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Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 472 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 1030806 |
| Visitors Out: 2413 |
| Total Visitors Out: 2413 |
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| Woodridge Model 6008 Wooden Swing Set |
| 2008-05-12 19:20:50 |
Well today the kids new wood swing set was delivered. An 18 wheeler pulled up the driveway and dropped off 5 huge heavy boxes and one plastic slide. My son Timmy was beside himself with joy and excitement. "Daddy let's build the swing set!" Ahh...Timmy....Daddy needs to go back to work......needless to say Mr. Timmy shed some tears when he realized that daddy wasn't going to just drop everything and make his new swing set appear.When I saw how many pieces were involved with this swing set I started having second thoughts. Oh well whats one more massive project when you're totally swamped at work and home. The directions say it should take "two moderately skilled people" about 20 to 24 hours to put together. We'll see how accurate that estimate really is. I plan on taking photos and writing...
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| How To Install A Dishwasher |
| 2008-05-11 19:17:51 |
Installing a dishwasher is a fairly easy to intermediate home improvement task. If you already have a dishwasher installed and you have the proper water shut off valves than installing a new dishwasher is very straightforward.As with any home improvement project make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions carefully and obey all local laws involving plumbing and electrical codes. The first step should always be to shut off both the electrical power supply and water supply to the existing unit. The water supply shut off valve is typically located in the cabinets below your kitchen sink. The power supply should be hooked up to an independent breaker in your main service. After you shut off the electrical breaker make sure you test the power to verify that it's shut off.Remove the lowe...
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| National Home Remodeling Month |
| 2008-05-10 14:49:46 |
May is National Home Remodeling Month so I thought it would be fitting to talk about easy home improvements and remodeling ideas that DIY folks can do themselves. Remodeling your home can add value, efficiency and peace of mind for years to come.One of the most popular remodeling ideas is painting a room in your home or even painting an exterior door to add curb appeal. Painting is one of the basic DIY activities that most home owners feel comfortable doing. When I read home improvement blogs over at Houseblogs.net a large percentage of the home owners talk about painting projects. Painting doesn't seem to overwhelming to folks, the materials are fairly reasonably priced, the tools are simple and inexpensive and hone...
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| Green Grass |
| 2008-05-09 17:55:52 |
So far this spring our grass seems to be doing VERY well. Last year (first growing season for the new lawn) the lawn just never really grew very well. It wasn't very green, didn't grow very fast and overall seemed to be struggling to stay alive.So last fall we had our soil tested and found out that our soil was very acidic and lacking in some important nutrients that grass needs to grow well. The biggest thing our soil needed was lime in order to "sweeten" the soil and increase the pH. We also had to choose the correct fertilizer based on the soil report.I think the combination of the lime and fertilizer that we applied has worked wonders for the grass. As you can see it's very green and it appears to be growing in much thicker. I'm hoping that the lawn wil...
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| World's Tallest Building |
| 2008-05-09 14:08:29 |
The world's tallest building is being built in Dubai, United Arab Emirates right now. This building is absolutely breathtaking when you compare it to the world's current leaders. The top of the new building is scheduled to be finished some time in August of this year. It will stand over 2,600 feet high, that's over 1/2 of a mile high.I'm totally amazed by large structures. As much as I love seeing these incredible engineering feats I know the reality is that one day the engineering will be beyond our current knowledge and something bad will happen. My engineering background and knowledge of engineering history tells me it's only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see what the final height is and how the building does.When it comes to my construc...
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| Renuzit TriScents Semi-Finalists Chosen |
| 2008-05-08 19:40:28 |
Renuzit TriScents “Transform Your Home with Tanya Memme” Promotion has chosen ten finalists for the $20,000 Home Make Over Grand Prize. I thought the house shown above is deserving of the grand prize because it reminds me of our first home. A house stuck in the 50's begging to be remodeled. Our home was just like it, very outdated bathrooms, kitchen and living rooms. Old houses like that smell musty, moldy and old. We eventually completely remodeled that house and it looked like a new home all over again. I have no doubt that a $20,000 home make over would create a very nice new home feel.I love the pictures they submitted, pink and green bathrooms. I think every house built back then had the same hideous tiled bathrooms. Just the site of those picture...
