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How To: Create a Gravel Driveway

A gravel driveway can be a classic, low-maintenance, and inexpensive addition to a home. It complements a range of house styles and—even better—is a reasonable undertaking for a determined DIYer. Here are the basics. Low maintenance cost for concrete driveway looks very simple but as long as you can park it doesn’t matter.

A gravel driveway can be very attractive in a characteristically unpretentious way, introducing casual curb appeal to the first and last element of your home that a visitor sees. Throughout the United States, gravel remains a perennially popular driveway material, not only for its aesthetics, but also for its relatively low cost in comparison with the alternatives. Furthermore, whereas poured concrete or patterned brick typically require professional installation, even a somewhat novice DIYer can install a gravel driveway successfully on his own, without having to pay for either design consultation or skilled labor.

MATERIALS AND TOOLS

– Landscape stakes
– String (or twine)
– Gloves
– Wheelbarrow
– Shovel
– Rake
– Hoe
– Weed barrier (optional)
– Gravel

Though it’s possible to cut corners, a well-made gravel driveway usually consists of three layers. In this striated approach, the bottom layer features six-inch-diameter crushed rock, while smaller, two- or three-inch stones form the middle layer. Only the third layer, the surface, comprises what most of us would recognize as true gravel. Here, eschew smooth stones in favor of rough, angular ones, because these can be depended upon to provide a firmer, more stable gravel driveway surface.

STEP 1
Using landscape stakes in combination with string or twine, define the path you wish the gravel driveway to take from the curb all the way to its end point. Next comes a labor-intensive proposition: To prepare the way for the gravel, you must remove any grass or topsoil from the marked-off area. If you’d rather not do this manually, consider bringing in a bulldozer—and someone to operate it—to make quicker work of this unglamorous but essential stage of the project.

STEP 2
Having cleared a path for the gravel driveway, now you need to calculate the volume of stones you’ll need. To do so, you’ll need to determine the number of cubic yards each layer will occupy. Start by measuring the length and width (in feet) of the driveway you’ve laid out, then multiply these two numbers together to find your driveway’s square footage. So, if the width is 10 feet and the length is 15 feet, your driveway will be 150 square feet. Multiply that number by the desired depth of each layer to get the number of cubic feet of stone you’ll need for each layer. The recommended height for each layer is four to six inches. If you want a four-inch layer, divide the square footage by 3 (because four inches is one-third of a foot). Now that you’ve calculated the necessary volume of stone in cubic feet, convert that number to cubic yards by dividing by 27 (because there are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard). Our 150-square-foot example is 50 cubic feet, or approximately 1.8 cubic yards (50 divided by 27), per layer. You’ll need about 1.4 tons of stone per cubic yard, plus four percent to account for compaction. So 1.8 x 1.4 x 1.04 equals your total order of stones (in tons) for one layer.

STEP 3
Think strategically when it comes to scheduling the delivery of the stones for your gravel driveway. (Also, bear in mind that some gravel delivery trucks are capable of not merely dropping off the stones, but also spreading them.) It’s best to schedule separate deliveries for each of the three driveway layers. Further, it’s recommended that you stagger the deliveries a few days apart, so you have time to address each layer in turn. If you’re spreading the gravel manually, prepare yourself for the job by assembling the right tools: a heavy-duty wheelbarrow, a shovel with a sturdy trough, and a rake with metal tines.

STEP 4
Before the first gravel delivery truck arrives at your property, it’s important to even out the dirt in the path of the driveway. Depending on the area of your driveway, you can handle this work with your own tools or by enlisting the help of a professional with a backhoe. Are you planning to lay down a weed barrier? Do it after you’ve finished smoothing out the ground; take pains to ensure that the fabric doesn’t bunch up.

STEP 5
The bottom layer of the gravel driveway, of course, goes in first. Once you have spread these six-inch stones over the driveway area in a single, interlocking layer, ideally you’d bring in a bulldozer to compact the stones with its roller. Failing that, so long as you don’t think you’ll imperil the tires, drive over the base layer repeatedly with your car (or a neighbor’s truck). The object here is to pack the crushed rocks into the soil beneath, creating as strong a foundation for your gravel driveway as possible.

STEP 6
Next comes the middle layer of two- to three-inch stones. In a perfect world, the gravel delivery truck would spread this layer for you, but whether or not that’s possible, the edges of the driveway are first going to need a little TLC. Neaten the perimeters with a shovel and rake and, if necessary, your gloved hands.

