Lawn plug aerators are a great way to give your yard some breathing room, but they damage sprinkler heads. (stock.adobe.com)
A lawn plug aerator is an efficient tool to keep your lawn healthy and looking great. But before you start poking holes to give your grass some breathing room, it’s important to protect your sprinklers.
About Lawn Plug Aerators
A lawn plug aerator penetrates the lawn’s surface and removes a core (or plug) of grass and soil. This loosens up the soil and allows the grassroots to breathe. The tool is also used for fertilizing and seeding.
These kinds of aerators are great for large yards with highly compacted soil. For smaller lawns, a spike aerator is the best option.
Despite their high performance with one job (aeration), lawn plug aerators have one big downside. If you’re not careful, they can easily tear up your underground sprinkler system.
How to Protect Sprinklers from Aerators
Before you use a lawn plug aerator, go to the home center and buy some flags.
Then, turn on your sprinkler system and find all the sprinkler heads throughout the yard. Mark them with the flags so you know which areas to avoid while aerating.
Lawn plug aerators typically don’t penetrate far into the soil — they usually just go about three inches deep.
Most irrigation lines are at least 5-6 inches deep. To be sure you don’t do any damage, you can dig around a sprinkler head until you reach the drainage line and measure the depth.
Finally, while aerating, be cautious and leave plenty of room around the sprinkler heads.
Skip to [21:27]for the full segment on the Today’s Homeowner Podcast.
Also on this episode:
Best New Product
This DeWalt Compact Impact Driver makes working in cramped spaces easy! Learn more>>
Simple Solutions
Fast Fix for Stripped Screw Holes — Here’s a quick and clever way to fix a stripped screw hole using a cable tie (a.k.a.: zip-tie).
First, remove the screw from the stripped hole, then snip off the end of a cable tie, which is smooth. For this tip, you need to use the ridged part of the cable tie.
Press the snipped end of the cable tie into the hole until it bottoms out.
Then, cut the cable tie to length, matching the depth of the screw hole. Put the piece of cable tie into the stripped screw hole, then drive in the screw.
The ridges in the cable tie give the screw something to bite into, securely holding the screw in place.
Homemade furniture polish — Make an affordable, nontoxic furniture polish by mixing 1 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1/8 cup of lemon juice.
Pour the solution into a plant mister and spray it onto wood surfaces. Rub in circles with a dry cotton cloth to remove dust, dirt and grime.
Then, use a second cloth to polish the surface in straight lines parallel with the direction of the wood grain.
Q:I’m installing a new mailbox. How deep and wide should I dig the hole, and how do I mix the concrete for it?
A: For a mailbox post, you’ll typically use a 4-by-4 or 6-by-6 post. You should dig the hole at least three times wider than the post and at least two feet deep.
At least a third of the post should be below ground. The United States Postal Service requires mailboxes to be 41-45 inches above the ground, so take this into consideration when buying the post.
To set the post with concrete, use a bag of Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix. Just pour the dry concrete mix into the hole and pour water on top until the mix is saturated. Watch how to do this here.
You can also try Sika PostFix. It’s a two-part expanding polyurethane foam that fills the post hole and hardens in three minutes. All you have to do is roll the bag to mix up the foam, snip off the corner, and pour it into the hole.
Skip to [29:20]for the full segment on the Today’s Homeowner Podcast.
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Further Reading
Ask a Question! (Podcast)
Ask a question and we could answer it on the “Today’s Homeowner Podcast!” We also may use it on our nationally syndicated radio broadcast or on todayshomeowner.com.
No matter what mood Mother Nature is in, metal roofing offers your home protection.
Crazy snow and ice storms, monster hurricanes, golf ball-sized hail, extreme heat and torrential downpours. Homeowners everywhere face unique climate challenges.
In this special Today’s Homeowner podcast, I’m talking with Renee Ramey, Executive Director of the Metal Roofing Alliance. We’re setting the record straight on how metal roofs hold up in extreme weather.
Metal roofing can withstand winds up to 140 mph — that’s the windspeed of a low category 4 hurricane! (Pgiam/Getty Images Signature)
‘Will a Metal Roof Easily Blow Away in High Winds?’
Extreme winds during hurricanes and tornados can literally tear off weaker, sub-quality roofs. Choosing stronger materials like metal roofs can improve the chances of riding out storms unscathed.
Metal roofing can better withstand driving rain and extreme winds including F-2 tornado force winds of up to 140 mph. Since roofs take the brunt of monster storms, an investment in a higher quality roof can help save homes from sustaining major damage and will hold up better over time.
Some metal roofing manufacturers and installers place foam under each shingle, which can help further guard against water seepage.
Metal roofs often earn a Class 4 impact-resistance rating, which is the highest possible level of protection against hail damage. (soupstock)
‘Won’t Hail Damage Metal Roofs More Easily Than Shingle Roofs?’
Quality metal roofs often earn a Class 4 impact-resistance rating — the highest level of protection against hail damage available. That means, installing a metal roof can help reduce hailstorm damage, thus preventing costly repairs and replacement.
All roof types can sustain some cosmetic damage during a hailstorm, but studies show metal roofing performs best and is much less likely to puncture as compared to asphalt.
Some finishes of metal roofing offer a rougher texture to keep snow from sliding off. (Garrett Aitken/Getty Images)
‘Does Snow Easily Slide Off a Metal Roof?’
Finishes such as stone-coated metal roofs have a rougher surface texture. This works to reduce the danger of rooftop “avalanching” by preventing snow from releasing in large, heavy and damaging sheets.
