Show Notes: Pavers vs Concrete and Solar Windows – On the House
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Show Notes: Pavers vs Concrete and Solar Windows

By on August 6, 2016
exterior painting

Is it time to make a decision on what material to use to replace your driveway, will it be pavers or concrete? We have information to help you make a choice. Are you ready for solar windows? This new technology is in the horizon thanks to SolarWindows.

 

Thank you our guest, John Conklin, CEO of SolarWindow Technologies, Inc.

For more information visit http://solarwindow.com/        

 

This Common Household Product Can Spontaneously Combust

Multiple homes have gone up in flames.

Linseed oil helps out around the house in more ways than one. The common wood polish can protect your gardening tools, revitalize damaged furniture and clean your fireplace. You can even add it to your beauty routine to help moisturize dry lips. Although this multitasking oil might save your stuff, it can also cost you big time if you’re not careful. Linseed oil, also called flaxseed oil, can spontaneously combust and start incredibly dangerous fires.

Soaked rags have cost several families their homes due to unsafe storage.

Spontaneous combustion causes about 14,000 fires every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association, and oily rags are the most common source of the flames.

To keep your own home safe, stash dry rags in a covered metal container, advises the NFPA. Just don’t use the dryer as a shortcut. “Spontaneous combustion can also happen after oil-soaked rags are washed and dried in the dryer,” says Carolyn Forté, Director of the Cleaning Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. “I’ve even heard of the dry rags igniting when they sit in a laundry basket after coming out of the dryer from the residual heat.” If you do reuse rags instead of throwing them away, always air dry them, Forté says.

Besides linseed oil, watch out for other flammable household items like nail polish, nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol, hair spray and other aerosol cans. Always keep them in cool, dry places (i.e. away from a hot shower) and out of the sun, says Birnur Aral, Ph.D., Beauty Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute.

Out in the garage, keep an eye on gasoline. It should always be stored according to local and state regulations and away from heat or ignition sources, advises Rachel Rothman, the Institute’s Chief Technologist. Above all, make sure to install (and check) carbon monoxide and fire alarms in case a fire does start.

http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/news/a6754/linseed-oil-fire/

 

Pavers VS Concrete?

The walkway or drive that leads to your home should be both a personal statement and a reflection of your good taste. What’s more, the materials should stand up to the weather, look great for years at a time and not be a burden with costly, involved maintenance.

Concrete was the favored material for years because it met some of these criteria. But today paving stones are the clear choice.

Here are the reasons why:

Stains and other imperfections can be easily hidden with pavers

If you splash a little oil on a concrete drive, the stain usually becomes an ugly, permanent blemish. Not so with pavers. These can be quickly flipped or replaced so you always have a surface that looks pristine.

Pavers come in a wide range of attractive colors and designs

Mixing and matching all the possible different combinations will give you a unique drive or patio every time. The different ways you can put paving stones together are limited only by your imagination.

A paver walkway is ready to go from the time it’s installed

Unlike concrete, which can take three to five days before it’s ready for traffic, there’s no curing period with pavers — and no waiting.

It’s easier to make adjustments with pavers

When a concrete base shifts, cracking can result in costly repairs that are visible even when they’ve been professionally done. It’s much easier to deal with a paver’s base that has moved. Just remove the stones over the affected area, level if needed, then replace the same pavers for a finish that looks as good as new.

Better drainage means a secure paver surface

Pavers are solid under your feet. Because of all the joints between paving stones, rain drains away much more easily than it does from flat concrete surfaces. This feature makes pavers much more slip-resistant.

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/5-reasons-select-paving-stones-over-concrete.htm

 

How To Stop The Smells And Funk That Invade Your Home In The Summer

Anti-eeeew tips to keep your house from getting gross

When did hanging out on your patio with that privacy wall you DIYed back in May stop being fun? All you can see is that rusty grill staring at you, and bird poop piling up on your outdoor chaise while you sweat and fight off bugs. And, eeeew, what is that you smell? Summer’s great — but, boy, can it turn on you 

A Stinky Bug Invasion

Squish a stink bug, and you’ll quickly learn how they got their nom de pee-yew. While the brown pests may be harmless, your family’s noses will be happier without them.

  • Use caulk or sealant to close up cracks a sneaky stinker could use to enter your home. Look around windows, doors, vents and outdoor faucets for any openings.
  • Stick a nylon stocking over your vacuum’s hose to suck up stink bugs into the stocking instead of the vacuum bag.

Drown these nasty visitors by dumping captured ones into a bottle filled with an inch of soapy water. No tiny cement shoes necessary.

A Mildew-y Smell That Won’t Go Away

Hot, humid summers create an ideal breeding ground for mold and mildew, which your nose knows isn’t right. At the first whiff of these funky fungi, strike back hard.

  • Keep things clean and organized. It’s the best defense against summer’s musty aroma. That allows air to move around, keeping moisture (mold and mildew’s best mate) at bay.
  • Dry out your home with dehumidifiers and air conditioners — or at least increase air circulation by adding fans.
  • In rooms that tend to get that musty smell, line closet walls and drawers with cedar for a sweet smell all year long.
  • Waterproof your basement concrete and masonry with cement paint to prevent damp walls — and the sneaky mold that comes with them. But be sure to figure out the cause of the dampness before waterproofing. It only works if the moisture is coming from the soil outside.

A note of caution: Sometimes a musty smell is a harbinger of bad news — serious water damage in your home. If these tips don’t work, you may need to call in a pro.