Finally, introduce the surface layer of gravel. To facilitate rainwater drainage, grade the stones in such a way that they peak in the middle of the driveway and incline slightly to the sides. Every few months, you may wish to use a rake to restore this peak. Likewise, you may need to neaten the edges from time to time. But for the most part, the gravel driveway you’ve now completed is—and will remain—a low-maintenance affair.

With fair weather having arrived finally, it’s time to turn your home improvement efforts to the backyard and your deck, porch, or patio—the parts of the home built specifically to enjoy the extra hours of sunlight. Guided by these practical pointers and inspiring ideas, you can introduce beauty, comfort, and utility to your backyard and outdoor living areas, making them as inviting and enjoyable as your home interiors.

Plan and Build a Driveway for Your Country Home

Turning into our narrow, 200-year-old, packed-dirt driveway had always been arm-wrenching. In “mud-time,” during each spring run-off, the drive entry hosted a running stream, while a periodic spring turned the section beside the house into a bog large enough to swallow small cars. The turnaround at the rear of the house had turned into a swamp. Then, our New England, hill-country road was graded and paved—making the approach swampier still—and we decided it was high time to bring the Colonial-era wagon path up to the automotive-era demands of modern times. Now our problems and solutions will not be the same as yours, but the steps we took should help you build a driveway, or renew the drive, of your own country place. Landscaping and gardening can be two of the most cost-effective ways to add value to your cost of new driveway Perth.

Existing driveways should be “grandfathered” so that surface and interior improvements are exempt from building code and/or zoning regulations. However, if you are making a new or substantially enlarged curb-cut onto a public way, the “setback” from property lines, dimensions and construction of your driveway will require approval from the town(ship) highway supervisor or engineer. If entering a state or county road, an additional permit and inspection are needed. To find out applicable regulations, you can visit your town clerk. Even if it is not required, a consultation with the township or county road boss can provide invaluable help in designing and constructing the best driveway for your soil type, weather, and elevation. Indeed, you maybe able to hire the municipal crew and equipment for the heavy work. Keep in mind that rates are competitive and no one knows how to do the job better.

Early Roads: Building Lessons from the Past

A driveway is a miniature road. Lessons from the pre-mechanized past may be instructive, especially if you plan to do some of the work yourself:

With the advent of wheeled vehicles, Stone Age footpaths became rutted, swampy areas became impassable, and steep grades became untraversable. The first roads (built 3,000 years ago in the Greek islands) were ruts, chiseled into rock hillsides to guide soil and water carts up to terraced fields. Today, the same “technology” is used on mountain logging roads, where ruts are intentionally worn into curves and grades in order to keep fast-moving, heavily-loaded trucks on track when mud roads are wet and slippery. You may find that a rut trail serves just fine for the four-wheel-drive track out to your back 40. Cut the trail in late spring in soft, but not soaked soil, and dig out rocks and roots that are interfering with the ruts. With steady use, the trail should gradually become compacted over the summer and fall, and the ruts should keep you on the road and moving in everything except for axle-deep mud or deep snow.

Road Construction in History

Romans were the preeminent road builders of the ancient world. The illustration shows a cross-section of a typical Roman road. A stone footing, compacted gravel or rubble interior, and a cobble surface remained firm in wet weather but would not turn to dust on dry days. Sides were ditched to carry off water, and culverts and bridges were built over dips to carry water under the road. Cobble surfaces were fine for foot-Legions but too bumpy for wheeled vehicles, and construction was (forced) labor-intensive. In the 19th century, J. J. Mac Adam designed British roads with smoother surfaces that could be built quickly and economically by freemen and draft animals. Not oiled or asphalted like modern macadam roads, the top was of fine crushed rock that compacted with use to shed water, but would not become too dusty in the summer. The road was domed and ditched to carry off rain. Although modern highways have a deeper multi-level foundation and solid asphalt or concrete surface, they are really not much different from Mac Adam’s original design.

The Modern-Day Driveway

For your own driveway, it’s doubtful that you’ll want to bury stone blocks Roman-style. You’ll want to adopt Mac Adam’s formula of digging out topsoil and laying in a well-ditched, contiguous-ribbon wedge of adhesive soil and rocks, compacted to repel water and topped so it won’t grind to dust.

I’ll warn you now that this article covers only driveways of forgiving natural materials, which homeowners can design, build, and maintain at reasonable costs. I’ve seen too many amateur-laid thin, unreinforced concrete driveways crack, and too many asphalt driveways go gummy and sprout grass because they weren’t rolled and the underlayment wasn’t salted. Oh, there is a cold-set, water-mix asphalt you can buy in drums or pickup-truck lots, but it is suitable for walkways at best. Preparing a rolled gravel surface for hot-top or laying forms for concrete—and then trying to lay transit-mixed concrete or stick-to-everything-but-the-gravel asphalt so it turns out uniformly smooth—is no job for an amateur. If you want an asphalt or concrete driveway, save your pennies, look in the Yellow Pages…and have pros do the whole job.