Smooth metal roofing panels, whether painted or left unfinished, have much slicker surfaces and may require quality snow guards. Snow guards are designed to hold back rooftop snow and allow it to melt more gradually.
Some metal roofs have a cool coating that actually helps emit heat gain. (sarajlic/Getty Images)
Basic, unpainted metal roofs will reflect more solar radiation than asphalt roofs. By choosing the proper colors and coatings, low-glare metal roofs reflect mostly non-visible, infrared and UV rays.
Modern high-performance metal roofing paints and stone-coated materials increase energy efficiency. Plus, darker colors reduce heat gain.
Cool metal roofs offer high solar reflectance and help emit heat gain. This reduces the amount of air conditioning needed by as much as 10-15 percent.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that an ENERGY STAR-qualified roof can lower roof temperatures by as much as 50 degrees.
The Metal Roofing Alliance is a nonprofit trade association that helps homeowners make educated roofing decisions and connects them with expert metal roofing professionals.
If you’re ready to upgrade to a metal roof, or just want more questions answered when it comes to a metal roof, check out metalroofing.com.
In this special episode of the Today’s Homeowner Podcast, I’m talking with Brittany Lapidus, Product Manager at Shurtape Technologies, LLC. Shurtape makes all of Duck Brand’s products, which include home weatherization solutions.
Weatherization simply refers to preparing your home for extreme temperature changes that could affect its energy efficiency. All of these tasks are easy and inexpensive to do, making them do-it-yourself friendly.
Listen to learn about Duck Brand’s wide array of options to seal your home’s “envelope” and keep out the cold!
Prevent cold air from sneaking under your door with a Duck Brand door sweep.
Check for Drafts
When you’re looking for sources of air leaks, start with your entry door. Inspect its frame and bottom, which are the most common culprits of drafts.
Can’t tell if cold air is sneaking in? Take a flashlight and walk around your home’s exterior at night. Then, shine the flashlight around your window and door frames — if light can shine through, air can sneak into your home.
And that’s a problem, regardless of the season.
A hose faucet protector, like this one, can help prevent pipes from freezing.
Protect Hose Bibs
Your garden hose’s bib, or faucet, needs protection during harsh winter weather. Otherwise, low temperatures could cause the fixture to freeze.
The solution is Duck Brand’s Faucet Cover, which you simply place around the outdoor faucet’s spout and tighten into position for cold-weather protection.
An attic tent, or stairway cover, can keep warm air from living spaces out of the attic.
Insulating the Attic Stairway
Many homeowners never think about how living spaces can lose heat through gaps around the attic opening.
Duck Brand’s Attic Stairway Cover keeps heat from escaping up through your pull-down attic stairs, blocking drafts and retaining room temperature.
This product is lightweight, easy to install, position, and even re-position in case you need to enter the attic during the winter.
Insulate your windows with Duck Brand’s Roll-On kits to efficiently prevent drafts.
Insulating Windows
Insulating your windows prevents indoor heat loss and regulates the glass’ surface temperature.
Duck Brand’s Roll-On Window Insulation Kit creates a barrier between an inefficient window that lets in outside air and your home’s living space. During the winter, this simple barrier makes your home energy efficient.
Weatherizing your home helps save you money on your energy bills!
Weatherizing Your Home
Weatherizing your home doesn’t have to be done all at once. Tackle each project one step at a time at your own pace — soon, you’ll have a more comfortable, energy-efficient home, regardless of what the weather is like outside.
Best of all, you don’t have to tackle this project every year. Duck Brand products last for many years. Just follow the product’s instructions and prepare the surfaces well for a successful, long-lasting installation.
Want to Learn More?
Go to duckbrand.com and choose the Project Selector. There you’ll find the right product for your needs and places you can buy Duck Brand Weatherization products.
Listen to this special-edition Today’s Homeowner Podcast for more home improvement tips!
In this special episode of Today’s Homeowner Podcast, I’m talking to Trevor Stromquist, Sales Manager at 3M, about products that can make moving out less stressful.
Moving anywhere can be a stressful process. Whether it’s to a different country, a different state, or even just down the street — but planning the trip can take off lots of stress.
For instance, purging unwanted items and donating them or selling them can clear up space and leave you with less to pack.
When it comes to packing, you can find hundreds of 3M products at TheHome Depot to help make your move easy. Like painter’s tape, Scotch tape, packaging tape, products to fix your walls if they are damaged, and so much more!
Beyond the task of packing, you may have to do some touch-ups to your home before moving. There might be some paint touch-ups here and there, or covering up nail holes left from pictures hung on the wall.
Instead of nails, Command Hooks are a great alternative that we absolutely love. The application and removal are easy and there’s no need to worry about damage.
There’s also a new product joining the Command Hook family for those heavier items you want to hang. The 3M Claw is heavy duty and can hang up to 50 pounds!
There’s nothing more frustrating about moving out than having the wrong-size box, or having a box that pops open during the trip.
3M has a full line of Scotch Packaging Tape to help with that. Scotch Box Lock Packaging Tape is heavy-duty and comes off the roll quietly. It sticks to any box and will keep your box closed so you don’t have to worry about your items falling out!
Want to quickly identify which box goes where? We all know about marking boxes with a permanent marker, but here’s a pro tip: Color-code your boxes for different rooms of your house.
That will make packing and unloading your boxes much more efficient!
To learn more about the trusted brands at 3M and tips to make your move less stressful, click here.
Listen to this special-edition Today’s Homeowner Podcast for more home improvement tips!