Gross Garbage Funk

Summer’s heat waves make the stench of garbage 10 times worse. Keeping trash cans clean (duh) is your first line of defense. But there are a couple more things you can do.

  • Yes, scrubbing out your garbage can is disgusting, but it helps control the stink and pests. Give it one good clean when your stomach’s feeling strong, and then quickly wipe it out each time you empty. You’ll never have to face that throw-up smell again.
  • Dust the bottom of the clean, dry can with baking soda to suck up future pungency.
  • Or slip a dryer sheet or two underneath the bag when you change it out.
  • Cat litter in the bottom of the can also works to absorb garbage odors.

Excessive Bird Droppings

Not even the most dedicated bird watchers want to watch droppings accumulate on their porch and outdoor furniture.

The easiest and most humane solution is to install some yard art — the kind that moves or makes a racket. Think wind socks, chimes and fun whirly sun catchers.

If, however, the birds are barn swallows that have nested (you’ll know because their nests are made of mud instead of twigs), you mustn’t shoo them away, no matter how gently. Barn swallows are federally protected. Instead, install a flat board below it or place a newspaper on the ground to prevent droppings from ruining your porch. Then next year (because they will come back — and they will bring friends) install bird netting between your eaves and the side of your home before nests are built.

Rusty, Greasy Grill Grates

You never really got around to cleaning your grill at the beginning of the season, and now that you’ve invited some new work colleagues over for a barbecue, you realize your grill isn’t going to stir up any appetites with all that rust and grime.

  • Vinegar, baking soda, salt, and lemon juice are all natural rust eliminators. You can use individually or create a paste between wet and dry ingredients. Apply and let soak overnight. Then a little elbow grease should do the rest. Try these combinations: vinegar and baking soda; lemon juice and baking soda; or lemon juice and salt.
  • If the rust is really, really tough, do the above but get a wire brush attachment for your drill and use it to scrub the rust away.
  • Once clean, season the grates by rubbing with vegetable oil and heating them.

Uninvited Homesteaders

Snakes at the zoo: super cool. Snakes around or (gasp!) in your house: NO. NO. NOOOO. Snakes might be the worst intruder (or is it bats?), but any unwanted rodent or animal in your home is gross. Your best offense is defense. But if they break through, call a professional exterminator.

  • Cover holes more than a quarter of an inch wide (snakes don’t need much). Check behind gutters and roof flashing.
  • Trim trees to keep pesky animals, such as squirrels, from getting on your roof and into your attic. Keep branches at least eight feet from your house.
  • Eliminate any food sources — like a garbage bin with an askew lid — that might tempt a scavenging pest. The closer they are to your house, the more likely they are to find a way in.

Get rid of yard debris, such as piles of leaves and twigs, and mow frequently to eliminate hiding spots.

https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/home-maintenance-tips/summer-home-maintenance-checklist/?site_ref=spotlight

 

Color-Changing Paint You Control With Your Smartphone Is The Future Of DIY

Your decorating decisions may be about to get a lot easier thanks to a colour-changing wall paint that can transform according to the weather or at the touch of a smartphone. The Chameleon paint has been developed by scientists at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology in China and could be the best thing in interior design since Willy Wonka’s lickable wallpaper.

The bright idea uses controllable nano cells, or crystalline micro beads, that can be inflated or deflated to deflect natural light at different wavelengths to produce an array of different colours picked up by the human eye. Each cell contains a metal core, which will shrink the size of the cell, pulling its shell inward, when an electric current is passed through it or in reaction to temperature.

On cold, dreary days you could be cheered up as the lower room temperature will cause the cells to react with rapid, psychedelic shifts in hue. Alternatively, on warmer days they could produce cooler tones in response to the heat. The photonic diffraction that occured as the team experimented on the cells produced shifts from magenta to green and dramatic blues.

Your decorating decisions may be about to get a lot easier thanks to a colour-changing wall paint that can transform according to the weather or at the touch of a smartphone. The Chameleon paint has been developed by scientists at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology in China and could be the best thing in interior design since Willy Wonka’s lickable wallpaper.

The bright idea uses controllable nano cells, or crystalline micro beads, that can be inflated or deflated to deflect natural light at different wavelengths to produce an array of different colours picked up by the human eye. Each cell contains a metal core, which will shrink the size of the cell, pulling its shell inward, when an electric current is passed through it or in reaction to temperature.

On cold, dreary days you could be cheered up as the lower room temperature will cause the cells to react with rapid, psychedelic shifts in hue. Alternatively, on warmer days they could produce cooler tones in response to the heat. The photonic diffraction that occured as the team experimented on the cells produced shifts from magenta to green and dramatic blues.

Besides reacting to the weather you could control the colour of your walls to your heart’s content using a smartphone. If you’re bored of looking at magnolia or worried that lime is a little bit too luminous, you could simply change it in seconds by manipulating the electric current passing through the paint.

The team is working to bring the technology into mass-production but we won’t imagine we’ll see it for a few years yet. “When the product will be available to consumers for home decoration depends on many factors. In my conservative estimate, it will hit stores shelf within three years,” said Dr Xuemin.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chameleon-colour-changing-paint-you-control-your-smartphone-future-diy-1523669

 

Website Mentions:

Terro Ant and Inscct Control: terro.com 

Nixalite Pest Bird and Wildlife Control Products: nixalite.com

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