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Make Your Own Outdoor Lounge on a Budget

Learn how to revitalize old summer furniture on a budget.

As a project this week, cruise around some garage sales and look for some old patio furniture you can revamp. Avoid anything rusty, so stay away from anything that isn’t aluminum or stainless steel, but you can find lots of pieces for pennies on the dollar right off someone’s backyard. Here are some tips, beginning with ordering foam from Canada, that you can use to make your own lounge.

Ordering Foam Online

Outdoor foam is a very important component. Not just any foam will do. Outdoor foam is specially designed with open cells, providing comfort and preventing moisture buildup. That makes the foam anti-microbial, and safe to sleep on.

If you use upholstery foam from Canada, the couch cushions would soak up the moisture in a rainstorm. Then you’d have a sponge that would get mildew and mold over time.

Make sure you order dryfast, or outdoor foam when you order online.

Covers

Canvas is one of the best options you have as a cover for the furniture, but there are custom options for those willing to spend. Your local craft store should have a decent selection of fabric to choose from, but you can also get outdoor covers from a big box retailer. It might be worth paying for material that is waterproof or anti-microbial.

Final Thoughts

Remember to sand furniture down before you paint (on metal) or stain (on wood). It may also be a good idea to treat your furniture for bed bugs and other critters. With a bit of elbow grease, you can have a whole new bedroom set for much less than you’d pay at your local furniture or hardware store.

Foam Factory, Inc. sells foam mattress toppers cut to size. Order online, and receive free shipping when you shop at the Foam Factory, Inc.

Foam in the Garden

Written by: Foam Factory, Inc

patio-furniture-gardenFlexible polyurethane foam has a variety of uses indoors, but you can use it outdoors too. With some out of the box thinking, you can discover new uses for foam that can revamp your backyard. From patio chairs to outdoor ponds, simple foam will prove to be one of the most useful substances you can use.

Patio Chairs

First, take a chair that’s seen better days and strip it of its cushion. Then, take some cardboard and cut it to fit the seat of the chair. This is your template, and it’s what you’ll use to draw a pencil outline on some wood to cut. With a hand saw, and taking great care on the edges, cut the shape of the chair. Attach some foam and layer canvas material over the padding. Secure with a staple gun to create your own custom outdoor cushions.

Pond Insulation

If you want to make your own outdoor pond, the process isn’t terribly complex. You need to find a safe place in your yard to dig a hole about two or three feet deep. Use packaging foam from Canada to line the hole, then secure with concrete and some metal bars to brace everything. This insulates your pond, which prevents breakages, and helps stabilize the water temperature for fish to survive. You can also have foam sheets custom-cut for this purpose, if you prefer to work with materials better than what you might have lying around.

Final Thoughts

Outdoor foam is different than indoor foam. Outdoor foam tends to have open cells, which reduce moisture buildup, and this type of foam also has anti-microbial properties that prevent mold from growing.

5 Great ground cover plants

eGardening-TodayGround cover plants take the fuss out of landscaping. They are dependable, hardworking plants, that will carpet your garden floor with minimal fuss. They also offer to control erosion for hilly landscapes and thrive in dry conditions, all the while beautifying your garden. Here are 5 great ground cover plants.

Thyme – Thyme is a great aromatic plant that is best grown in borders, beds and containers. The plant features tiny, fragrant leaves and flowers, that can be used for cooking fresh or dried. The type that creeps, can handle a bit of foot traffic. Thyme will need sun, therefore tuck them between plants and stepping stones on garden paths.

Sedums – These plants that have succulent leaves and stems. They grow best in low water areas and start blooming in shades of white, pink, red, yellow, purple and orange. They need full sun or partial shade and grow best in well drained soil.

Hens-and-chicks – This is an old fashion favourite and great in tight spaces. The plants succulent rosettes grow 3-6 inches tall and need almost no maintenance.

Sweet woodruff – This plant grows best in the shade and is great to plant below trees and shrubs. The plant will grow about 6-12 inches tall and when in bloom will have tiny white spring flowers.

Bishop’s weed – This is a fast growing plant and is best for shaded slopes. Since this plant will grow and run off the space, it will work best in a contained area between a building or a paved space.

