Month: June 2022

Care and Maintenance of Wood Paneling

To maintain wood paneling looking as if were installed yesterday, place a regular care and maintenance program into practice. Unless the wood is bare and unfinished, cleaning and maintenance refer to the end that protects the wood. Indoor climate also affects how well the wood holds up with time, because heated homes may dry wood paneling if it’s not often maintained.

Regular Dusting or Vacuuming

Dust, debris and dirt like to hide in the nooks and crannies of real wood paneling. While it’s possible to dust the timber to remove surface grime, to wash wood paneling efficiently, you must vacuum it often. Add the soft brush attachment to the wand of the vacuum and then work methodically through the wall, starting at the top and running. Vacuum wood plank walls once every 2 months or so, but conduct a dust wand around them at least weekly, based on the quantity of accumulated dust.

Light Washing

Light washing of a wood-paneled wall requires 2 1-gallon buckets and 2 cellulose sponges. Mix 2 teaspoons of mild dishwashing detergent in a gallon bucket of warm water. Add warm warm water into the second bucket as a rinsing agent. Begin at the bottom of the wall and work up, cleaning a small section of paneling at one time, and move laterally through the wall as you finish a section. Apply the cleaning agent, then rinse with clean water. Buff dry with a clean rag or cloth. Don’t permit water or detergents to sit or air-dry on the finished wood paneling, as the end could turn a milky white.

Removing Grease or Crayon

Don’t permit heavy-duty solvents or alkali-based cleaning options to sit down finished wood paneling, as these can harm the finish. But if dirt or crayon dirties the timber paneling, mineral spirits may cut these efficiently — if used in small doses. Dab a fresh cloth with mineral spirits and use into the stained area. Rub vigorously to eliminate. Wipe excess mineral spirits to avoid damaging the finish. When working with mineral spirits, open up windows for ventilation. Mineral spirits will also be highly flammable. Don’t use mineral spirits on timber paneling surfaced with paper or thin lashes.

Lemon Oil End

Lemon oil or your favorite furniture oil or polish gives wood paneling a nice sheen. Additionally, it restores unfinished wood paneling that has dried out. Apply the chosen item to a clean cloth and wipe the paneling from the direction of the grain. Blot up any excess oil to avoid overly soaked locations. Apply oil or polish product semiannually or quarterly depending upon the inside climate of your home. Add the oil products into the timber after a thorough cleaning, as the last step.

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The Way to Receive a High Gloss Finish on a Vinyl Floor

Though it’s possible to pick a high-gloss vinyl floor covering, with time, the floor loses its moist appearance. Or, possibly the vinyl flooring in your home came with a matte or low-gloss finish you wish to punch up. Some vinyl floor manufacturers recommend particular products to clean and keep your floor’s end, but product labels can tell you if a specific solution works for your type of floor covering. With only a little bit of time and work, it is possible to restore a plastic floor’s end to make it seem new again and shield it from harm.

Product Choices

Before applying any item to your vinyl floor, verify it can be used on vinyl. To create a high-gloss sheen, then pick an acrylic product that contains polyurethane or the kind of industrial product that’s used in hospitals, stores or office buildings. Commercial products provide greater protection and last more compared to a great deal of retail products, but most of them cost more and arrive in larger containers compared to retail products.

Clean Up It

With thoroughly cleansing the floor, the first step to obtaining that high-gloss sheen begins. The floor requires a comprehensive cleaning before applying the high-gloss coat; otherwise, debris and dirt can embed in the end. A dust mop, broom and dust pan or a vacuum cleaner removes the debris and dust. Run a light wet mop over the outside to eliminate stains and clogs; for ground-in dirt, then use a soft-bristle brush. Abrasives or products that can scrape the vinyl’s surface.

Eliminate Old Finish

After cleaning the ground, remove the old finish, using a stripping product designed especially for your floor. Check the flooring manufacturer strippers. A silk mop is the easiest way to use the stripper throughout the vinyl floor in an even, but thin coat. Let the stripper sit. For tough finishes, wash the floor with a rotary scrubber fitted with wiping pads. Eliminate the sludge material that results in the emulsification, then rinse with water. Allow the floor to dry.

