Homily Magazine

The paradigm of indoor horticulture is rapidly changing as more indoor gardeners begin to take advantage of the recent and profound advances in LED grow light technology. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been a staple of the electronics industry since the development of the transistor back in the 1960s, but advances in the science behind these super-efficient light sources over the past two decades have pushed LEDs to the forefront of consumer options for artificial light sources, not only for the home and office, but for specialised applications such as automotive, aviation and even the use of LED lighting sources for indoor horticulture.

Indoor horticulture requires a balance of a number of variables to successfully grow plants indoors, whether it’s flowers, vegetables or exotic tropical specimen plants. These factors include a precise and properly timed balance of water and nutrient release, maintaining a correct balance of temperature and ventilation, and perhaps most importantly from the perspective of indoor gardening: a light source with the necessary intensity and spectral qualities that will allow plants to thrive in an indoor environment. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Probably the most important factor when installing a basin in your bathroom is deciding where it’s located. That may sound ridiculously obvious but I am not just referring to ambiance and design. Of course it needs an area that will take the size of your new basin but what some people forget to take into account is how the family within the house will be using it.

In other words it needs to be at an acceptable height that is not going to cause back-breaking problems for the average-sized family member while doing their ablutions. If you are installing a pedestal basin the height of the pedestal will help you determine an appropriate height.

So you now have your new basin, and you are chomping at the bit to get it fixed in your bathroom. The wife has taken a few sedatives and locked herself in the cupboard, so you are ready to go. It is often a good tip to set it up temporarily with all the waterworks attached to ensure all is working as it should. [Read the rest of this entry...]

If your house is thirty years old or older, then there is very good chance that you have one or two rooms with wood paneling. At the time the house was built, wood paneling was very common in that time period but now you want to update to a more modern look. The best and most inexpensive way to modernize your paneling is to paint it. Painting paneling isn’t very difficult but there are a few important steps to take before you begin painting.

If your paneling has a rough finish, you will need to sand it down before you begin priming and painting. An electric palm sander is the best tool for this job because it can quickly and efficiently sand large areas. Make certain that you wear eye protection and a mask to prevent dust and debris from getting into your eyes and nose. Sand the paneling thoroughly until it is completely smooth to the touch. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Installing a bathtub isn’t exactly rocket science, but it does require solid plumbing, carpentry, and sometimes, tiling skills. Replacing an old bathtub with a new one is also a moderately difficult project. If the old tub is readily accessible, the project can move speedily; if you have to open a wall to remove the old tub and position the new bathtub, the task is much harder. In either case, the project is within a home handyman’s skills, although you will need a helper to move out the old tub and set in the new one. Make sure you have qualified yourself for the job and are comfortable attempting it. Rather than hiring a contractor to take over a halfway-completed project, it is better to consider employing one before you begin. Chances are you may need a professional plumber to make tube connections.

This article will help you install a new bathtub in your bathroom if you have already bought a new tub and don’t need to change the arrangement of your previous water supply pipes. [Read the rest of this entry...]

How do you keep your grow room cool enough? Heat is good for plants. However, too much heat can do serious damage. Your grow lights will put off a certain amount of heat. How do you keep that under control? You have quite a number of options. First, you can choose to use bulbs that do not generate a high amount of heat. However, those bulbs may not provide the light spectrum your plants need. If you find you want to use the high heat bulbs, then you need to use your head. Keeping those bulbs cool will help keep your grow room warm, but not hot. Try a water cooled grow light.

One option is using a water cooled grow light. These systems use water to draw the heat away from the lamp. The system consists of a water source, a pump, and interconnected reflectors. The water flows through tubes between the reflectors. As the water goes through the reflector, it absorbs the heat. That water then goes down the drain or back into a reservoir. As the water flows and sits in the reservoir, the heat dissipates. It is ready for recirculation back through the reflectors. This effective system is easy to expand and maintain. [Read the rest of this entry...]

You have always had the aluminium frames on your window and you wish to replace them with more stylish and modern vinyl. You have probably tried replacing the frames made out of different kinds of materials; said goodbye to old wood sash windows and said hello to more energy efficient ones. What if the material you are trying to replace is made of aluminium; do you have to follow the same process you have always known before or is it an entirely different thing? Do you have measure the opening first of all and remove the sashes and parting beads? Do you have to install the seal and trim the vinyl? The truth is that replacing aluminium to vinyl follows an entirely different process; and it will be discussed in detail in this article.

When it comes to aluminium frames, there is a particular term that you may encounter ad this is “retrofit”, and this pertains to the type of frame style that you are going to use. Actually, you will be provided with a number of options for this, and they are the following: [Read the rest of this entry...]

You’ve made the decision to build a garden. The sunny location is all picked out and it’s time to get started. Just follow these 5 basic steps and your new garden will be ready for planting.

1. Clear the Ground
2. Dig it Out
3. Clear the roots
4. Amending the soil
5. Backfill and level

Clear the Ground

Let’s start by clearing the area of debris and other plant matter. Cut down any bushes or shrubs that may be in the area. We’ll attack the roots as we get to them. [Read the rest of this entry...]

One issue that must be taken into consideration when undertaking a construction project is the long term settlement and stiffness of the ground such as the soil, clay, or soft silt. The solution to ensuring much quicker soil consolidation and settlement has been the development of Wick Drains. Wick drains are used when there is a problem with soil consolidation.

Also known as Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PV Drains), wick drains are flat, plastic fabric coated channels surrounded by a thin geo-textile filter jacket that functions as a free-draining water channel. The fabric acts as a filter because it maintains permeability while preserving the fine soil particles.

Wick drains reduce the distance water travels to a drainage path thereby reducing the time of settlement. Basically, they act as a free-draining water channel. Wick drains are suitable for peat, silts, clay, silt sands, and sludge waste from industry. Both the core and geotextile filter jacket of wicker drains makes them extremely durable and resistant to chemicals and many micro-organisms such as bacteria. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Unlike electric heating systems, radiator heating systems can sometimes stop working because of air trapped within the system. If the top of a radiator feels cold and the bottom feels warm, then it’s quite likely trapped air is forming bubbles within the piping that stops the flow of warm water from bottom to top. The time has come to bleed your radiators. In essence, bleeding a radiator means opening a valve to let the trapped air escape.

Look at your radiators and locate all the bleed valves. You can identify a bleed valve on a radiator as a small protrusion within a small cylinder. A bleed valve may be anywhere on the radiator, at an end, on the top or on the back. Also, a radiator may have more than one bleed valve.

You will need a radiator bleed key, a small key usually made of brass with a cross-piece at one end and a hollow at the other end that fits on top of the bleed valve — if one can’t be found, a standard replacement bleed key can be bought at a local DIY shop. [Read the rest of this entry...]

Procedures in making a four-season sunroom include the following: acquiring a spending budget, picking out the porch’s style and design, speaking to a sunroom manufacturer or service provider, picking a sunroom, obtaining funding for your own porch, setting a date to set up your sunroom, and examining the licenses.

One technique to add value and also attractiveness to your home is to build a four-season sunroom. The guidelines are quite easy, and you could turn an existing porch or perhaps construct a brand new one from scratch. [Read the rest of this entry...]