How To Install Furring Strips to Concrete Walls
March 31, 2010
How To Install Furring Strips to Concrete Walls
by: Mark J. Donovan
If you are planning to finish a basement you will most likely need to install furring strips to the concrete walls so that the walls can be sheetrocked.
Attaching furring strips to concrete walls can be easily done using 2”x2”s or 2”x3” kiln dried wood studs, liquid nail glue, and some fluted concrete nails.
Due to moisture in the basement, I prefer to use a 2”x4” pressure treated stud laid flat along the bottom of the wall. Lay the stud on its flat side up against the wall. The furring strips will sit on top of the pressure treated stud, such that there is effectively a moisture barrier between the basement floor and the kiln dried studs.
The kiln dried studs should be placed on 16 inch centers along the wall, again resting on the pressure treated 2”x4”. The kiln dried studs should run the entire height of the concrete wall.
Cheap Faux Wood Blinds - An Alternative to Wooden Blinds?
March 30, 2010
Cheap Faux Wood Blinds - An Alternative to Wooden Blinds?
by: Rene Knops
A cheaper alternative to wooden blinds are Faux Wood blinds. They look like wooden blinds but differ from them for obvious reasons. Cheap faux wood blinds are made of vinyl or a combination of wood and vinyl. They are becoming very popular.
These cheap faux wood blinds are nearly fifteen percent cheaper than wooden blinds. Still they provide the look and feel of wooden blinds.
Cheap faux wood blinds have lot of advantages. Some of which are as follows:
* Cheap faux wood blinds provide the look and feel of wooden blinds.
* Cheap faux wood blinds cost less than wooden blinds.
* Cheap faux wood blinds last longer.
* Cheap faux wood blinds do not warp. They do not fade or crack.
* Cheap faux wood blinds do not retain moisture like wooden blinds. They are particularly good in areas where moisture is high.
* Cheap faux wood blinds are very durable.
* Cheap faux wood blinds come in various colors and tones.
* Cheap faux wood blinds also come with motorization and other options.
Homemade Hummingbird Nectar
March 30, 2010
HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR RECIPE
We love hummingbirds and love to watch them throughout the day, especially after a long day, relaxing in our backyard nature retreat.
We have 4 feeders that are strategically located throughout our gardens. The red, hummingbird nectar feeders ( red attracts hummingbirds) are placed in areas that are naturally defined "territories" ( as you know, hummingbirds are very territorial) which helps cut down on the fighting.
Our recipe is derived from the old standard recipe, but please be aware that a lot of research has gone into making sure that we are providing the most beneficial source of hummingbird food replacement.
Our recipe starts with cane sugar. As you know, there are two sources of sugar: cane sugar and beet sugar, of which 70% of the world’s supply comes from cane sugar. Both are chemically "sucrose" and fall into the carbohydrate family. Carbohydrates are easily digested and provide the immediate "energy boost" that hummingbirds need to sustain their incredibly high metabolism. (Comment: I guess if we humans had that kind of metabolism we wouldn’t be facing our obesity crisis! Wow?what a concept ?more exercise ?increased metabolic rate ?burn more calories ?less fat).
How to Select an Installer for Your Solar Panels
March 29, 2010
How to Select an Installer for Your Solar Panels
by: Rick Chapo
With the new rollout of massive federal tax credits, state subsidiary programs and net metering, going solar makes sense. So, how do you pick an installer for your system?
Install My System
As with any major part of your home, installation of a solar platform should be done by a professional. Many of the tax credit and rebate programs require professional installation and failure to do so can lead to the loss of the benefits. In short, there are practical and economic reasons to get it done right.
While a solar platform is necessarily a form of electrical generation, you shouldn’t assume every electrician knows how to install one. In truth, most do not. Instead, you can visit a site like solarcompanies.com to find businesses in your state, search on the web or simply pull out the phone book. In states such as California, installers are plentiful while other locations may require a bit of hunting.
Once you’ve located potential installers, make sure to ask some questions. Do not pick the lowest price or first one you find. Use your common sense and ask the same questions you would to any contractor installing something on your home.
How Exactly Do Septic Tanks Work?
March 28, 2010
How Exactly Do Septic Tanks Work?
by: Scott Leahy
A sewerage drain field and a septic tank make up a small scale sewage treatment system. A septic tank is basically a rectangular shaped underground receptacle for wastewater. It is watertight, made of concrete, and consists of tanks that are divided into chambers. The first chamber has twice the volume as the second and the majority of the organic solid matter, referred to as sludge, gets settled here. The second chamber further purifies the wastewater.
The septic tank collects wastewater from toilets, showers, sinks, etc. Due to the absence of a current the sludge quickly settles down to the tank floor. Anaerobic bacterial digestive activity on the sludge leads to the generation of methane and carbon dioxide; the sludge is stabilized and does not rot anymore. Particles of stabilized sludge stay settled, some may float to the top as scum.
A septic tank should be constructed such that there is maximum contact time with the microorganisms so as to enable swifter digestion of the sludge. This is achieved by placing the inlet, overflow, and outlet diagonal to each other and by making the streams flow in vertically placed pipes.