Apply New Finish

When the old end is gone, use the new end working with a sponge mop. Work from 1 side of this room to another, applying it in light, but strokes. Keep the room at 65 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 48 hours to guarantee the item dries and cures. Apply another coat, if desired, following the floor is dry to your touch, after about one hour. Following coats take as much as 2 hours or longer. Do not wash the ground for as much as five days to permit the end product to bond and cure.

Special Considerations

Some vinyl manufacturers advise you not to use mop-and-shine products, since they may leave a filmy residue on the surface of the ground. Avoid abrasives or products that can scratch the surface of the vinyl. A woven carpet with no dyes or a vinyl-backed rug strategically placed near the entrance to the room can help keep dirt from getting tracked onto your chosen vinyl floor.

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Making Sure Mice Are Gone From a House

Mice are smart creatures that multiply rapidly, making them hard to get rid of when they invade your property and breed. After trapping or using rodenticides to take care of an infestation of these pests, there are signs you can search for to determine whether they living in your house.

A Mouse in the House?

Use your senses to determine whether mice are currently living in your property. You’ll probably hear any remaining mice scurrying and squeaking inside the walls of your home or within your ceiling, especially during the night. Look for gnaw marks or fresh mouse droppings across the bottom of your walls. Check your attic, basement, garage or closets for mouse nests made of paper, cloth or other soft substances. Use an ultraviolet light the mice remain in your property, if the urine is pungent and damp.

Final Notice Before Eviction

Pour talcum powder or flour across the base of your walls. Leave the powder for a few days and should you find any mouse tracks, you will know the little pests are still in your house. Assess your house during the night and day to find out whether you place any mice. Place traps around your house to catch any mice that are remaining. Speak to a professional exterminator, if you find any mice in your house. When there are no more signs of mice, use a solution of one part bleach to eight parts water to sanitize your property.

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Taking Corrosion off Pavers

Unsightly corrosion on pavers are able to make your patio or path seem unattractive. A timeless cause of the stains is metallic furniture left from the rain that then rusted and left stains. You can remove the stains and then restore your pavers for their rust-free state.

Chemical Removal

Fresh lemon juice and white vinegar can either eliminate rust stains. For either vinegar or lemon juice, pour or squeeze it straight over the area and let it sit for approximately five minutes. Before the fluid dries, scrub the area with a nylon bristled brush and then rinse with water. Oxalic acid, however poisonous, is another option for removing rust stains from concrete. Whichever you pick, test it on a small region of a paver to be sure it doesn’t bend the pavers.

Mechanical Removal

To skip the chemicals, try taking away the rust using old-fashioned scrubbing. Use a wire brush and dishwashing soap and water to vigorously clean and remove any stains. Rinse with water after you are finished.

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Do You Seal Raw Stone Before Grouting?

Natural stone tiles make an attractive and durable finish material for flooring and walls. After laying the stone tile, you need to grout the joints to keep water and dirt out and to enhance the attractiveness of your new tiled surface. Grouting can be cluttered, but appropriate preparation of the tile are able to keep mess to a minimum.

Seal Before Grouting

Seal your raw stone shingles before grouting. If you do not apply sealer first, grout will adhere tenaciously to the tile surface, and it will be extremely difficult to get off. Grout can also discolor the unsealed tile. Clean any mortar or debris away from the tile surface. Spread the stone sealer evenly across the whole surface of the stone tile using a clean, soft rag or wax. Apply only as much sealer as the stone may absorb. Allow the sealer to dry, which typically takes about one hour. Some porous stone types may need two or three sealing coats before grouting.

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The Best Way to Remove Paint By Lap Board Siding

Stripping old paint off lap board siding takes substantial effort. But it’s an unavoidable evil if the paint is peeling or splitting, and you want new paint to stick. You can strip siding with grinders and scrapers, or you could use chemicals to dissolve the paint, but the quickest and simplest way to remove the paint would be to work with an infrared heat paint stripper. This tool heats up the paint quickly to loosen its bonding to the wood and doesn’t provide enough heat to present a fire risk. It is the safest way to get rid of lead-based paint.

