Chimney failure can occur for various reasons. Small hairline cracks in chimneys need to be monitored. Concrete footers may not be adequate for the chimney. Chimney block and brick can also be defective. The chimney crown must be watertight. Chimney sweeps and structural engineers can inspect your chimney.
Roofing nails commonly pop out of their asphalt shingle roof holes. Your roof experiences heating and cooling every day, which may cause the nails to slowly wiggle out over time. Or, the roofing nail wasn't driven into the wood beneath the shingle well enough. In either case, these nails can be repaired.
Pressure washing wood decks can erode the soft wood of the lumber used on your deck rails and floors. It will actually splinter it. Chlorine Bleach will damage all of the components of your wooden decks and it is toxic to surrounding plantings. Oxygen bleach is the way to clean for a beautiful finish that looks like a new deck.
Pouring concrete that fights cracking is possible if you follow my tips. Watch the amount of water added to concrete as it can cause shrinkage. Those "decorative" lines in your concrete are there as control joints to keep concrete from cracking. Rebar or reinforcing steel and a solid base will help your concrete fight cracks.
Handicap accessibility for your loved one with special needs requires planning. Handicap ramps should meet the needs of the individual. Building handicap ramps requires a little bit of your high school math. To build a proper ramp for people who are physically challenged, you may want to exceed minimum standards for ramps to make the ramp easier to navigate at your home.
Gravel driveways have a new update. Tar and chip driveways give the look of a beautiful gravel driveway with the strength of a blacktop base to hold the colorful stones.
Termites can attack any home. A termite-free house should still get one or two annual visits from a trained pest control professional. Inground termite colony elimination systems are a good way to protect your home. Putting gravel and having positive pitch around your home keep the soil drier, preventing termites from tunneling.
An invisible fence is very effective for pet control. They are not much different than the radio in your home or car. The wire transmits a signal to the compact receiver on your dog's collar. Training your dog to respect his new boundaries is the most important part to the success of the invisible dog fence.
Asphalt sealing will be successful only if you prepare the driveway first. Cleaning and patching asphalt cracks are the first steps. High quality asphalt sealers are the finishing touch.
Landscape edging of granite cobblestones will keep grass at bay and make a crisp lawn edging at sidewalks and driveways. Garden edging saves work. Edging of stone will keep your gravel and grass from socializing.
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