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| AuroRa - Wireless Lighting Control System |
| 2008-05-07 13:33:38 |
When we built a our new home we installed this wireless lighting control system from Lutron. This wireless lighting control system is a very versatile product that allows you to replace single pole or three-way switches. Each wireless switch is controlled by the master control that you plug into an outlet and place somewhere in the house. It works great on a bedside table, in a kitchen or living room. Pick a place that you'd want to be able to remotely turn on or off any of the five switches.The system also comes with one car remote. This is the feature that we like best. As you approach your home in the car you can remotely turn on all the lights. So obviously placing these switches i...
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| Applying Water Based Urethane To Hardwood |
| 2008-05-07 08:39:17 |
I learned something new today that and I thought it was worth sharing. Because of today's strict new VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) laws most Urethanes are now water based. Most wood fillers however are still an oil based product. So you ask what's the big deal?If you apply a water based urethane over an oil based wood filler it will most likely turn yellow or at least not match the color that you started with. I've actually learned this the hard way a few times but I had no idea what actually caused it. So, a painter suggested that next time I apply the urethane prior to filling any holes. Get all your coats of urethane applied, all the sanding and preparation done. Then go back at the end and apply the oil based wood filler. You know what.....it works fantastic! Next time you're workin...
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| Blog Changes |
| 2008-05-04 19:57:54 |
Any of you that read my blog on a regular basis will automatically realize that I've made some significant changes to the look of this blog. Please bear with me as I try and give the blog a new look and hopefully quite a bit more functionality so that readers can find all the good stuff I've written. Any feedback would be very welcome!...
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| Proper Edging of Flower Beds |
| 2008-05-02 20:35:00 |
The easiest way to edge a flower bed is by using a simple half moon edger. This tool is used to cut the sod along any shaped flower bed. You simply work your way along any line you want and use the tool to cut the sod. By cutting the sod along a nice clean line you are cutting the roots.As you can see in the photo, you want that cut edge of the sod to remain exposed. This prevents the grass from working its way into the flower bed. When you put your mulch in the flower bed make sure you taper the thickness down as you approach the sod edge. If you keep the roots exposed of the sod then they won't invade the flower bed.The half moon edger is very easy to use. When you're creating a flower bed you can use a rope or garden hose to lay out a nice curved design. Then all you have to do is follo...
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| Built-In Office Furniture Using Semi-Custom Cabinets |
| 2008-05-01 20:27:00 |
One of the most used "areas" of our new home is the built-in office space that we created in our breakfast nook. One of the really cool things you can do with semi-custom cabinets is put together office furniture, entertainment systems, book cases or any other type of furniture assemblies.I created this built-in office furniture using a file drawer cabinet on the left, a desk drawer in the center and a regular cabinet on the right. Then I was able to order a solid hardwood desk top to cover it. In the right hand cabinet is our computer. I cut a circular hole in the desk top and installed a plastic "grommet" so we could run all of the compute...
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| Solar Light Giveaway Ends Shortly |
| 2008-04-30 21:19:00 |
If you're interested in winning the solar flood lights from Malibu you must leave a comment on Solar Light Giveaway tonight. Leave a great comment on how you would use these lights if you win. I'll be choosing a winner as of May 1st....
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| Construction Costs Are Dropping |
| 2008-04-30 13:08:00 |
The current state of the construction industry and slow real estate sales has finally slowed the demand of building materials to the point where prices are dropping. Between January 2007 and January 2008, framing lumber fell 15.6 percent, insulation 3.6 percent, and wallboard a whopping 22 percent. Some markets have seen even sharper drops in material costs.What does this mean for you? Well combine the dropping material costs with slower demand on construction crews and still historically low interest rates and now is a great time to build a new home, remodel and existing one or add that addition you've been putting off for years.A couple of years ago you would have had a very hard time getting contractors to return your call. Now if you call a contr...