Establish scaffolding at least 12 inches away from the side of the house you’re stripping. You need that much clearance to hold the infrared paint stripper against the wood.

Protect the siding from end with a tarpaulin. Wind dissipates heat from the infrared stripper and lengthens the time you need to keep it in position before scraping.

Spray a light mist of water to the siding prior to using an infrared paint stripper. This will break the bond between the paint and the wood, and even though the risk of overheating the wood is minimum, it produces operation of this stripper safer.

Grasp the heat removal tool by the handle and carry it with its heat coils flush against the siding and the handle parallel to the management of the wood. Hold it against the siding for 20 to 30 seconds, until the paint begin to bubble and soften.

Remove the instrument and scrape off the paint with a pull scraper. Avoid touching the paint together with your hands — it’s hot enough to burn your fingers. If you can not easily scrape all the paint, then do not over-scrape, or you might damage the wood. You may use the tool, but it will work better if you take care of the wood first.

Mix a solution of 80 percent boiled linseed oil and 20 percent mineral spirits, and paint it to the siding with a paintbrush. Allow it to sit overnight, then heat the wood with the infrared removal tool and then scrape. Rub off whatever paint stays with moderate steel wool.

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What sort of Trees Are Pink in Spring & Have Small Fruit?

Flowering fruit trees deliver three-season curiosity in landscapes — four if wrapped in twinkle lights for the holidays. Small-fruited trees offer many disease-resistant varieties in compact sizes using pink spring blooms for suburban or city lots. Several species comprise cultivars that grow well in the warm, dry summers and cool winters of a Mediterranean climate.

Apricots

Palest pink apricot blooms emerge from red calyxes on one of these earliest-blooming fruit trees from the orchard. Step 1- to 2-inch orange fruit ripens by mid-August. Drought-tolerant, apricots (Prunus armeniaca) develop from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 5 to zone 9, but their early blooms, which begin in early March, may be nipped by frost in cooler zones. California produces 90 percent of all American apricots, mainly from the warm San Joaquin Valley.

Cherries

Tart “pie” cherry varieties often require more frightening hours than Mediterranean climates offer. However, Japanese cherry (Prunus serrulata) and sweet cherry (P. avium) cultivars develop from USDA zones 5 to 9. Japanese Branches create the very voluminous pink flowers in spring, but may produce fruit. Capulin cherry (P. salcifolia) is a native of tropical Mexico that rises in USDA zones 10 and 11. Unlike a lot of cherries and other vegetables, capulins do not need a cooling period in winter.

Crabapples

Crabapple trees (Malus spp.) grow from 15 to 25 feet tall. They create pink or white flowers in spring and apples having a diameter of less than 2 inches, known as crabapples. The Japanese crabapple (M. floribunda) collection includes stunning cultivars, many of which feature clustered blooms that hide branches in clouds of pink, followed small, red fruits that are much-favored by birds. Larger-fruited trees typically sport white blooms, but some are veined with red or pink. Japanese Sargent (M. sargentii), and several hybrid crabapples prosper in USDA zones 4 to 8, but also the Southern crabapple (M. augustifolia) is much more tolerant and grows in USDA zones 5 to 9.

Purple-Leaf Plum

Purple-leaf plum (P. cerasifera), also known as cherry plum, is a relative of this capulin cherry. Its purple leaf emerges after a short explosion of deep rose-pink blossom in spring. The tree produces tart little plums beginning in mid-summer that attract ground-dwellers in addition to birds. Th short-lived tree — generally around 20 years — rises rapidly to 20 to 30 feet tall, often with multiple trunks. Purple-leaf plums grow in USDA zones 3 to 9, except for the cultivar “Thundercloud,” which rises only to zone 8. Purple-leaf plum bananas several suckers and birds carry seeds past the limits of this garden.

