Brighten Up the Outside of Your Home

By nightfall, if there isn't enough lighting, all of our hard work put into lawn care falls out of sight. Keeping a home's exterior visible after sundown - not to mention making it navigable for walking - requires a spaced-out spread of strategically placed light fixtures. We show the way to a well-lit outdoor space with the tips below.

Pathways Especially for guests that aren’t well acquainted with the exterior layout of your home, lighting the way leading to your door is top-priority. Otherwise, family or friends could fall and face injuries. For pathways, consider adding a row of mushroom landscape path lights on each end to provide safe travels; place them in rows at opposing ends for maximum spread of light. Most pathway lighting fixtures are bought in bulk because of the tiny spread that each individual one provides. Whatever style you choose, make sure these are positioned in a way that sufficiently shows the way and illuminates any obstructions.

Front Yard A large aspect driving home security is signaling to outside passersbys that your home is well-lit. ppoint flood lights around your front lawn so that any opportunity for questionable activity is exposed out in the open. Place an outdoor post light near the front, which acts as a savvy way to foster both a suave look and shed light on your front yard. As for the doorway, there are dozens of wall light options to comb through; for security purpose, choose those with LED bulbs that radiate extremely bright. Lastly, for those concerned about home security, another effective tip is to flick on inside lamps nearby windows; this conveys that you are indeed home and mitigates the chance of suspicious activity around your quarters.

Driveway Another main home entry-point, driveway lighting is used to communicate to others where to park and is helpful for squeezing cars in tight. For best lighting, install bright lanterns parsed out between garage doors. Dozens of fashions - ranging from traditional, industrial, to minimal, and several others - can be experimented with to highlight your home’s core characteristics.

Patio or Deck The patio and deck are prime spots for family parties or social get-togethers. For this reason, it’s vital to light all aspects of them. A fun first option is step lights, which can be installed inside the step and emit a glow to help guide the way up or down a flight of stairs. Similar to the front yard, outdoor posts are great for offering an ambiance and serving as a radiant marker amidst a dark night.

Adding ample exterior lighting to your home is no doubt important. However, at the same time it’s important to keep your energy costs down. If you decide to add new light fixtures to your outdoor home environment, be sure to research energy-efficient appliances and tips so that your bill doesn’t take an unexpected hike.

Sources: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,213652,00.html

Backyard Games for Family Fun

The backyard is a hot spot for hosting get-togethers with friends and family. Listed below are four timelessly fun games you can’t go wrong with when it comes to outdoor gatherings.

Ladder Golf Oddly enough, the only thing about ladder golf that relates to the actual sport of golf are the bolas. What is a bola? A bola is a pair of golf balls connected by a string; in ladder golf, each team attempts to toss a set bolas onto their opponents goals. The goals are a set of three rungs standing upright and separate roughly fifteen-to-twenty feet from one another. Our only word of caution is to be careful while tossing the bolas as they could seriously hurt someone or break a window if hurled strongly enough. Ideal for mid-afternoon summer barbecues, ladder golf is a very straight-to-the-point game that folks of any age can enjoy.

Cornhole In cornhole, two teams take turns tossing bags filled with corn in order to sink into crevices in opposing wooden frames. Each wooden frame has a hole engraved in it near its top - about a foot wide in diameter - that the other team tries to throw its corn bag into. Though the point system varies depending on who you play with, a standard rule is that a bag scored through the hole wins you three points; if the player lands his or her corn bag onto the opposing platform but not the hole, it still leaves them with one point. The game goes on like this until a player attains a sum of 21 points. If you accidentally break a window by an off cornhole toss, call or email Wallside to learn how to install new replacement windows.

Badminton Badminton is a bit like volleyball and tennis combined. It involves setting up a net and placing two teams of one to three players on opposing ends from one another. Each teammate is equipped with a racquet which he or she uses to hit a birdie, which is a piece of cork attached to an assembly of plastic feathers that allow it to soar through the air.

Volleyball You can’t go wrong with a little backyard volleyball. Volleyball kits - which include a net, stakes, and ball - allow you to take the game to the beach, park, or just your backyard. Although known for the intense games that can form from it, volleyball can also be for relaxed family competition to carelessly kick back and hang out playing on a sunny afternoon.

Turn Your Backyard into a Private Haven

There’s nothing wrong with wanting a little solitude. After all, your home is private property. Take a look below to learn how to turn your backyard into a secluded zone blocked off from the street and onlooking neighbors alike.

Plants, plants, plants The most effective strategy to boosting backyard privacy is implementing a wall of plants fenced around the perimeter. For quickest results, pick plants that take the shortest amount of time to grow such as bamboo, cypress, or ornamental grass like little bluestem blue heaven. With the right placement, your exterior and interior aspects (the windows) of your home should be sufficiently covered.

Another popular route taken by homeowners is going with evergreen privacy hedges. When purchased in bulk, however, it should be noted that these can get pretty pricey. Moreover, with such a wide variety of styles to choose from, it may be in your best interest to consult a contractor to learn the best deals and get some insider tips on how to best work with your lawn’s topography.

The classic fence If you’re serious about your home privacy and security, erecting a fence is a time-tested method to do so. Whether you construct a fence yourself or opt to hire a company to do it for you, your first step should be to check with local authorities to see if there are any regulations concerning limitations on size or distance away from home. Once you have this squared away, decide if you’re going more for look or function because there are tons of fence styles out there - some more costly than others. Quaint picket fences are nice, but if what you really want is a stalwart hideaway, then you’ll want one constructed from either vinyl or wood.

