GFWC Indiana - Cleaning & Home Improvement

With the weather cooling many of us are thinking about winter already and what ways we can improve our homes curb appeal through the season. In many areas of the country where the weather can keep us indoors for several months about the only thing we can do to spice things up is to decorate the outside of our house. Large Christmas decorations in the yard can help get everyone in the holiday spirit.

A well lit house glowing with Christmas lights is a wonderful thing in itself but add to it some beautiful large Christmas ornaments and decorations and you have created a holiday wonderland. From a giant snowman with a top hat to an over-sized Santa sleigh there are so many dazzling displays to help bring an inspired holiday to your neighborhood. Adding festive colors to your yard will surely give your home a boost of curb appeal during the holidays.

In many areas of the country homes sell like hotcakes during the cooler season if they are displayed properly. Many sales are made from emotional feelings and nothing can bring out emotion like Christmas and all the spirit that comes with it. In one part of the country they hold an annual Christmas decoration contest. The most lit, decorated, and spirited house and yard are declared the winner and handed an award.

One of the biggest satisfactions to displaying large Christmas decorations and having an overall Christmas décor is having people drive by slowly all winter long to gaze wonderfully at the display you have put together. After a long summer of yard work, getting the outside of the house cleaned up, and keeping up with exterior maintenance being able to show that off with lights and Christmas decorations is a wonderful thing. For extreme displays you can even hire a professional Christmas decorating company so you do not have to do the work.

Having a knowledge of the proper equipment for pressure washing is half the battle to providing a good service. Methods and techniques can be a work in progress but the key is using the right equipment. Lets discuss some of the most useful pressure washing accessories that help you in providing a quality cleaning job.

As a business owner you know that time is money so the more efficient your setup the more time you will save. Hose reels are a great start to a good rig setup. Contractor grade hose reels will hold 300 feet of 3/8 inch pressure hose on average and the same amount of feed hose. For a one pressure washing unit rig, two hose reels are ideal. To be able to grab the end of the hose, hook up your wand, and walk off what you need is much more efficient than unwinding coils of hose by hand and hooking them together.

One of the most useful tools is a chemical injector. This injector is typically coupled in between the pressure washer and the hose reel. It is also referred to as a downstream injector because it is downstream of the pressure washing pump meaning chemicals are injected after the pump. When the pressure is dropped at the end of the wand by using a soap tip with a large orifice, a vacuum is created causing the injector to draw whatever chemicals are being used. Most injectors will draw at a 20% rate meaning 1 part chemical is injected with 5 parts water. Once the chemical ratios are adjusted properly this is a huge time saver.

A burner or hotbox can enable you the use of hot water. Some pressure washers come with a burner on them, these are known as skid units. A burner can also be a separate unit that is added to a cold water washer, this is usually called a hot box. The water is heated after it passes through the pressure washer pump and through a series of coils inside the burner. Burners can be electric or fueled by diesel, kerosene, or propane. Water can reach temperatures of 300 plus degrees controlled by a thermostat gauge.

A great way to improve the quality outdoor time of your home is by adding an outdoor fire pit. Fire pits can be mobile or more of a beautiful permanent fixture. They can be as extravagant as your imagination will allow. For family time, parties, or any special outdoor event a fire pit can add functionality and quality to any porch, deck, or patio.

There are many different types of fire pits to choose from ranging widely in price. You should choose the outdoor fire pit that is going to serve you the best purpose. Decide whether your new fire place will be for appearance, functionality, or both. Also choose what type of design you would like. Fire pits can be placed inside of a concrete, brick, or a rock structure. They can also stand alone and still serve their purpose. It all depends on what you plan to use the fire pit for and what goals you have in mind.

With outdoor fire pits safety should also be a concern. If little children are going to be in the area of the fire pit that should be taken into consideration before construction or assembly begins. Fire safety doors can be attached to the front of the outdoor fire pit structure much like indoor fireplaces. If the fire is to be out in the open with a brick wall around it, the wall should extend up high enough so little children cannot easily fall over the wall. Fire bricks should also be used as they will stay cooler than regular bricks.

For outdoor fire pits that are built into a solid structure with a door, a chimney needs to be used to allow for the smoke to escape. This is nice because a chimney can be high enough that fire smoke does not become a bother. Outdoor fire pits are a great addition to your outdoor living space and will make those chilly evenings much more enjoyable.

Many people ask what type of deck stain is best to protect wooden decks. With so many stains on the market today it can be very confusing. If you ask, most professional deck stain contractors will tell you that oil-based deck stains are the best choice. A semi-transparent oil-based deck stain will hold up for 2-3 years before beginning to fade. After it begins to fade a light wash and a light re-coat of the same product is all that is needed to make the deck look good again.

Some stains on the market have ridiculous claims on the can label such as lasting 8 years or more. Any professional will tell you that this is just not true and to be quite honest I am not sure how they are able to claim such lies. It should be false advertising but when someone contacts the company to complain about their stain not holding up that long the company will say the deck was not prepped correctly or something of that nature so they are off the hook.

These stains are silicone enhanced and are very heavily pigmented. They are more like paint, they do not hold up any better than any other stain and the bad part is once you use it you are stuck with it. It cannot be re-coated without causing yearly peeling and flaking issues but it is also almost impossible to get it entirely off the deck so a different product can be used.

Water-based stains are just as bad. They may be more durable than a semi-transparent 2-3 year oil stain initially but once they do fade they can’t be re-coated and are tough to get rid off. As far as maintenance is concerned a 2-3 year oil stain is the best choice for wood. Just be aware of some of the stains on the market that make claims that seem to be too good to be true because they probably are.