in corners against the walls and even under stair cases A wall book shelf is a great source of pride and education for any home I have noticed it can influence the behavior of everyone in the house Just having books present makes everyone more likely to read

When books were written by hand and were not produced in great quantities they were kept in small containers As volumes accumulated homes of the wealthy started storing them on shelves or cupboards Later the doors were discarded and the evolution of the book shelf proceeded

There are two main types of wall book shelves Either ready made which may be adjustable or fixed shelves which you can build yourself from either raw materials or from a ready made pack

You can find many different types of materials like chipboard, plywood, blockboard, softwood, hardwood, metal, glass and plastic Chipboard is readily available and inexpensive Plywood and blockboard are mainly materials that are used for sheds and storage areas Softwood gives your shelves a great effect if it is cut and finished properly

Hardwood is the best choice for most shelves because of its strength and durability The downside is that it is very expensive Metal is strong but it is normally used for pre built units You would need many special tools to build a shelf out of metal Glass can be a safety hazard and it is mainly used for light weight displays Plastic works best for small shelving units

Shelving should suit the way that you live and the space that you have There are an abundance of different sizes to accommodate your walls They are a perfect way to display your books and collectibles as a decorative theme Plastic and some woods can be painted to match the decor of your room Some ready made shelving has intricate fancy wood carvings for an elegant finish I have also seen fabric or wallpaper placed on the front of the shelves for an artistic look and feel

On the wall book shelve that my husband built by hand he screwed decorative knobs into the unit so we could hang objects from it There is also a large shelf on top where I have placed my decorative plates for display As an added touch there are picture frames and candle holders in between the books This has given it a modern and clean look

A wall book shelf helps to de-clutter a room and makes the room look larger and can serve a double purpose by dividing a room Light colored shelves divide without being to dominating For a dramatic impact you should pick out a darker shade of wood Arrange the books by size for a more visually pleasing effect Make sure you store the larger books on the bottom in the deeper shelves Another option is to cover your books with a monotone paper for a uniform look

In my house we have separated the fiction and non fiction from each other This way depending on what we want to read it is easier to locate You should always aim to fit the shelves safely and securely Never overload the shelves This can be dangerous especially if you have children

My favorite bookshelf is currently in my bedroom right next to my bed It serves a double duty I use it as my night table and as a storage area Its design is of a house It has compartments that I can keep my keys, watch, cell phone and a few books in There is also a ridge on top of the house so when I place my book on top it keeps the page I last read

The wall book shelf can be a functional sculpture and a handsome space saving solution So whether you enjoy fiction or non fiction you will reap the rewards by adding this piece of furniture to your decor

Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Wall Book Shelf, go to Wall Shelf at: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com

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