Creating A Beautiful Home and Garden

Do You Need A Water Softener For Your Lawn And Garden?

4 April 2016

If you've grown tired of cleaning stubborn hard water stains from the inside of your shower, sinks, and dishwasher, you may be considering the installation of a whole-house water softener to help remove calcium and other scum-causing minerals from your water supply, improving taste and feel. However, switching from hard to soft water for your outdoor irrigation system or garden water supply could potentially impact the growth of your plants. Should you install your water softener in a way that maintains hard water for your outdoor supply?

Want To Save Money While Keeping Your Lawn Plush & Green? Switch From Sprinklers To Underground Lawn Irrigation

31 March 2016

If you still water your lawn with sprinklers, then realize that lawn irrigation technology has come a long way in recent years, and you should look into a new system that doesn't waste as much water as your sprinkler system does. Underground lawn irrigation is gaining popularity among homeowners who want to water their lawns as efficiently and affordably as possible. Read on to find out why using sprinklers to water your lawn results in many gallons of wasted water every month and learn all about underground lawn irrigation systems.

Love Your Linen: The 411 On Cleaning And Maintaining Your Linen Drapes

31 March 2016

From adding style and privacy to increasing your home's energy efficiency, it is easy to see the importance of installing window treatments. Unfortunately, choosing the best for your home can be overwhelming due to the various options available. While silk, velvet, and cotton drapes are popular options, investing in linen window treatments is a smart choice. With an appealing design and a durability that is 2 to 3 times stronger than cotton, the benefits of linen drapes are easy to see.

How To Easily Clean Your Glass Shower Doors

30 March 2016

If you have glass shower doors that surround your bathtub, then you likely clean the doors incessantly. If you do not, then the door becomes an unsightly mess. Cleaning is likely not your favorite job around your home. Thankfully, there are many ways you can make the cleaning process easier. Keep reading to learn how. Use The Right Cleaning Products When you look for a product to clean your shower door, you need to find something that will get rid of the mineral deposits formed on the glass due to your hard water.

5 Considerations When Selecting Draperies For Your Conservatory

25 March 2016

If your home has a conservatory, then you have a unique drapery challenge. A conservatory tends to be used somewhat as a greenhouse and also as a sun room, which means that your drapes need to serve many functions and still look great. Before you pick patterns and fabric, it is important that you consider the following five things.  What purpose will the drapes serve?  Some people choose to forgo draperies in the conservatory altogether, making the conservatory into a greenhouse.

Tips To Maintain Your Thermostat To Help Keep Your Home Heated Comfortably In The Winter

25 March 2016

When your home's thermostat is not calibrated properly and not working right, it can have an affect on the comfort of your home and the efficiency of your home heating system. Just as you clean and maintain your furnace you should also clean and maintain your thermostat every year. If your thermostat is set at 70 degrees F, but is actually maintaining your home's temperature at 73 degrees F, the extra energy used can increase your energy bill by up to seven percent more.

Looking For Land? These Features Will Help Ensure A Sweet Deal

25 March 2016

Buying a piece of land isn't typically as complicated as purchasing property with a home built on it because there are not building codes and insurance policies in question. But there are still a variety of factors that should be considered to help ensure that there aren't any regrets once you've purchased your piece of raw land. Look for the following features during your property hunt: Surveyed Terrain An effective way to make sure that you know exactly what you'll be getting with your land purchase is to focus on land options that have been surveyed by a professional.

3 Things You Can Do To Protect Yourself From the Zika Virus

5 February 2016

The media is buzzing right now with coverage of South America's widespread Zika outbreak and the virus's apparent link to a birth defect know as microcephaly. The virus is transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti mosquitos, and as travelers return to the United States from affected countries, it's possible that there will be some regions of the country that experience a localized spread of the illness. Read on to learn three things you can do to help protect yourself and your family from the Zika virus and the mosquitos that carry it.