How to Prepare Walls for Paint After Removing Wallpaper

Peeling and scratching off layers of old wallpaper may render the walls beneath coated in adhesive. Worse, it may leave them scarred from your efforts to eliminate every last shred of paper. Before you can paint over these wounded surfaces, then you must return them to perfect smoothness. As with most finishing jobs, preparation is crucial for painting, and also the level of your paint project depends upon the time and effort that you put into patching and sealing.

Dilute 5 oz of wallpaper stripper in 1 gallon of water. Fill a pump sprayer using the mix. Spray the walls together with the mix. Scrape any residue and wallpaper scraps off the walls with a broad scraper knife.

Empty the pump sprayer and refill it with fresh water. Spray the walls to rinse them. Scrub the surface with a wet sponge to remove any remaining residue. Allow the walls to dry for one to two days.

Sand the walls using a sanding block wrapped in 120-grit sandpaper. Apply a coat of oil-based paint to the walls using a roller. The oil-based paint acts as a sealant to lock in any grease stains, stains or water-based adhesive so they do not float after to interfere with the paint job. Enable the paint to dry.

Analyze the walls for flaking or loose bits of paint. If you discover any, sand them off. Repaint the areas together with the oil-based paint and a paintbrush.

Fill any tiny holes, cracks or dents in the surface with joint compound. Apply compound into the holes using a putty knife, then use the knife to scrape off the excess. When the joint compound is dry, then you’re ready to paint the walls.

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How to Eliminate Tile From Mesh

Mesh-mounted mosaic tiles also make installation a snap if you’re covering large spaces like a backsplash. However, mosaic artists and crafters who want to utilize individual tiles need to separate the tiles from the mesh to cut and work with them. Removing tile from mesh takes time but is not hard.

Cut the tiles apart using sharp scissors. This method works well for opaque tiles, since you won’t have the ability to observe the mesh via the tile . But as the remaining mesh on the back of the tile provides a tiny amount of height, don’t forget to take that into account when forming your mosaic design. If your tiles are translucent, use another method so the mesh won’t show through.

Soak the tile sheets — most come in 1-foot squares — in a bowl of warm water to which you’ve added a drop of dishwashing liquid. Usually 15 to 30 minutes is sufficient to soften the adhesive holding the tiles to the mesh. This way is not ideal, because the adhesive is strong enough that the tiles won’t simply drop off the mesh; you’ll have to manually scrape them, and frequently bits of adhesive residue will adhere to the tiles, and that you’ll have to eliminate so they don’t interfere with your own design. Spread the wet tiles in a single layer on a drop cloth to let them dry completely.

Pry off the tiles one by one with your fingers. Based on the manufacturer, this method may be easier or harder than soaking. Start at one corner of this sheet and then carefully pry off the first tile, holding on to the mesh with your other hand to prevent leaving bits of mesh relegated into the back of the tile. If you do this carefully enough with the first row, then the upcoming rows will be much easier to eliminate. It requires time, but using this method, you wind up with clean tiles without a glue or mesh residue clinging to them.

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What Is the Easiest Way to Get Rid of Old Paint From Plaster Walls?

Plaster walls offer numerous exciting decorating chances, from background to fresh paint jobs to installing interior decorative panels. Irrespective of your selection, the plaster walls have to be totally clean and stable, and oftentimes that involves removing old paint from the outside. The porous nature of plaster may make this a challenging endeavor, so begin with the simplest method and work your way through products and solutions until you find the one that works for you.

Scraping

The easiest way to remove old paint, if it’s already loosened, chipped or peeling, is using a putty knife, plastic scraper or a oscillating tool with rigid scraper blade. Only work the horizontal edge of the tool across the surface of the wall to remove loosened pieces of paint. Cleanup will be easier if you lay a drop cloth under your work area to catch the small parts of paint that fall out of the wall. Simply scraping will remove the majority of loosened paint; small areas can be taken care of using fine-grit sandpaper fitted to a rotary or oscillating tool. Use only the horizontal edge of the scraper, or you could gouge the surface; should you do, fill in the damaged areas with joint compound.

Chemical Stripper

If the paint hasn’t loosened on its own over time, you have little choice except to utilize chemical paint strippers to loosen the paint to you. These strippers contain extremely strong chemicals that may discolor or mar any surface if left too long, and therefore must be applied carefully. Paint the stripper onto a small space of your wall using a paintbrush and let it sit on the outside for about five minutes, unless otherwise instructed by the product’s manufacturer instructions. When the stripper has had time to operate, scrape the loosened paint from the surface. Repeat applications as necessary before all paint is removed.