 

Cushion Cover Shopping Tips

4Written by Wicker Paradise
Changing your cushion covers can change your living space. Here are a few tips that can save you time and money on your next cushion replacement.

How to Match Current Upholstery Fabric – Getting the exact match of recent upholstery fabric is easier than getting an older fabric. Even if the fabric isn’t an exact match, you can purchase a great looking fabric. For a fabric with a print, select one with strong colours and match your cushion cover with a solid colour. On the other hand, if the sofa is a solid color, you could choose a striped cushion or a textured fabric. For example, lloyd and flanders replacement cushions are a good choice in terms of quality and price.

Long-Wearing Fabrics – Some fabrics will give you longer wear, for example denim, twill, leather and heavy fabrics are best for cushions. For outdoor wicker replacement cushions weather proof fabrics are best.
Order Fabric Sample – Online fabric stores offer fabric samples for an extra charge. This is a good idea, since it will give you a chance to compare the fabric with your sofa. Since computer screen colours can sometimes differ from the actual fabric colour.

Zippers Versus Elastic – Elasticized covers are cheaper than zipper designs. The elastic should be strong enough to provide a snug fit. The elastic should cover the back of the cushion and should cover the back of the cushion.

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Wicker Paradise is a provider of high quality wicker furniture. You can even find replacement cushions there.

5 tips on how to control and deter rabbits from your garden

eGardening-TodayAlthough rabbits are cute, they can cause a lot of damage to your garden. Rabbits usually will eat any plant if they are hungry enough and can cause a lot of damage in just a few hours. Here are a few methods that will help you control and deter rabbits from entering your garden.

Repellants – Rabbits are picky when it comes to certain scents. Therefore, buying a rabbit repellant that has to be applied to your plants is a good deterrent. However, you will have to reapply the repellent if there is a good amount of new plant growth or after a rain. It is best to alternate your repellants, so that the rabbits to not get familiar with the scent.

Fertilizer repellants – Blood meal and bone meal make very good natural rabbit deterrents. Since rabbits are herbivores the smell of slaughterhouse by-products makes them go elsewhere for food. These fertilizers are available in garden centres and are high in nitrogen and phosphorus. You will have to reapply the fertilizer every 2 weeks.

Plants – Rabbits dislike marigolds and onions. You could plant a border of these plants to deter for rabbits and insects.

Pets – Pets like domestic dogs or cats are great deterrents, as they tend to bark or chase rabbits.

Home remedies – There are a number of home remedies that have shown some success. Remedies include burning human hair or spraying black pepper on your plants.

Preventative maintenance tips for garage doors

Written by Superior Garage Doors

Did you know that the garage door is the largest moving part in your entire house?

It also happens to be something that is used multiple times everyday. Even more if you have more than one or two cars. Garage doors are long term investments, so in order to keep it that way, it is important to engage in preventative maintenance to keep your atlanta garage door functioning smoothly. Here are some preventative maintenance tips to keep your garage door humming along nicely for years:

Listen

With a single vehicle, the typical garage doors goes up and down twice a day. That is over 1200 movements. The best way to pick up any upcoming issues is to listen as you open and close. Strange or loud noises that don’t sound normal are signs that it might need to be looked at.

Balance

Check if the garage door is balanced. If it is not perfectly level then one motor is going to have to work harder than the other. Over the long term this can mean a faulty motor and you will have to call in garage door repair mcdonough ga to fix it.

Here are few more:

Inspect and replace the rollers

Replace the weather stripping

Lubricate any moving parts regularly

Check all the cables

Test the safety features like auto reverse

Groom the door

Tighten up the screws and brackets

Following just a few of these basics will help your garage door last longer and save you on the potential repair costs.
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Superior Garage Doors are experts in garage door repairs, maintenance and installation. Call them for you next garage door repair duluth ga.

Clever gardening tips

egardening-todayIf you’re new to gardening, you will understand the enjoyment you get from spending time in your garden and watching things you plant grow. To keep your garden in good shape, here are a few clever tips, used by professional gardeners.

Pot-in-pot landscaping – Most new gardeners will have no idea where a plant would grow or look best. To make it easier for you to transfer your pots, dig a hole and place an empty plastic pot. You can then grow your seasonal plants or vegetable in your plastic pot and easily move them when needed.

