Although vinyl siding does have its benefits, improperly installed siding and trim can cause a lot of problems. Vinyl siding is designed as an exterior cladding only, and is supposed to be installed over other materials, such as a weather-resistant barrier.
Homes have a seemingly endless list of terms for architectural details. Regional variations and the lingo of the construction trades confuse matters further. Understanding some common terms can help you navigate the building industry's dialect with less frustration.
Figs (Ficus carica) are a popular fruit for home orchards because they are more tolerant of adverse conditions than most common fruit trees. They can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, though many gardeners also grow figs in containers and bring them indoors in the winter.
So-called because they extrude from the wall at locations where new fixtures are slated to go in, plumbing stub-outs are the end result of the rough-in phase of a plumbing installation. A sink rough-in features three stub-outs: two for water connections and one for the drain.
Your Gerbera daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii) may succumb to powdery mildew when the weather cools near the end of the growing season. This infection can be caused by various fungi that thrive in damp conditions and spread their spores easily through air currents and splashing water droplets.
Cats entertain their owners with their cute antics, but when their sharp claws scratch up your wallpaper, they're not quite as adorable. The problem with cat scratches on wallpaper is that the cat's claws will actually remove the wallpaper, leaving little or nothing to be glued back down.
While they may share similar common names, crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) and wax myrtles (Myrica spp.) are separate genera of trees and shrubs that are very different in appearance and cultural requirements. Crepe myrtles are part of the genus Lagerstroemia, which is part of the plant family Lythraceae.
Bees are an intricate part of the pollination process. Honeybees account for more than 80 percent of the pollination that most vegetables, fruits and legumes need, the University of Minnesota Extension states on its website.
The Meyer lemon trees (Citrus meyeri) you're likely to buy are the "Improved Meyer" cultivar. The standard, disease-harboring Meyer lemons were replaced with this variety in most areas in the 1970s. Like many other citrus fruits, you need to time harvesting Meyer lemons properly to ensure the fruit tastes its best.
Driftwood is a natural type of wood found in the outdoors where it has been allowed to fall and “drift” according to nature’s whim on the shores of seas, lakes, rivers, creeks and other bodies of water. It can be used to create a variety of home furniture, and is prized because of its rustic appearance.