Posted by Rick Luppino on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 @ 12:38 PM
One of the most satisfying things that you can ever do is creating and maintaining a garden. The subsequent results are usually amazing. The process of home gardening is also quite exciting. Home garden is a very noble activity that brings along many benefits including reducing environmental pollution. It's also a wonderful way to acquire healthy food whereas saving time and money.
Home gardening basics will help you create a beautiful garden from the beginning. These basic tips provide information on garden preparation, planting, composting and other vital garden tasks. The resurgence of home gardening is quite rational. This is because many people are used to buying artificially manufactured foods that are associated with a lot of diseases including cancer.
Home gardening basics include; ensuring that you select the healthiest and best plants or seeds, they are not necessarily the prettiest. For example, you can verify for insects or diseases, select short but firm plants. They mature faster that the tall, slender ones. Another important home gardening basic is ensuring that your planting site is adequately prepared. Exposure to direct sunshine may affect the plants; make sure you correctly use composted garden manure.
Identification of weeds while still small will successfully enable you to control them. Weeds can also be eliminated thorough mulching especially when the plants are young. You will also have to ensure that there is adequate drainage for the plants.
Fruits or vegetables that have grown in your garden are tastier than those bought. Certainly, it's a worthwhile activity to engage in.
Posted by Rick Luppino on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 @ 12:28 PM
Vinyl siding is another of my buyer beware building products. It comes in a variety of thickness, warranty and color. My advice is never purchase any vinyl siding if the back is a different color than the front. You won't have a through and through color for fading and performance with that product. Thickness is one of the key factors in looking for a good vinyl siding. You need to ask a qualified salesman if the thickness stated is the true thickness on the product and not one area of measurement. The regulating body that sets the standards lowered the requirements years ago where a .038 product can be passed off as a .040 product. This doesn't seem ethical but it happens with a lot of building products. A good thickness to look for is .042 and .044 gauge. If you get too thick a siding it looks bad at the lap joints. Usually brighter colors are a lot thicker to withstand warping, during expansion and contraction in the hot and cold. Also purchase a well known brand that you've heard of nationwide. Too many times big stores have siding made for them to their specifications (even length) to offer the low price image. When they lose the price they drop the siding and you can't find more for additions or repairs. Price your siding by the "square" (100 sq ft) and not the piece when shopping. Other than these basic points a qualified salesperson can show you advantages between name brands offering different nailing hems and lap joints.
Posted by Rick Luppino on Wed, Jun 10, 2009 @ 01:24 PM
How much do Replacement Windows cost ?
Isn't this the reason you are on this site or any site ? To get information about windows and to get an idea about how much you are going to have to invest to have them .
I told you on my home page that I would give you the information you need to help you make this decision with out any hype so lets get to it .
If you haven't already read it when you get a chance check out the page about the three types of contractors since this will help you understand price variations .
$250.00 to $1250.00 per window installed
I know you are probably wondering why such there is such a huge difference .
First the type of company you get an estimate from has allot to do with it and also the quality and options for the window.
A fair range will be somewhere between $250.00 for clear glass and a basic window installation with no high performance glass options or interior grids up to around $550.00 for a high end welded window with high performance glass that will be much more energy efficient and save you more over time than the cheaper model .
Most repeatable companies carrying a quality product and running a professional contracting business should be between $350.00 and $450.00 installed . Shop all you want and this is what you will discover .
Your decision should be based on how you feel about the company with whom you will be doing business with .
Have they been around for a while ? Did you check there references ? I mean really make the calls , call the BBB and make sure they have proper license and insurances .
Ask your friends and other businesses that you shop with if they ever heard of the company and see if they have a good reputation in the community in witch they do business in . Face it if the business and people in there area don't have any thing good to say then you may want to keep shopping .
Posted by Rick Luppino on Sun, Jun 07, 2009 @ 09:57 PM
Welcome to HouseGuru , today is june 10th and this is my first blog post . This is my favorite time of year , it's warm out and the suns shining . Its stays light out till 8:30 and everything is green . I also love it because it's when us home owners get the bug to do some improvements . After all that is also my business .
Some of the more popular projects are things that affect the outsideof your home . Decks and sun rooms add nice areas to hang out in and relax . You may have grown tired of painting your house and want the fresh new look and maintenance freedom of vinyl siding and replacement windows or your roof may have had it's best days and needs to get repaired before winter comes .
I just finished a nice project for a couple in West Hartford . My company suburban windows & siding cut an opening in the back of there house and installed a beautiful french door and built a 16×20 deck all in composite decking and vinyl railings . Composite decking is great , it's a vinyl product that looks like wood , comes in different colors never need staining and won't splinter .