Planning the Driveway Design

The first step is to design (or redesign) your driveway so that it will handle modern vehicular traffic. The driveways of old country homes were designed for horses and wagons. They are narrow, have tight curves, and negotiate hills too abruptly for modern vehicles, so these old driveways need to be broadened and have their transitions eased.

When you buy a new home, layout of the driveway should be a major factor in the location and orientation of house and outbuildings. Walk the land until you know every dense stand of mature trees, every stream, wet spot, and rock outcropping. Then using a plat or survey map (if you have one), or paying for a topographical survey if you must, draw a detailed map of the land. Toy around with alternative layouts—avoiding as many hazards as you can. The more time you spend with paper and pencil, the easier time you will have when you go to lay out the driveway.

Few of us have much choice when it comes to the compass direction that our driveway faces and the terrain that it will traverse. If you do have an option, pick a southern exposure which will melt snow and dry quickly. Don’t build a driveway along the route of prevailing winds; it can become an expressway for cold blasts in winter and dust devils in summer.

If the driveway is long and must run over extreme or complex elevations, across year-round streams or swamps—or must be blasted through rock ledge—you are in for a major expense. If this is the case, you are best advised to hire a civil engineer to lay it out for you. If your driveway is short or on land with a gentle grade and easy rise and fall, you can do your own planning and layout on-site. Your strong back or a good heavy-equipment operator can do the rest.

Traffic Safety and Driveway Visibility

Traffic safety comes first, and you must locate and design the driveway entrance to offer ample visibility. Be certain that you check with the town clerk for local regulations. But in a typical rural jurisdiction, the view from the driveway (its aspect ) must offer a clear view of oncoming vehicles for 500 feet in both directions on a highway carrying high-velocity (over 50 mph) traffic; and for 100 feet if it is a low-speed road.

To evaluate aspect, sink sticks at each side of your driveway entry so that their tops are four to five feet above the road surface. Measuring from the center of the driveway along the road, set one stick to your right on the far side of the road, and the other to the left on your side of the road. Check aspect as though you were sitting in a vehicle with its front bumper 10 feet back from the road edge. If you can remove trees or other obstructions to better see the stick tops and you can open a clear vista between them, get out the chain saw. If sharp curves, immovable terrain, or buildings preclude a safe aspect, then you’re going to have to redesign or relocate the driveway. If on a sharp curve, you may be able to widen or branch the entry, or you can build a one-way driveway across the curve to provide an acceptable aspect at each end. If you cannot come up with a suitable plan, you may need a variance. Again, go and see the town clerk.

The Driveability Factor

Your second consideration should be driveability. The driveway must provide safe, easy access for a motor vehicle from the road to the house (and back) in all weather. You’ll want space for two vehicles to pass each other at the entry, at the house end, and on blind curves (at least). Zoning regulations will stipulate the width of your driveway and its grade for a minimum distance beyond the curb cut. A typical one-vehicle driveway is eight to 10 feet wide (12 feet is better) with a grade of no more than two percent at the entry—that is, rising no more than two feet in 100 feet of length—and a grade of no more than eight percent thereafter (and five percent is better). Unless you want to burn out your clutch, a maximum grade is 15 percent. Curves should be gradual—arcs of a circle with a radius of at least 24 feet. A 48-foot turning radius is better (and essential if you want a moving van or UPS truck to get in and out).

How Long Does It Take to Become a Journeyman?

Tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians typically have an apprentice training system. This means that those who join the profession learn the trade by taking classes and working, usually full-time, as an apprentice at a relatively low wage. After completing an apprenticeship, which typically takes three to five years, and passing an exam, you can become a journeyman. Another three or four years of working as a journeyman gives you enough experience to qualify to take the exam to become a master plumber or electrician. 24 hour emergency electrician Brisbane immediately or within a reasonable amount of time then give us a call on (07) 3062 8342.

Applying for Apprenticeships

Organizations such as unions and electrical and plumber contractor associations offer trade apprenticeship programs. Typical qualifications for an apprenticeship program include a minimum age of 18, a high school diploma or GED, one year of algebra, a passing score on an industry-specific aptitude test and a clean criminal history check and drug screening. Many apprenticeship programs only have a limited number of spots each year, so it is important to have good references and high test scores.