Natural yet nifty: outdoor privacy screens Behind your standard fence, privacy screens are probably the most straight-to-the-point decorative tactic to conceal a backyard. But that isn’t to say they come off that way - they actually tend to look totally natural due to the artistic dash they embody. Coming in a diverse range of designs, sizes, materials to choose from, set one of these panels in a patch of open space to don a healthy shield of privacy and spark a look of personal flair.

Also, if you don’t own them already, consider investing in an expansive set of window treatments such as draperies, blinds, or curtains. They look natural, offer a chic look - from the inside and outside - and most importantly, yield a thick layer of home privacy.

References: http://www.listotic.com/13-ways-to-add-privacy-to-your-yard/3/

Simple Ways to Save Water

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, American families use approximately 300 gallons of water per day. Though that number may seem extremely high, it turns out that water plays a huge role in the majority of daily household activities. Keeping in mind how expensive water bills can get, we put together a mini guide for how to cut down on your water expenditure. By doing so, you get a two-for-one deal of cutting down on home living costs while also looking out for the environment - not too shabby! Take a look below.

Trim Down Shower Time As much as everyone loves their long showers to relax and zone out for a bit, they’re, as you might expect, a major waste of water. Try trimming your shower time to a duration that allows you to get a sufficient cleanse - but nothing past that. Five minutes is a good benchmark goal to set; after doing it enough times, it becomes just another part of your routine and can actually save you a significant chunk of time in the morning.

“Never let the water run” For many of us, this probably goes without saying. While brushing your teeth, washing the dishes, drying your hands, and any other activity that involves a sink faucet, shut the water off when it’s not being utilized.

Watch out for leaks Surprisingly, a high amount of water we expend isn’t actually used at all. The cause of this is linked to leaks in low-profile areas that people normally don’t check everyday such as garden hoses, pipes under the sink, and hidden basement plumbing. Cut down on leaks by performing regular maintenance checks on home utilities that are prone to leakage such as the water supply line, kitchen sink, tub faucet, and a running toilet.

Fully stock the washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher Each of these utilities are notorious for guzzling enormous amounts of water. For this reason, wait to use them until there’s enough materials for a full load. It’s convenient to get things washed and ready to go even when there’s only about a half a load’s worth - especially in emergency situations like hurrying to wash a dress - but in regular circumstances, it will strongly reduce your water bill if you take the time to wait.

Leave out the hose when washing outdoor windows A popular technique to washing outdoor home windows is spraying them with a hose. It’s an effective method, but tends to waste a great deal of water. Although it takes more effort and time, using the old-fashioned technique of a bucket, soap, and sponge gets the job done just as well while also conserving water. When it comes to tall, hard-to-reach windows, use a window washer pole for maximum coverage and reach.

Reference: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Total-Reach-Window-Washer-Kit-with-5-ft-Telescopic-Pole-965620/203177342

http://www.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/water_use_today.html

How to Maintain a Well-Manicured Lawn

Preserving a cleanly trimmed lawn is one of the many joys of home ownership. Without regular upkeep, yards can spiral into a mess of weeds and knee-high grass that can seriously hurt a home’s curb appeal.

Quality H2o Before anything else, the first building block to a healthy lawn is watering it on a regular basis. On average, you should water your grass about three times a week. If possible, schedule the sprinklers to run in the morning so that the grass has sufficient time to dry.

Take those weeds down Dandelions, broadleaf plantains, prickly lettuce, and dozens of other species of weeds are renowned lawn invaders. Scan your lawn for these by following a visual weed identification guide. Once spotted, grab the gloves and garden shovel to unearth them by their roots. Another popular alternative is purchasing herbicides, which are scientifically designed to wipe out unruly patches of plants; before using, check the label to make sure it’s the right formula for your lawn and to check any potential health hazards.

Aerate After time, soil can become so tightly compact that it hinders a fluid distribution of water and fertilizer. A common technique to fight this is aeration, which essentially allows air to reach the soil in an efficient manner. Technically, there’s no tested best time to aerate a lawn; generally speaking, the best way to assess if a lawn should be aerated is if it’s recently faced a hefty amount of traffic from people walking over it. Aeration can be done on your own by renting an aerator or hiring a landscaping company to do it for you, whichever you prefer.

Routine mowing Keeping your lawn’s grass to a tamed length promotes a healthy, spick and span look. The frequency you mow, however, is unique for each lawn and is usually linked to a variety of factors. A helpful tip to gauge when it’s time to cut is following the standard rule of thumb of using no longer than a third of a mower’s leaf blade.

Fertilizer is key In order to facilitate continual long-term growth of your lawn, fertilizer should be applied during the growth stage of your grass. These stages vary with every species of grass and tend to occur at different seasons of the year; so, you will want to do some research to learn the beginning growth period in order to adequately schedule when to deploy the fertilizer. The reason fertilizer is such an important ingredient to a lawn’s development is the sheer amount of nutrients it packs - it fosters growth in plants and acts as a defensive agent against weeds.

References:

http://lifehacker.com/how-often-should-you-mow-a-growing-lawn-1226754116

http://www.familyhandyman.com/landscaping/lawn-care/how-to-achieve-a-healthy-lawn/view-all#step6