Insect Control, Storage Solutions

Tips for Storing Seasoned Firewood

Comment

Firewood Rack

Storing your seasoned firewood properly is an important consideration, and there are any number of options available. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when deciding how and where to store your seasoned firewood.

Convenience and Insect Deterrence

Seasoned firewood that you plan to use for the upcoming winter should be easy to access, but storing logs against an outside wall of your home is not recommended. Firewood can attract insects, and if logs are stored next to the house, pests can enter your home or cause damage to your home’s exterior. Some of the best, most convenient places to keep seasoned firewood are next to a fence or next to the shed or other outdoor storage building. If you suspect that your firewood may be crawling with critters, do not give into the temptation to spray the firewood with pesticides because burning these logs will create harmful toxic vapors.

Protection From Moisture

So that your firewood burns efficiently, it should stay dry while outdoors. If there is enough room available inside your outdoor shed or storage building, then firewood can be stored easily there. Alternatively, a simple tarp can be used to cover your firewood to prevent it from taking in moisture from rain or snow. Tarps are inexpensive and can be tied down easily to prevent them from blowing away. If your stack of firewood is stored in a place on your property that is not visible to passersby, then choosing to cover the stack with a tarp will not negatively affect your home’s “curb appeal.”

Elevation and Air Circulation

If stored directly on the ground, firewood can soak up moisture and attract insects. Storing your firewood in a sturdy Firewood Rack will keep your logs elevated, promote air circulation, and deter pests and wood rot. A Firewood Rack can be hand made from wood, but a rugged tubular steel-framed Firewood Rack is rot-proof and rust-proof, easy to assemble, and comes in multiple sizes, so you should be able to find one that fits the space in which you plan to store your firewood.

Properly storing your seasoned firewood will ensure that you have easy access to it when it’s needed without also sending an invitation to pests to invade your home. Proper storage will also keep your firewood dry while at the same time encouraging air circulation. By following these simple tips, you will be sure to enjoy long-burning, low emission fires throughout the winter season.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Solar Lighting for Your Backyard

Comment

Solar lighting is a great way to provide light sources to “off the grid” areas of your home, lawn, and outdoor structures, but it also lowers your environment footprint. Solar lighting is low maintenance and is usually very easy to install, requiring no power lines or additional sources. Your main concern with solar lighting is location! To ensure that the panel receives the most possible sunlight, it should be mounted on a south-facing slope (give or take 30 degrees off of south). The location should be left unshaded by any tree, or other solid structures. There is never any recurring cost (like electricity), no charging, and no use of resources other than the powerful rays of the sun. Below are a few examples of outdoor solar lighting options for your home. Do you use solar lighting? If so, how and where? We are always looking for great ideas to save money AND the environment.

Solar Shed Light

Solar Shed Light

Solar Security Light

Solar Security Light

Solar Lamp

Solar Lamp with Planter

Solar String Lights

Solar Star String Lights

Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Cozy Up with an Outdoor Fireplace

1 Comment

Outdoor Fireplace

When the weather turns too cool for lounging in your outdoor spaces, it’s probably with reluctance that you retreat indoors for the long winter.  Luckily, the season for enjoying those exterior living areas can be extended significantly with the use of an outdoor fireplace.

For the most part, the traditional outdoor fireplace looks similar to a fireplace you might see on the inside of a home. Many traditional outdoor fireplaces are rectangular in shape and feature a mesh metal door which swings open to allow easy access, and swings closed to keep sparks from flying out of the fire. Traditional outdoor fireplaces are not boring in design, though. Whether your preferred style is one of clean lines or of romantically ornate decor, there is an outdoor fireplace to match that preference. In addition, most outdoor fireplaces provide you with 360 degree warmth, which creates an inviting space large enough to entertain multiple guests on chilly evenings.

Patio FireplaceA more utilitarian style of traditional outdoor fireplace is available, too, which may suit your needs more effectively while at home or while on camping or other outdoor vacations. These fireplaces boast a round body and sturdy, often tubular metal legs. Some models of this kind of outdoor fireplace have two wheels which allow the units to be moved easily to different locations. This more utilitarian of fireplaces offers the essential features without the fussiness of decorative elements.

Safety Note: Be sure to choose an outdoor fireplace that can be used safely in your home’s exterior living area. For example, many outdoor fireplaces cannot be used on or near wood decks or other wooden structures. While some of the portable fireplaces can be taken into grassy areas and campgrounds, an ideal location for most outdoor fireplaces would be a stone, brick, dirt, or concrete surface.

Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Entertaining, Outdoor Living Spaces

Unique Infrared Patio Heaters

2 Comments

Umbrella Infrared Patio Heater
If you are looking for a way to add some warmth to your porch or patio this fall and winter, infrared heating is the way to go. These heaters use infrared heat waves to heat the object or material in the path of the heater. In other words, the object is heated directly by the infrared waves, rather than by the surrounding air. You can find infrared heaters that attach to the wall or are freestanding, but one very cool way to use infrared heat is with your patio umbrella! Umbrella infrared patio heaters attach to any standard umbrella center pole and run off of standard household current. The heater does not create any harmful emissions or toxic residuals, making it safe AND effective. It is a stylish and modern way to extend the time that you can spend outdoors this year.

Outdoor Lighting Ideas, Outdoor Safety Tips

Advantages of Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

2 Comments

Low Voltage Landscape Lighting

Now that evenings are becoming gradually darker with each passing day, the need for landscape lighting increases.  If you don’t already have lighting installed on your property, consider low voltage landscape lighting as an option.  Low voltage lighting is often a more practical choice than high voltage lighting. Low voltage lights make use of a transformer which reduces the 120 volt house or business current to 12 volts.

Here are a few more of the many advantages low voltage lighting provides:

  • Security and Better Visibility: Low voltage lights that are strategically placed provide even illumination rather than dark shadows that are created by high voltage lights. Although light does not prevent crime, it can improve nighttime security for your home or business.
  • Safety: Residents and visitors can navigate around your property more safely when sidewalks and entrances are illuminated by landscape lights and drivers are not blinded by the glare of high voltage lighting.
  • Recreational Usage: You can enjoy your deck or other recreational area at night when you illuminate these private areas.
  • Property Value: Landscape lights help to improve the appearance of your property at night by accentuating shapes and textures of your landscape and structures. This serves to raise the property�s value and improve the community.
  • Economy: Low voltage lighting uses about a third of the power required for high voltage lighting, and when your property is properly lit, you achieve an energy efficient design. This in turn reduces your long-term operating costs.

Low voltage lights are usually installed along walkways, pathways, driveways, entrances, and steps. Low voltage lights can also be placed inside wells and ponds, and pointed up at trees, fences, and walls. The typical low voltage lighting system is composed of three items: a transformer, a low voltage electrical cable, and lighting fixtures. Each transformer should be plugged into a GFCI-protected outdoor outlet with a “while-in-use” cover that closes over and around the power cord.

Installing low voltage landscape lighting is an easy do-it-yourself project, and many home owners find that they can exercise their creativity when planning where to install the light fixtures. No matter where the lights are placed, though, you can feel confident that the choice of low voltage lighting offers the most advantages in landscape lighting options.