Homemade Stripper

If you do not want to utilize professional stripping products, you may create your own homemade paint stripper; this will require a bit longer, but if you’ve got all the ingredients anyway, it will save you a trip to the store. To create your own chemical stripper, combine 5 parts denatured alcohol, 3 parts mineral spirits and 1 part acetone. This mix of solvents will loosen the paint from the plaster without causing serious damage. Employ and scrape until all paint is gone.

Neutralizing

Whether you utilize homemade or professional paint stripper, you need to wash out the plaster surface then to neutralize the compounds in the mix. These substances can seep in the plaster surface and cause discoloration swelling or even damage and lack of structural support. Wipe down the whole wall with a sponge dampened in clean cool water. Rinse out the sponge after every pass on a small section of the wall to ensure that each area is covered with clean water.

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Why Are Leaves Blow Off My Succulents?

Succulents, including that the fleshy-leaved plants we often associate with that title, as well as cactuses, respond to a lot of environmental stressors by discontinuing growing and dropping leaves, reducing their energy requirements. Heating, frost, low or higher light, improper watering and chemical jolt may all cause leaf drop, often very suddenly.

Temperature Trouble

Since most succulents are adapted to hot, arid areas where prolonged periods of heat would be the norm, they respond by dropping leaves when stressed by drought or heat. Although this is relatively normal, maintaining succulents in the colour when temperatures soar will help prevent this. Watch them closely: if they appear wilted or sunburned, transfer them or put a shade cloth over them. The opposite problem also happens: succulents don’t do well with freezes, which might blacken and burn their leaves. Sometimes these will drop away, but generally not until the plant grows new leaves to replace them, so resist the temptation to peel these protective dead leaves. “Autumn Joy” stonecrop (Sedum “Autumn Joy”) for instance, grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 11, and will tolerate a wide range of temperatures but might still drop leaves when restless.

Low Light

Succulents need enough light, especially since they are typically adapted to areas with a great deal of sun year-round. They do best in brightly lit places, and if lacking lighting, will turn light yellow or green and straggly, trying to grow toward the light. If the issue isn’t corrected, they will gradually drop leaves or perish. Low light isn’t the only issue — succulents which are moved to a new area without acclimation, or abruptly rotated at a bright place, can get a sunburn on the side which hasn’t seen sun for a short time. Make changes slowly, and wait for plants to adapt before moving on.

Chemical Burns

Shocking the process of a succulent can also cause leaf drop. When succulents contract ailments or fungal diseases, it is certainly tempting to respond immediately and forcefully, but you need to be careful. When using chemicals, always read package instructions thoroughly and don’t reapply more often than recommended by the tag. Always make sure that your succulent isn’t environmentally stressed before applying chemicals.

Unwise Watering

Succulents are famous for wanting little water, and while too little will make them wilt and don’t thrive, you should be careful about over-watering them. Giving succulents a lot of water too often will swell their leaves and, even if they don’t get an opportunity to dry out, then make them drop off the plant. Wait until dirt is nearly completely dry and the leaves seem a little limp before watering, then water thoroughly, until you observe trickles coming out of the bottom of the bud. Repeat the procedure. Always use pots with drainage holes for succulents.

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Does one Paper Weed Barrier Block Fertilizer?

Old newspaper, kraft cardboard and paper make excellent mulches, allowing water and nutrients into the dirt while keeping sunlight away from germinating weed seeds. This works best around established plants; it can keep flower seeds from germinating enjoy the grass seeds. It is ideal to fertilize before inserting the paper, but some fertilizers still work once you install the paper.

Stick to Liquid

After installing several layers of newspaper or other kinds of paper, then cover it with a heavier type of mulch, such as wood chips or stone, to keep it from flying away from the wind because it dissolves. Apply either granular or liquid fertilizer below the mulch — the paper allows water through to the dirt, so it helps transfer the fertilizer to the roots of your desired plants. After setup, however, stick to water-soluble or fluid ready-to-use fluid instead. A few of those granular fluid may soak through moist paper since the fluid softens and breaks down, but it is not quite as effective as using those already in fluid form.

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Kinds of Purple-Flowering, Almond-Smelling Clematis

Many clematis are deciduous climbers, but the family also has non-vining kinds that develop much more like herbaceous perennials. A couple of varieties are evergreen. While many clematis varieties are aromatic, especially those with smaller blooms, the scent of almonds is strongest from the evergreen varieties, such as C. armandii and C. vitalba, that have white flowers and blossom in early March. Just a few deciduous purple-flowered types have an almond scent. The fragrance of all varieties is strongest when planted in full sun.

