Hour 1
In Hour 1, hear learn how to stop wasps from swarming round fruit timber, ideas for cooling off a sizzling attic and extra.
Controlling Wasps Round Fruit Timber
Wasps are swarming across the apple and pear timber in Valerie’s entrance yard.
“Every fallen fruit attracts about 5 or extra wasps, such that I can’t (properly, I don’t WANT to) contact the fruit to maneuver it away to chop my grass,” she says.
Valerie needs to know: “What time of day ought to I choose up the fruit?”
Wasps, in addition to bees, are interested in the sugar in rotten fruit.
Don’t spray any poison across the timber as a result of it received’t simply kill the wasps —it’ll additionally kill honey bees, treasured pollinators which might be dying at an alarming fee.
Sadly, there’s not a lot you are able to do, apart from:
- Decide the fruit as quickly because it’s ripe.
- Don’t let it fall to the bottom. We all know it’s unattainable to stop each fruit from touchdown within the grime however verify on the timber incessantly.
- Rake up the fruit on the bottom with a long-handled rake to keep away from any stings.
Bees and wasps aren’t as energetic at night time or very early within the morning, so choose up the fallen fruit then.
For extra ideas, learn The best way to Take care of Wasps in Your Garden.
Cooling Off a Renovated Attic
Leslie Trippe’s 1953 dwelling in Huntsville, Ala., has a completed attic house with two bedrooms and a rest room.
The ceilings are solely seven ft tall and angled within the bedrooms, plus there’s no further house in between the drywall and the roof.
“When the wall or ceiling is touched the warmth might be felt coming by means of the drywall. We presently use moveable air conditioners to maintain the house cooler. Is there a method to cool off this house?” she asks.
This can be a quite common downside in attics which were transformed into residing areas. When persons are slowly renovating their dwelling, they neglect to consider how sizzling the attic can get.
More often than not, it’s virtually unattainable so as to add insulation with out doing a little demolition. Any added insulation within the house between the drywall and the roof will assist.
See if any contractors in your space do blow-in cellulose insulation. It’s a mixture of wooden or paper-based merchandise and glue that’s pumped into the cavities behind partitions and ceilings. The contractor would want to chop a small space of drywall to pump it into the small house, however this may simply be repaired.
In addition to including insulation, name an HVAC skilled and see if they’ll arrange some zoning in your air-con system. This lets you pump extra air-con into sure areas.
You may as well spend money on a ductless air conditioner. This has its personal separate system that attaches to the wall.
Hour 2
In Hour 2, hear our ideas on the most effective spot for a skylight, conserving water from pooling on a patio, and extra.
The Greatest Spot for a Skylight
A hotline caller needs to make use of skylights for air flow extra so than daylight.
He needs to know: What route ought to the skylights face: north, south, east or west?
There’s rather a lot to contemplate when inserting skylights. Begin by asking the place would you like the sunshine on the within.
Then run a plumb line up alongside the ceiling within the attic and see for those who run into any valleys or if the sunshine tunnel will likely be exceptionally lengthy.
By way of directional publicity, I don’t suppose that’s a giant deal to fret about in case you have a high quality skylight with shade capabilities. Simply be certain that it seems to be good from the within and doesn’t have an effect on your house’s construction.
In usually circumstances, individuals don’t put it on the entrance of the home for aesthetic functions. They’re usually positioned on the north-facing roof airplane as a result of it gives probably the most oblique gentle, so that you received’t get quite a lot of glare or warmth build-up.
Should you reside in a northern local weather, you may wish to place them on the south-facing aspect for some further heating.
Purchase a glass skylight, not an acrylic one. These can result in water injury and intense warmth in the event that they don’t have the correct curving or seamless flashing.
Stopping Pooling Water on a Patio
Fifteen years in the past, Jane Pierce’s husband used a concrete leveler to right a low spot on her patio that was amassing water.
“It’s held up very properly till now. It’s cracking and chipping off. How can I repair this?” she asks.
Right here’s learn how to repair this:
- Chip away as a lot from the floor as you probably can. You don’t need to be too aggressive with it — simply get all the materials that’s separated from the unique patio.
- Subsequent, get some Quikrete ReCap Concrete Resurfacer. Use Quikrete’s Concrete Calculator to find out what number of baggage you’ll want.
- Then, combine it in line with the instructions on the bundle and pour it onto your patio.
- Use a big rubber squeegee (a few foot to 16 inches broad) to unfold the combo. Cowl your complete patio to make sure it’s degree.
- Earlier than it dries, drag a brush throughout it so as to add some texture for a slip-resistant floor
- Now, you’ve got a patio that appears model new!
Watch: The best way to Give New Life to an Previous Patio
Should you don’t wish to resurface the entire patio, apply a skinny layer of Quikrete Bonding Adhesive within the low spot, then degree it with Quikrete Concrete Patching Compound.
Fixing a Caught Deadbolt
How do you repair a deadbolt that’s caught within the locked place? That’s what Marlene Lauer in Neenah, Wisconsin, needs to know.
She says, “We eliminated the doorknob, however couldn’t transfer any of the elements to slip the bolt. We tried to take the door off and that didn’t work. My son needs to noticed by means of the bolt. Is that our solely choice?”
Often, a small piece contained in the doorknob has damaged and is lodged inside, conserving it locked.
Use a hammer to faucet a screwdriver or nail punch to the best and left contained in the keyhole to loosen the jammed half. Then, attempt tapping the screwdriver a bit with a hammer to loosen what’s caught inside.
If this doesn’t repair it, name a locksmith.
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Easy Options
Simple Overhead Storage — Right here’s learn how to make an overhead rack in your storage workshop, or shed for storing small-diameter pipe, slim moldings, and even fishing rods.
- Minimize two 5-in.-long items from a size of vinyl downspout.
- Then screw the downspout items to an overhead ceiling joist, spacing them about 4 ft aside.
- Now, merely slide moldings and pipes into the quick downspout sections. The elements will likely be up and out of the way in which, however simply accessible whenever you want them.
Watch: The best way to Make an Overhead Storage Rack from Downspouts
Gluing Tight Cracks — When fixing a break up chair rail, cracked baluster, or comparable object, it’s troublesome to use glue as a result of the crack is so tight. Do that:
- Wedge open the crack with a small flat-blade screwdriver.
- Then, squeeze in some glue and use a size of dental floss to work the glue deep into the crack.
- Pull out the screwdriver, wipe away the surplus glue and clamp the restore.
Watch: The best way to Repair Cut up Furnishings with Wooden Glue