Archive for October, 2011

Different Types of Lawn Fertilizers

Friday, October 28th, 2011

If you want to improve your landscape such as your plants and green grass, there are things you need to consider. First of all, lawns need large amounts of phosphorous, nitrogen and potassium to grow healthy. However, you also need to know the right ratio which is usually two parts potassium, three pars nitrogen and only one part phosphorous. When you buy lawn fertilizer, you will see the percentage by weight. The numbers are also known as NPK (for Nitrogen, Potassium & Phosphorous, respectively).

When buying lawn fertilizer, you may be surprised when you realize there are lots to choose from. Here are different types of fertilizers you should know about:

  • Balanced fertilizers This type of fertilizer offers nutrients in predetermined ratio which can meet the lawn requirements for particular elements.

  • Complete fertilizers It can vary from 5-10-10 to 10-10-10 NPK. It also contains other nutrients. Makers of this fertilizer get these from nature and put them inthis form so that they can be beneficial to plants & lawns.

  • Pre-emergents This is a type of weed killer that should be applied prior to the germination of weeds. This is because they wont work anymore if the weeds are already actively growing. It is commonly used for the prevention of growth of crabgrass. It can also be mixed with fertilizer and then spread out during early spring.

  • Post emergents This is another type of contact killer that works effectively once the weeds have actively grown. However, it doesnt work on weeds that havent germinated yet.

  • Weed & feed This type of fertilizer has broadleaf killer meant for weeds. It is a contact killer that actively works on growing weeds. Thus, it shouldnt be used when there is new seeding or sodding. This type is mostly used during the spring time for established lawns.

  • Winterizer fall fertilizer This type of fertilizer helps prepare lawns for the winter. Its purpose is to promote a stronger root development. It also ensures thicker and greener lawn during the fall season. When used, youll soon see a quicker greening on your law during the spring.

  • Starter fertilizer This type of fertilizer is designed for new lawns. It contains small amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous allowing the roots a good start and become the green grass you want for your lawn.

Gas Furnace Repair

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

For you to fix household things that break, you need to know how it works, what can go wrong and how to identify the problem which may include the steps in fixing it.

Here are the things that you need to know about repairing your gas furnace:

How does this work?

Natural gas from an outside source is piped to the furnace where it is burned for heat production. A fan driven forced air distribution system blows the warm air through ducts that vent into the various rooms of the house. Older gas furnaces use a standing pilot ignition. Its maintenance involves turning off the pilot each spring and relighting it each fall. Newer, more efficient gas furnaces use an electric spark to light the gas as necessary.

What can go wrong in your gas furnace? Most gas furnaces are reliable. The furnace may not produce heat or may not produce enough heat. Pilot light may go out repeatedly or may refuse to light. Thermocouple maybe faulty. Pilot light might not ignite the burner. The furnace maybe noisy. There are some maintenance and minor repairs that you can make. Always remember that major service should be left to a trained technician.

To minimise the problems with your gas furnace, see to it that each month you check the air filter and clean or replace it if necessary. Clean the blower blades once a year and lubricate the blower motor, and inspect the belt. Oil blower motor lubrication ports, check for proper belt tension, tighten the belt if loose and replace frayed belt.

Parts, materials and tools you may need in doing minor repairs in your gas furnace:

Some parts of your furnace are interchangeable like filters, fasteners and are readily available at your local hardware store. Burners and controls must be purchase from the manufacturer or after market supplier or a heating equipment supplier in your place. Tools that you may need includes screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, wire brush and multi meter.

Author recommends to check out more about Gas Furnace Minneapolis and Gas Furnace St Paul.

Common Sliding Door Problems

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

This is a guest post by Patrick from window glass repair phoenix, He specializes in Scottsdale shower door repair phoenix and single pane sliding glass door repair phoenix

Understanding the common problems that you can encounter with your sliding door can help users equip themselves with proper skill and technical know-how to resolve these concerns before they can even occur or advance.

There are many types of sliding each of these types has its own disadvantages and issues that need to be addressed from time to time.

Below are some of the common sliding door problems most households have encountered.

Sliding glass doors are commonly utilized as an ideal exterior door towards your patio. The most common problem with this type is they can easily accumulate smudges and fingerprints which can be an eyesore especially when you just finished cleaning them. Energy leaks can also be problem with this type of sliding door since they are usually made of lean glasses they can be easily penetrated by the weather conditions from the outside.

Electrical sliding doors that are usually found in automatic cars have their own problems too. One of the alarming issues with this type of sliding door is that sometimes they do not respond to the buttons provided to control them. The root of the problem is usually due to motor malfunction. The malfunctions of an electrical sliding door motor maybe due to several factors, one of which is faulty wirings. If this is not the case then the problem should be due to technical issues found inside the motor. Individuals with limited technical training are advised to have their motor checked by a trained professional to ensure that they are thoroughly checked.

The most conventional types of sliding doors employ rollers and roller tracks which give them the ability to slide back and forth when opening and closing them. Sometimes these rollers get stuck due to accumulation of dirt, hair and other debris that can prevent it from functioning properly. To resolve the problem you may use a flat screw driver to scour the objects that are clogging the rollers.

Another reason why your sliding doors roller may not respond efficiently is because it is not properly aligned with the set tracks or when they have been altered or deformed due to constant use. If the problem is only due to alignment issues then it should be easy since they can be done manually even without an experts help. However, if the problem is due to worn rollers then you will need to replace the rollers first before you can restore your sliding door to its normal operation.

These common problems are only some of the many things household sliding door owners usually experience. However, all these problems no matter what type of sliding door you are using can be easily prevented from taking place provided that you are responsible enough to do regular check up and maintenance on their particulars.