C. Triternata Rubromarginata

A small-flowered, vining clematis with purple and white flowers, this plant has flowers with a pronounced almond scent and is recognized among the most aromatic of all varieties. A vigorous, drought-tolerant climber, it attains 20 feet tall and covers itself with blooms in late summer.

C. x aromatica

Another strongly scented variety, C. x aromatica is just a non-twining type that grows to 6 feet. Its little, star-shaped flowers are deep purple with white stamens and look from June through September.

C. jackmanii

One of the very popular clematis varieties, C. jackmanii creates large, deep-purple flowers on vigorous vines that reach 20 feet. It covers itself with fragrant blooms from mid-July through early fall, and the smell is multiplied due to the mass of flowers.

C. integrifolia

A non-climbing variety, C. integrifolia contains little, blue-purple, bell-shaped blooms. It attains only 3 feet tall, making it a intelligent selection for containers. The flowers have a small almond fragrance and look from June through September. C. integrifolia “Jan Fopma” produces flowers with burgundy outer petals. It grows 5 feet tall.

C. heraclefolia ‘Wyevale’

C. heraclefolia is just a non-climbing type of clematis, and the cultivar “Wyevale” has light purple flowers whose petals turn backward. It is unusual because it flowers in clusters, unlike most clematis. The sweetly scented flowers appear from July through September on a plant which reaches just 3 feet tall.

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Tree Cutting info

Even regular pruning can cause serious harm to trees under certain conditions. Harsh weather, fungus, bacteria and insect insects may take advantage of the open wound left when a tree limb is trimmed. Proper tree cutting techniques can help minimize the risk and assist trees heal over before they are threatened.

Reducing Purpose

Intentional cuts are made on trees for many reasons. Landscapers can remove co-dominant trunks from young trees to market the growth of a more powerful, central trunk. Old trees may need pruning that eliminates infection or disease or might gain from the elimination of interior branches that do not gain regular access to sunlight. Even roots are sometimes trimmed, preventing them from growing toward, and damaging, other landscape attributes.

No Jagged Edges

Following a tree is cut, sap will ooze out of pores and cover the wound. This coating is protective and aids the tree heal the wound. Because irregular edges stick out over the rest of the wound, complete coverage is sometimes not possible. Clean cuts with quite sharp pruning shears or a well-sharpened lopper make sure that sap quickly covers the wound completely and leaves nothing to decay or become contaminated.

Branch Collar

Many of the pruning cuts made to a tree are on the branches. Leaving these cuts properly signifies first finding the branch collar. This is the combined that supports the branch as it rises out from the back. Cutting branches on the outside of the branch collar, away from the central trunk, can help prevent any infection that might occur from reaching the back of the tree.

No Pruning Sealer

Several sealers are available that minimize the aesthetic impact of pruning on trees. While these sealers can help conceal cuts in the brief term, they can disturb the recovery process in the long term, leaving the tree available to disease. Letting the tree’s natural processes happen is a much better way to save the health of the tree.

A Branch Too Far

While pruning is vital for many reasons and can also help a tree into a desirable shape, over-pruning can starve a tree of sunlight, because it eliminates leaves that perpetuate photosynthesis. Even in full grown trees, pruning only about a third of the living tree crown is possible without undermining malnourishment and damage to the tree.

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Where to Plant a Miss All American Rose

The Miss All American Beauty rose debuted in the late 1960s and was appointed following a well-loved soprano who died at a young age. Thriving in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 7 to 10, this rose is a favorite in house and commercial gardens alike. Its beauty and hardiness make it to be planted in a wide variety of locations and garden sorts.

Attributes

Named after the American-born soprano singer Maria Callas, the Miss All American Beauty rose is considered an perfect hybrid for beginners and experienced rose gardeners alike. Particularly hardy for hybrid teas, this increased shows a strong resistance to several diseases and pests that commonly attack other roses. This rose is a moderate grower that attains a mature height and spread of 4 to 5 feet. With 55 petals on every deep, cupped blossom, the fragrant flowers are perfect for cuttings and landscapes alike.

Requirements

Like many other hybrid teas, the Miss All American Beauty rose prefers a sunny place with well-drained, average soil. It also shows a love for heat and is heat-tolerant, like many other precious roses. It can manage partial shade locations, but too much shade hinders the blossom production. This rose does best in a rose garden or among other plants that share its own requirements.

Rose Garden

Even one of the hybrid teas and delicate roses, the Miss All American Beauty will stick out. Its cupped, bright pink blooms will be one of the first to blossom among a number of different roses, and its average height of 4 to 5 feet will allow it to be planted in almost any area of a rose garden. Because of its deeply cupped blooms with a high petal count, the Miss All American will proudly stand as a focal point even in a committed rose garden.