Traffic Exchange Programs And Their Benefits
March 27, 2010
Traffic Exchange Programs And Their Benefits
by: Peter Tarrida del Mármol
Traffic Exchange programs are services that online users with a common objective use, in an effort to gain more exposure for their business.
There are different types of traffic exchange programs. There are some that will let you surf the Internet as you normally would, with the only exception being that you set your browser’s start page to their default advertising page. Once your homepage’s browser loads you earn a certain number of advertising credits. You get additional credits for clicking on links of other members in the program’s network. You can then use these credits for exposing your links to the network, with a chance of potential visitors and sales.
Some other traffic exchange services will make your surfing experience a bit more complex, since you would have to wait for a timer to expire in order to be awarded credits, and while that timer counts down you are forced to view another person’s website from the network.
Some of these measures were taken by the traffic exchange programs in an effort to minimize or eliminate cheating, since some users came up with ways to cheat the system by using software programs that auto surf and earn them credits.
How to Raise House Plants from Seeds Easily
March 26, 2010
The principal house plants which are easy to raise by sowing seeds are Aloe (succulent plant), Asparagus species, Begonia semper-florensundB. rex, cacti (many kinds), Clivia, Cyclamen, Eucalyptus, Fuchsia (varieties), Grevillea robusta, Opuntia, Passijiora, Phoenix (palm), Primula malacoides and P. obconica, Ricinus, Rochea (succulent plant), Saintpaulia (hybrids) and Solatium capsicastrum.
The most suitable compost
It is best to sterilise the compost, and it should therefore be heated in a sterilising apparatus for 10 minutes at a temperature of 18o° F. After this partial sterilisation, the compost must be spread out on a bench to cool before use.
Watering a seed pan by partial immersion
A simple method of sterilising the compost is to water it with Cheshunt Compound steriliser. This chemical can be obtained from any seed store. It consists of a powder which, when dissolved in water, is sprinkled over the compost before or after the seeds have been sown. It is perfectly safe to use, and does not injure the smallest seedlings. Seed boxes and pots can be sterilised by this method and thereby made pest free. A satisfactory seed compost may be obtained by sterilising the loam only, and then adding the peat, sand and fertiliser.
Securing Home Water Supplies; Conservation of Water Planning
March 25, 2010
Generally when it rains the water runs off the house and yards into the gutter and into pipes or storm drains which feed it into the river, stream or ocean. This conventional approach is problematic in that many of the countries regions are in severe drought. As we expand our population base we will see issues where the growth and water usage far exceed the regional annual rainfalls. This will indeed over tax the water supplies and cause issues with exacerbated droughts and lengthy recoveries. Eventually if kept unchecked we will be in perennial drought in most of our nation.
In Waukesha, Wisconsin a company named Bielinshi Homes has a more conservative approach. The rain water or snow melt running off the home is send into the soil through the surrounding shrubbery and sinks into the ground water table. Using a local swale, prairie or wetland type scenario the water is recaptured and reused as ground water filtered by the soil and taken back out by use of wells. Also of importance in the use of bioswales is that it is cheaper to install than pipes or storm drains with a massive rain gutter system. Landscape maintenance is also reduced to a large degree and the water is retained in the region rather than starting its long journey to the sea.
Maximum Exposure on Low Cost Internet Ad
March 25, 2010
Maximum Exposure on Low Cost Internet Ad
by: Mohd Zulfaezal Che Azemin
Advertising had long since been a major determinant of a business’ success.This would include the presentation of the product / service to the consumers.What really matters is how it is presented to the target market to be able to capture it.
Whatever the package, the ad media also plays a great role in determining the success of the product or service awareness.
What may be its advantages over other proven medium like the best-selling TV ads?
Advantages
1. Low Cost
Eventhough the Internet ad might be viewed as “classy” or far-reaching, as compared to other medium, this is far cheaper than most.Internet Ad Packages are offered for as low as $29.99 for a one-month run-time period.
2. Capture market
Should your product / service aim to cater to the younger generation or the corporate-oriented ones, Internet ad would be best since they would always be “hooked-up” into the net surfing sites that might have a link to your very own. Result, a great number of “hits” on your site!
2. Hassle free
Extra Space Without Moving House
March 24, 2010
Extra Space Without Moving House
by: Sara Felice
Come on, we all know that a little extra space in the house would be nice, but finding spare room is one tough job. Perhaps you’ve always fancied your own home gym or play room for the kids, or maybe you need space for a home office to do all that boring work stuff, and wouldn’t your own games room be awesome.
Hang on - Before you start rushing off to the estate agents or calling the builders take a look at all the options available to you, and weigh up the possibilities of how to gain extra space in your home. You may not have considered an outdoor room before, but I recommend you find out why buying a Log Cabin makes so much sense.
House prices are continually on the rise, so most of us can rule out the option of moving. You can guarantee that when you do finally find the house that’s right for you it will be so ridiculously expensive that you won’t be able to afford it. As anyone who’s ever moved house will tell you, moving day is the most stressful day in your life, an added stress that most of us could do without. It takes so long to redecorate and organise the chaos and settle in - and it would be just your luck to end up next door to the neighbours from hell. You may want to ask yourself, is moving house really worth all that hassle just to gain an extra room?