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| Gutters and Rain Barrels |
| 2008-04-29 20:30:00 |
It has been pouring rain here for two days and it reminded me about how many homes I see around here with significant water damage. One of my biggest recommendations to clients when they build a new home is to invest in good gutters. The conversation typically turns to the home owner telling me that having gutters in New England is a bad idea because of the snow and ice. I'll leave that arguement / disagreement for another post but I will say that I use them and I never have trouble with ice and snow.The reason that I strongly recommend gutters is simple. An average 1,000 sq. ft. roof will produce over 600 gallons of water from 1 inch of rain! So without gutters you now have 600 gallons of water splashing against your house after it hits the ground and soa...
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| Peonies and Rhubarb |
| 2008-04-29 19:44:00 |
We added a couple of other plants to the flower gardens last weekend. My wife loves peonies so we bought a couple of peony roots to plant. We actually had a few of these plants at our last home in Massachusetts so it was only natural to try to grow some more. Peonies like a well drained soil with a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0 (we'll need to use some extra lime to sweeten the soil as our soil is quite acidic) and a sunny location. The flowers on these plants are quite heavy when they bloom so it's a good idea to use some dowels or stakes to prop up the plants to keep them from falling over due to the weight of the flower.The other thing we planted last weekend was rhubarb. I grew up with several rhubarb plants in our yard and I used to love having strawberry rhubarb pies during the summer. Rhub...
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| Wood Swing Set |
| 2008-04-28 21:46:00 |
Well we decided to spend our tax stimulus check on something we wouldn't normally buy. We've bought a huge wooden swing set for our kids. This will surely be a huge DIY project when it arrives. I'll have to put it together and put some type of wood sealer on the whole thing! Pictures will follow when construction begins!...
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| How To Install Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch |
| 2008-04-28 19:24:00 |
In a previous post, Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch, I wrote about these new timer switches that I purchased to use in our three bathrooms. Using timer switches will allow us to run the fans after we've left the room in order to make sure all the excess moisture is removed from the room. This is a great way to make sure enough fresh air is introduced to tight homes and also to make sure we're getting all that excess moisture out so we won't have mold and mildew problems.Tonight I installed the first Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch. The specifications for these timers require that you have a ground and a neutral at the switch location. This is an important detail that you should investigate before you buy these switches. If you just have a s...
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| John Deere Plug Aerator |
| 2008-04-27 13:53:00 |
Today I ordered a John Deere 40" tow-behind plug aerator. One of the most important tasks to do on your lawn is to aerate it. This helps get water and nutrients deeper down to the roots. A plug aerator also helps loosen the soil to keep it from being so compacted that air and moisture can't properly disperse.This plug aerator features 28 steel plugging tines for removing soil plugs up to 3" deep. A weight tray that accepts up to 175 lbs of additional weight to help improve plugging depth on compacted soils. Individual tines that can be replaced to improve serviceability and pneumatic tires for great maneuverability.I'm really looking forward to receiving this new piece of yard equipment so I can continue to improve the health of our new lawn. Working with your lawn is another easy to do ho...
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| White Dogwood Trees (Cornus Florida) |
| 2008-04-27 12:55:00 |
Yesterday I planted two White Dogwood trees. We are trying to add new landscaping features to our large yard this year so it doesn't look like a huge open football field around the house. Planting trees, shrubs and flowers can be a rather simple home improvement project that can add significant curb appeal and value to your home.The Arbor Day Foundation has this to say about the White Dogwood Tree:An excellent landscape choice in all four seasons. Flowers are showy in spring. Leaves turn red-purple in fall. Glossy red fruits attract winter songbirds. Likes partial shade; moist, acid, well-drained soil. Grows to 25', 25' spread. (zones 5-9)This should be another great fit for our yard due to the acidic soil. We also have a well drained soil because just belo...
