Showing posts with label lawn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lawn. Show all posts

Tips for Lawn Maintenance

Mowing can be a huge chore if you have a large lawn. Even if you have a small lawn, it can be a chore your dread. It is something that you have to do and something that you can’t put off doing. If you are looking to keep your yard looking nice, but not wanting to spend all day making sure it stays that way, then you need to learn a little about how to have a beautiful lawn with minimal work.

Green lawns make a house look wonderful. A green lawn says the homeowner cares about their home and that they work hard to keep it looking great. The fact is, though, that many people work too hard at keeping that lawn perfect when there are some simple ways they can do it.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is to cut the grass the wrong height. Some people cut it very low because then they do not have to cut it so often. The problem with cutting it too low is that the grass is easily scorched by the sun and the result is brown spots. That brings up the other issue - some people leave their grass high to help keep it green, but that results in the need for mowing more often. Mowing too much is also bad for the grass. It compacts the soil and cause the grass to die resulting in brown spots. So, when you cut your grass you should cut it one third of its height. This will keep mowing to a regular schedule and keep it healthy.

Another common mistake people make is collecting the clippings after they mow. The fact is that if the grass cuttings are not too long they actually help the grass grow healthy. They help to fertilize the lawn, which also means you do not have to do as much work fertilizing your lawn. If you cut your grass to the recommended height you can leave the clippings and help your grass grow strong.

These two big mistakes alone will save you plenty of time on lawn work. You will find yourself mowing less often, not working as hard and with a beautiful, green lawn to show off. In the case of grass, less work is actually better.

Home Improvement Twice a Year Maintenance Project

To keep your house looking good and to keep it in the best condition you should plan on doing some regular home improvement maintenance twice a year. For those who live in places that have all four seasons you should do this in the Fall and Spring. If you live in a place that doesn’t experience an extreme cold period then you should simply plan to do maintenance around April and October.

One of the reasons for this regular maintenance is to repair any damages caused by weather. Extreme weather conditions can really do some damage to a house. By doing regular maintenance twice a year you will catch damage before it snowballs into an extreme problem. So, in the end, twice a year maintenance will save you money.

The following list explains the projects you should include in your twice a year maintenance schedule.
  • Clean the yard of debris. Leaves and other debris should be bagged up and disposed of so it does not damage the lawn, house or other structures.
  • Clean gutters. Dirty gutters can lead to water damage for your roof, walls, windows and basement.
  • Treat all wood on the exterior of the home. This includes gutters, trims and decks. You should only have to treat once a year and it should be done prior to winter or, if you do not get snow, the season you get the most precipitation.
  • Look for foundation or wall damage. Caulk any cracks you see and make plans to repair any foundation problems once good weather comes.
  • Trim trees or shrubbery away form house. Tree limbs hanging onto a roof are the main source for all kinds of bugs in the home. By simply cutting back the limbs you can avoid large problems with many household bugs.
  • Repair screens and storm windows, if needed. You should also give all windows and screens a good exterior cleaning.
These simple tasks will probably take a couple days, so be sure to plan ahead. It is a labor intensive project, so recruit the family to help out. Everyone will benefit from this preventative maintenance and you will be thrilled at how many problems you can avoid by sticking to a twice a year routine.