Borders and Beds

Since it attains an eye-level height, this rose is frequently planted in sunny borders throughout landscapes. In a bed using shorter plants mixed in, it provides a stunning backdrop with its dark, leathery foliage and bright blooms. Mass plantings also garner attention in the landscape. Although this rose is a precious display specimen, its long stems and beautiful blooms fit nicely into arrangements. As such, a few specimens in a committed cutting garden marginally out of sight will give you with recurring flowers for vases and indoor arrangements.

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Troubleshooting Lighting Fixtures

Troubleshooting a light fixture can prove to be a challenging task. Several components of a light fixture may fail, causing it to error. When troubleshooting a light fixture, begin with the simplest possible alternative and work your way through, saving the hardest part to diagnose for last. Through the process of elimination, you may be able to fix the fixture yourself and save the money required to hire an electrician.

Safety First

Before trying to troubleshoot a light fixture, make certain to switch off the power providing the fixture. Merely turning off the wall switch providing the fixture does not guarantee a live circuit isn’t present in the fixture’s electric box. Analyzing the wires in the electric box with a noncontact voltage meter helps you to verify the electrical current is indeed off. Probes attached to the meter are used close to wires from the electrical box to test for electric current. If you are unsure the electricity is off, switch off the main breaker supplying the whole house at the circuit breaker box.

Light Bulbs

Ensure you are using the right type and size of lights in the fixture. This is especially significant with fluorescent and LED (light-emitting diode) fittings. Replace the light bulbs in the fixture. Occasionally a light bulb will do the job initially and fail after it has been on for some time. This is due to the filament curling and losing contact after it has had a opportunity to heat up. When the filament cools, it can re-establish contact and once again function correctly.

Wiring

Common problems with a fixture electric wiring are found from the electric box. You will need to eliminate any mounting screws securing the fixture to the electric box to expose the wires. A loose or disconnected cable could cause the fixture to error. It is also possible that a problem exists in the switch or its wiring. Switches can wear out over a protracted period. The wires in the electric box providing the switch may also become loose or disconnected. When you cannot determine a wiring problem visually, it may be necessary to flip on the electricity supply to the fixture at the circuit breaker box and apply the voltage meter to verify electricity is reaching the fixture or its switch.

Light Fixtures

Traditional light fixtures aren’t susceptible to error. But there are certain problems that can develop in a fluorescent fixture which may cause it to error. Fluorescent light fixture failure generally relates to the lights or the ballast. A visual review of this fixture can help determine if it’s bad. Ballasts use oil to help keep the unit cool; once they begin to escape, ballast failure is sure to follow. Another area to inspect on the fluorescent fittings is the lamp holder. As the fixture ages, the vinyl lamp holder can become brittle. This leads to splitting, causing the bulbs to get rid of contact. Although conventional fixtures are simple devices, a couple problems can develop with older versions. Light bulb socket failure and a poor wire within the fixture are the two most common culprits.

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How to Plant "Solar Fire" Tomatoes

“Solar Fire” tomatoes are a hybrid developed to grow in high summer heat that would keep other tomatoes from placing fruit. “Solar Fire” tomatoes also resist cracking in wet climates. They’re resistant to Fusarium wilt, Verticillium wilt and gray leafspot. The tomato plants grow up to 5 feet tall in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 14. The fruit is medium-sized, weighing about 8 ounces. “Solar Fire” tomatoes can be planted in spring or summer and take 72 days to mature.

Dig or until compost to the top 8 inches of soil before planting. “Solar Fire” strawberries like a slightly acidic or neutral soil, so add peat moss to a alkaline soil or lime into your highly acidic soil to improve the pH. Insert the amendments in late autumn or early spring to give them time to incorporate into the soil. Insert 2 lbs per 100 square feet of 6-24-24 fluid in precisely the exact same time.

Plant the tomatoes in full sun once the soil temperature warms up to above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space plants 3 feet apart. Stake every plant, or even put it in a tomato cage.

Fertilize each “Solar Fire” plant using a starter tomato soup in the time of planting according to the manufacturer label instructions. Insert a side dressing of a hydrogen peroxide following blooms appear, in a rate of 1/2 pounds of actual nitrogen per 100 feet of row. Insert another side dressing two weeks after the first tomatoes are selected, using a third additional a month after that.

Water tomatoes deeply, with 2 inches of water weekly. Mulch around every plant with 2 to 4 inches of organic mulch to keep soil moist. Do not enable the mulch to touch the plant stem.

Pull weeds should they look during the growing season. The mulch helps suppress weed growth.

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