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| Garden Mulching |
| 2008-04-26 17:25:00 |
Today I filled the flower gardens with new pine bark mulch. I like to use plain pine bark mulch that has a dark brown color. I honestly can't stand driving by homes that use that "RED" mulch. Come on folks, there is no way you can get "RED" mulch from any trees grown around here. They have to be filling that product with dies to get it that color. Anyway, in a previous post, Mulching Flower Beds, I talked about learning all about mulching flower beds from none other than Roger Cook from This Old House. Roger was pretty serious about using a good quality pine bark mulch instead of all the designer mulches out there.So today my son and I headed out to the local mulch/loam place and we picked up a yard of pine bark mulch. This year I only needed to apply abou...
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| Solar Flood Light Giveaway |
| 2008-04-26 11:44:00 |
May 1st is the deadline to leave a comment on the Solar Light Giveaway post and enter to win a free set of solar flood lights. Make sure you sign up so you can have a chance to win these really great solar flood lights....
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| FLUKE 1AC-A1 II VoltAlert |
| 2008-04-24 19:30:00 |
Today I bought a new electrical tester. In the past I've had testers but none that I really liked or trusted. I read some reviews and this Fluke 1AC-A1 II VoltAlert received some decent feedback. What I like about this tester is you can use it several ways. It has a flat tip that allows you to stick it into a receptacle to test for power. You can also touch it to wires that still have insulation on them and get an accurate test result. When it detects voltage the white end lights up and makes a steady audible tone. So far I've found it to be quite useful.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, volt alert fluke tester...
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| Basement Waterproofing |
| 2008-04-24 19:00:00 |
One of the most frustrating things for people with basements is water leakage. With many homeowners trying to create as much usable square footage in their homes the basement becomes a target for family rooms, play rooms, man rooms and teenager hide outs. Unfortunately most basements have some sort of water leakage problem.The B-Dry® System Wet Basement Waterproofing Process has been time tested for over 50 years and in over 200,000 homes nationwide. The B-Dry® Patented Waterproofing System is backed by a full warranty which lasts for the lifetime of your building. If you're looking for a qualified basement waterproofing company then check out one of these licensed basement contractors....
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| Solar Garden Lights |
| 2008-04-22 18:20:00 |
Today I received the perfect gift for Earth Day. The kind folks at Malibu - Lighting the Way to Outdoor Living, sent me some really great solar garden lights to try out and do a review on. As you can see I installed them this afternoon after work and I was VERY impressed not only with the quality of the lights but also the ease of installation and the simplicity of the system.My wife and I have wanted to put solar walkway lights along our walkway since we built the house and I've been putting it off mostly because I couldn't find any lights that looked "rugged" enough to handle the elements and my sons outdoor torture! Let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of these lights.The lights that they sent me to...
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| Earth Day 2008 |
| 2008-04-22 07:13:00 |
April 22nd is Earth Day. Why not take some time today to think of a new way to help out mother earth. Maybe you can start recycling, maybe you can start using more energy efficient light bulbs, maybe you can buy Energy Star rated appliances, maybe you can choose Green Building products for your next remodeling project, maybe you can use low flow shower heads, sink faucets and toilets, maybe you can make a difference. If we all take one small step each year there will certainly be a positive effect on our environment.Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, environment, energy efficiency, energy star, green building...
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| Planting Lilac Trees |
| 2008-04-21 19:32:00 |
On Sunday my son and I planted three lilac trees for my wife. She loves lilac trees and we've been trying to decide what to plant along the west side of the house. That side of the house has two retaining walls the step the land along the "walkout" basement.The lilac trees we bought are about 36 inches tall with a root ball about 10 inches in diameter. The directions recommend a hole about 2 to 3 times larger than the root ball. Our lot is VERY sandy, in fact there is about 5 inches or so of loam on top of what I call beach sand. The good thing about this is lilacs like a well drained soil. So, we dug the holes and then filled the bottom with some good loam.Lilac trees grow best in a soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Unfortunately our soil has a pH of abo...