Packing peanuts in large pots – To lighten the load of large flower pots, place packing peanuts at the bottom of your pots. To keep the soil from sinking add a layer of landscape fabric.

Calcium for your garden – Egg shells are a great way for your garden to get a bit of calcium. To make it easier for your plants and soil to absorb the calcium, grind your egg shells in a blender.

Keep pets out – Pets can ruin all your hard work in the garden. To keep them from littering in your special herbs, vegetable or fruit patches, place plastic forks (handle end in the soil).

Diaper to retain moisture – If you travel a lot or just don’t have the time to water your plants daily, place a open diaper at the base of your pot. Then cover the diaper with soil and add your plant. This will help your potted plants retain moisture for longer.

8 basic gardening tools every newbie gardener needs

eGardening-TodayIf you’re new to gardening, you might need to buy a few necessities to make your gardening project a pleasant one.

Pruners – Pruners are a great addition to your gardening tools. They will make it easier for you to prune shrubs and perennials. A sharp pruner will also assist the plant to recover faster, once dead or over grown branches are cut.

Trowel – Trowels have a pointed end and a scooped blade. It makes digging holes, removing weeds and transferring plants a lot easier. Choose a rubber handled, lightweight trowel, which is comfortable to hold.

Shovel – A shovel is helpful if you have a large garden and need to move large volumes of soil. Choose a shovel with a rounded point, which will make digging, breaking soil and planting a lot easier.

Plastic tub – Tubs can be used to gather weeds, transfer soil and store garden tools.

Garden Hose – To make watering your plants easier, invest in a good quality garden hose. You could get the variety which has a carrier to hold the hose and stop it from tangling, when it is not in use.

Rake – A rake is good to level the ground and tidy up the lawn.

Gloves – Gloves are a must to ensure that your hands stay safe and clean. Invest in a good quality pair that fits your hands snugly.

Moisture Meter – This handy tool, will let you know how much moisture your soil has and if it need water.

Wicker Furniture Is Fancier Than Ever

2By Wicker Paradise

Are you one of the millions of people who want a better looking home? It’s not that your home isn’t nice at the moment. But most home owners are always on the hunt for new ways to improve their residents. While you could spend a small fortune on trying to renovate the entire thing, why not just add a wicker sofa?

Wicker furniture has become more popular than ever, with many people using it inside their homes. While most of us associate this type of material with the outdoors, the truth is that there are a number of pieces that work just as well inside as well.

Whether it’s in your dining room, living room or porch, wicker looks amazing these days. Plus, whenever you want, just add some new cushions and you’ll have a totally different look. Forget about spending money on a reupholster measures. Lloyd Flanders replacement cushions are especially fancy and cost-effective.

Don’t fall into the hype of spending lots of money to make a slightly better home. Instead, why not consider what is possible with a much smaller budget by investing in wicker furniture. Hopefully, now you can see what so many other homeowners have realized about the potential represented by wicker furniture.

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If you want a better looking home, whether indoors or outside, you can’t do much better than replacement cushions for your wicker furniture. And you won’t do much better than going with Wicker Paradise.

2 low maintenance Succulent plants to grow at home

eGardening-Today

Succulents are great plants for home owners who want plants in their home but are either very busy or forgetful. Succulents need a lot less care and brighten any living space. The reason why these plants are so low maintenance, is because they have evolved with special water storage tissues, which gives them the ability to grow in harsh/dry environments. Here are 2 succulents that are great for indoors;

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) – This plant which was brought in from Madagascar, is a lovely plant to give spaces a pop of color. Crown of thorns, flowers all year around and the different types bloom flowers in red, salmon and yellow. Once the plant is in bloom water the plant once the top inch of soil is dry. But when the plant is not flowering, you can wait till half of the soil is dry before you water it. This plant can bloom in direct to medium light. Since the plant’s sap can cause irritation, remember to wash your hands after handling the plant.

Medicine Plant (Aloe Vera) – This plant has been known for its healing properties by soothing wounds and burns. The leaves however are a bit sharp, therefore place it in an area like a tabletop, kitchen top or on the floor, which is not too much in use. The soil should be dry before watering. Aloe vera grows best in direct sunlight. If your potting this plant use a potting mix suitable for cactus. Repotting is only necessary if the plant’s roots protrude from the pot.