Other Choices

Two additional trees blossom pink and bear fruit small. American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) produces purple or white berries, growing in USDA zones 6 to 10. It is a native of the southeastern U.S. and requires high humidity. Star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) are tropical fruits, growing from zone 10 through 11. They need high humidity, so irrigation is essential in a dry climate. They contain oxalic acid and its toxic effects can influence those with compromised renal systems.

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Information & Facts on Begonias

Begonia is a genus of approximately 1,000 species, part of the Begoniaceae family and native to tropical and subtropical areas of the planet. There is a great deal of variation among the numerous species, however, typically, begonias are normally fleshy. The flowers are either male or female. They don’t have true petals but vibrant sepals — portion of the calyx, which, in different species, encloses true petals. Begonias can be perennial or annual.

Tuberous Begonias

Tuberous begonias (Begonia x tuberhybrida) have big, showy blossoms in hues of white, yellow, pink, orange and red. The plants are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, and grow from 12 to 18 inches tall, with slightly pointed leaves. Tuberous begonias go dormant in the winter. Popular for container growing, the plants are available in single- or even double-flowered varieties and feature several distinct flower forms, like rose and camellia. Smaller-flowered tuberous begonias with a pendulous habit are often planted in hanging baskets.

Rex and Angel Wings

Rex begonias (Begonia rex-cultorum) are evergreen perennials, hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11. They are often grown in containers and also are known for their brilliantly colored leaves. “Merry Christmas” has bright red and green leaf, and is among the several rexes with leaves which are ruffled, curled or twisted. Angel wing begonias, also hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11, are grown for their wing-shaped leaves and their panicles of white, pink or red flowers. They are a part of the cane-stemmed begonia group, composed of evergreen varieties. The leaf is occasionally spotted or marked.

Wax Begonias

Most gardeners consider the low-growing — to 12 ins — wax or bedding begonia as an annual. In fact, Begonia semperflorens cultorum team is an evergreen perennial, hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11. This variety includes fibrous roots and green to green-bronze leaves. Red, pink or white flowers bloom in clusters and can be double or single in form. Wax begonias benefit from regular moisture during the growing season and flower most abundantly in full sun.

Winter-Flowering Types

Winter-flowering begonias are sold as vibrant container plants, which most people discard after flowering. All these are actually evergreen perennials, hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11. The group encompasses well-known types such as Rieger and Elatior begonias, known for their compact growth habits and floriferous natures. They flower in the winter and also thrive on a diet bright indirect light and relatively large humidity of 40 percent. Rieger and Elatior begonias have a variety of flower forms and the full range of begonia colors, encompassing all colors except purple and true blue.

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How to Pollinate Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria (Alstroemeria spp.) , also commonly called Peruvian lily, parrot lily or lily-of-the-Incas, can grow as a perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, despite the fact that it’s kept as a container plant across a much broader range. Alstroemeria is prized because of its attractive, vibrant blooms, which are often used in cut flower arrangements. This plant is propagated asexually by dividing rhizomes or sexually utilizing seed; where pollinators are lacking, as is generally the case on indoor specimens, or if you wish to selectively breed plants, hand pollination is required.

Find blooms on the selected alstroemeria plant that are open and have loose pollen. Pollen is located on anthers supported by long, thin filaments. Combined, these parts are called the stamen; every alstroemeria flower has six. Catch your finger gently into an anther to find out whether a small quantity of pollen sticks to a finger, meaning that the pollen is ready for transfer.

Catch the tip of a cotton swab into the anthers on the plant to collect as much pollen as possible and bring the pollen-laden swab into the plant you may pollinate.

Brush the pollen-laden swab tip gently onto receptive stigmas in blossoms on the chosen specimen. Each flower has one stigma rising from the center of the flower. When the stigma is ready to receive pollen, it seems shiny and is sticky. There ought to be pollen grains visible on the stigma after you touch it using the pollen swab.

Duplicate the transfer of pollen from one plant to another everyday till flowering has ended.

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