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| Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs |
| 2008-04-20 14:10:00 |
I've finally decided to jump on board and try Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL) in my new home. Today I bought three GE Energy Smart 20 watt CFL's. The 20 watt CFL is equivalent to a 75 watt incandescent light bulb. These new bulbs are supposed to last 6 years or 10,000 hours of operation. An incandescent light bulb typically only lasts about 750 hours. That means you'd need 14 incandescent bulbs to each fluorescent bulb. The cost of the bulb is payed for just comparing bulbs not even considering the energy savings.Obviously using these bulbs is a great way to start living "green". Some may argue that the Mercury contained in them poses a significant environmental issue, however, with proper education people will...
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| Snow Mound Spirea - Spiraea Nipponica |
| 2008-04-19 18:49:00 |
The other plant we put into our flower garden today was two Snow Mound Spireas or Spiraea Nipponica. We actually had one of these plants at our last house and I liked it. Its more of a flower shrub than a plant I guess. The nice thing about these plants is they are not especially sensitive to varying pH levels. This is good considering our acidic soil.These shrubs will blossom in late May or early June with a nice white flower. At maturity this shrub will be approximately 4 to 5 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide (not if I can help it....pruning to the rescue).Tags: home improvement, home improvement blog, Snow Mound Spirea...
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| Purple Gem - Rhododendron |
| 2008-04-19 17:20:00 |
Today we started planting some plants in our flower gardens. Since we built this house we've had a hard time coming up with a landscaping "plan" that we both like. The biggest problem we have is the huge size of our yard and house. Trying to get enough landscaping done so that the place actually looks nice is a challenge. I'm sure we could hire a landscape architect or landscaper to help us out but frankly I can't see spending the money.Today we planted a couple of Purple Gem Rhododendrons in the flower gardens in front of the farmers porch. The Rhododendron that we chose was a dwarf variety that only grows to a height of two feet. These plants can survive up here in New Hampshire with a -20 degrees. The beauty of these plants is they love acidic soi...
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| Check Out a Great DIY Blog |
| 2008-04-18 05:53:00 |
Once and awhile I find a really great DIY blog and this one is no exception. One Project Closer is a blog I read daily and one I think you'll find tons of great information and find yourself returning often. Tell them Todd sent you!...
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| Leviton 6260M Electronic Timer Switch |
| 2008-04-17 19:23:00 |
Yesterday I received the three Leviton 6260M electronic timer switches that I ordered for the bath fans. These switches allow you to choose pre-set times of 10 min., 20 min., 30 min., and 60 mins. I plan on installing them this weekend in each of the three bathrooms.The unit has 4 wires, a green, white, blue and black. The installation instructions (as usual these directions are not very good) include a wiring diagram that says:1. Connect the green wire to the ground.2. Connect the black wire to the line voltage.3. Connect the blue wire to the hot wire of the fixture.4. Connect the white wire to all of the neutrals.I do a post this weekend on how to wire one of these up. The one problem I can see is the device is fairly large so fitting all the wires, ...
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| We Need Patio Furniture |
| 2008-04-16 17:45:00 |
Our back deck needs patio furniture desperately. My wife has been harping on me since we moved into the new home that she wants to eat dinner out there in the summer. Last year a friend gave us a hand made Adirondack chair that he made for us out of Cambara wood (that's what our decking is). Today I came across this Adirondack Chair site that sells chairs, rockers and market style umbrellas. I'm amazed at how cheap you can find furniture online these days. Things that once seemed so heavy and pricey to shop for online are becoming very reasonably priced....
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| John Deere Tow-Behind Broadcast Spreader |
| 2008-04-16 11:11:00 |
Last week I purchased the John Deere 3.5 cu ft tow-behind broadcast spreader. I finally assembled it and put it to use.First off let me say that John Deere has got to be one of the last companies selling products in this country with extremely well written directions and parts. All of the small parts (bolts, clips, nuts, etc.) are packed in a shrink wrap package that is labeled to coincide with each step in the assembly directions.What a novel concept.....great directions that include well written English sentences, great diagrams and a unique label/packaging idea. More companies should take a lesson from these folks and put some time into the assembly directions. Anyway, it took me about 35 minutes or so to assemble the spreader (that even includes my...
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| Buying Light Fixtures Online |
| 2008-04-15 18:38:00 |
I'm a huge fan of buying light fixtures online. For both of my personal homes that I've built and remodeled we bought all of our fixtures online and saved a bundle of cash. Maxim lights online has a huge array of lighting fixtures to choose from. This particular light is 10% cheaper at Maxim lights online compared to similar sites. Next time you're looking for light fixtures check out the prices online....
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| Solar Light Giveaway and Sweepstakes |
| 2008-04-13 18:00:00 |
Would you like to win a set of three solar flood lights free? If so then all you have to do is leave a comment with your idea to use these new solar lights, be creative! I'll pick one reader at random to give the free set to.Now...you ask why am I giving away a free set of solar flood lights? The answer is simple, the folks at Malibu would like you to have them. They also wanted me to share with my readers information about a sweepstakes they are holding.Malibu® Announces Second Annual Malibu®Outdoor Living™ SweepstakesSPRING GROVE, Ill. (March 31, 2008) -Intermatic announced today its second annual $20,000 Malibu® Outdoor Living™ Sweepstakes. To enter the sweepstakes, outdoor living enthusiasts can visit MalibuLights.com from March 28, 2008 through July 15, 2008 for a chance to win...
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| How To Change Oil, Air & Fuel Filters On John Deere X300 |
| 2008-04-13 13:47:00 |
Today I finally got a chance to perform the recommended yearly maintenance on my John Deere X300 mower. I bought this mower just over a year ago so this is the first spring season after a full summer of mowing with it. I purchased a home maintenance kit which contained the oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filters and spark plugs all in one convenient kit.The first thing I did was to remove the air filters. This mower uses two filters, a foam pre-filter and a paper air filter. The foam pre-filter was very dirty and definitely needed to be at least cleaned if not replaced. The air filter didn't look too bad but honestly, the cost of filters is so minimal compared to the hefty $2,800 price tag of this mower that I just replaced everything.The air filter on an ...
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| American Home Craft, Inc. |
| 2008-04-12 07:55:00 |
American Home Craft Inc is a general contractor located in California specializing remodeling including cabinets, countertops, entry doors, windows, vinyl siding and texture coating. Their site American Home Craft Inc has a very easy to use online form for requesting free estimates. Most new construction has really slowed down across the country and many home owners are now investing in remodeling projects. If you're living in California and you're searching for a general contractor in your area then check out their site. American Home Craft, Inc. also helps provide financing for eligible customers.American Home Craft consistently ranks high on Qualified Remodeler's annual Top 500 Remodelers List. This list is the longest ongoing recognition program in the remodeling industry and is a nati...
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| John Deere Home Maintenance Kit Arrived |
| 2008-04-11 12:53:00 |
My John Deere Maintenance kit arrived yesterday. The kit is great, it contains two quarts of oil, an oil filter, a fuel filter, two spark plugs, the foam and paper air filters. All of the parts are John Deere parts which is recommended by the users maintenance manual. What I like most about buying everything this way is I know I have all the recommended parts for my particular mower. This is an easy way to purchase all the stuff each spring to keep up with proper maintenance. The only thing I'll need to do is get the blades sharpened at some point.Tags: home improvement blog, home improvement, John Deere X300...
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| Deep Walkin Baths |
| 2008-04-10 18:12:00 |
Many of the homes that we design and build are for the over 55 crowd. I like to call these pre-retirement homes and in many case retirement homes. Many of our clients ask for walk in showers with no tub base. When I saw these walkin baths I thought now our clients have have the best of both worlds. We can install one of these walkin bath tubs so that folks can just open the door and step in.RemainActive.com has a whole line of these walkin baths to choose from. The tubs range in price from $2000 to $5000. The site offers quite a bit of information about all the advantages of owning one of these tubs. So if you're in the market for a safer bathing option then check out the walkin baths at RemainActive....
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| Solar Light Giveaway |
| 2008-04-08 20:06:00 |
I decided to change the rules for the solar light give away. Instead of adding a link to your site just leave a comment and tell me what you'd do with those lights. I'll pick the best answer as the winner. So come on folks...let me know why you want these lights....
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