A Trade Apprenticeship

A trade apprenticeship typically lasts three to five years. Most apprenticeship programs require 150 to 250 hours of classroom study and around 2,000 hours of paid supervised training every year. Apprentices who have completed an accredited certificate or associate degree program can reduce the length of their apprenticeships. Apprentices are often assigned to work with experienced tradesmen across a broad range of tasks, so they are prepared to work in manufacturing, the construction industry or as private tradesmen after completing the apprenticeship. Trade apprentices are usually paid around half the wages of journeyman. Becoming a journeyman requires passing a state licensing exam.

Working as a Journeyman

A journeyman is an experienced professional at his trade. With four-plus years of experience, he has learned all of the basics of his profession and is likely developing expertise in one or more specialty areas. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, plumbers earned a median annual income of $51,450 in 2016, while electricians earned a median wage of $52,720 a year.

Reaching Master Status

It takes seven or eight years of professional experience to qualify to sit for the exam for a master plumber or electrician license. A master plumber or electrician is expected to be able to take on most types of specialty work in his trade or recommend another professional who has experience dealing with a specific problem. Master plumbers and electricians typically earn significantly more than journeymen, and many have earnings that put them in the top 10 percent of their profession. The top 10 percent of electricians earned at least $90,420 in 2016, according to the BLS. The top 10 percent of plumbers earned $90,530 or more.

2016 Salary Information for Electricians

Electricians earned a median annual salary of $52,720 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, electricians earned a 25th percentile salary of $39,570, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $69,670, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 666,900 people were employed in the U.S. as electricians. Take note of the salary of an emergency electrician.

How to Choose the Right Window Cleaning Company

When choosing a window cleaning company, make sure that you are taking enough time to consider the important factors that will offer you the best results for a reasonable price. There are a number of imitators out there that will make grand promises that they will not deliver on. Hiring a company like this can put you in situation where you will have windows that are not as clean as they should be, and in some cases, are actually worse off than before you began getting your windows cleaned! Having a poor experience with a window cleaner can be as frustrating as well as costly. This article will help you to avoid the pitfalls of paying more than you should for a quality window cleaner. Leather Cleaner and Leather Protector should be part of a regular schedule of cleaning and protection.

Documentation

The initial things that you should be sure of is if they are licensed, bonded and insured or not. This is one of the most overlooked items that a person or company will not think about. It will be of the utmost importance that you look to make sure that the company in question is actually insured. If you have doubts, then before you hire them, ask to see the proof that they are actually insured to do the work that they are being hired to do. If they fail to give this for your inspection, then you need to look elsewhere. Having these documents not only shows that they are a legitimate business, but it also shows that you will have some sort of recourse if something were to go wrong. Many people with broken windows or damaged gutters find out far too late that their contractor did not have insurance, or even a license to conduct business.

Affiliations

Look to see if they are associated with any professional associations. Most cleaners will have some sort of association that they will be happy to tell you about if it is not listed on their advertisements. This will be easy information that you should be able to get without any of trouble. Ask the window cleaner if this is not openly seen. Most companies will be happy to tell you that they are associated with these places. While it isn’t a huge deal to be a member of any organization that simply charges a fee, it lends to the credibility of the business in general and how seriously they take their craft. This will lead you to the next thing that you need to look at seriously, references.

References

It is important that the window cleaning company that you hire has a list of references that they will be able to provide to you. These should be provided without question to you when you ask. It is a good idea that you beware of any company that does not willingly offer this information to you or they simply just do not have them. References will be able to tell you if a company has a good history behind them or not.

Follow up on the references, ask a lot of questions, remember, your home is at stake. Is the company that you are looking to hire reliable? This is a question that you need to ask yourself. You need to make sure that when you are scheduled to have your windows cleaned, you are not left sitting around for hours or days waiting for the window cleaner to arrive. They need to have a high rate of being on time, and being where they are supposed to be. If this is in question at all, then you need to move on to the next company that is on your list. The next item you should look at is that of safety.

Safety

There needs to be a high safety rating listed for the company that you are looking to hire in your window cleaning company search. Safety should be a number one concern for the company you are looking to hire. Ask to see their safety rating and when the last time that they had an incident. Many companies will provide this information without being asked because they want to be as transparent as possible when dealing with the public. If they do not want to give it, the chances are, they have had a recent incident they might be trying to hide from potential customers.

Professionalism

Professionalism may not be a top thing to look for on your list, but it is something that should be looked at when making a decision about the company that will be in charge of your windows. You are paying a good amount for a professional job, the people that are in charge of your windows should be professional as well. This is one problem that many companies will have. They will have employees that are not as polite as they really should be.

Pricing

Pricing should be competitive with other companies in the same area. You need to do a little price comparison to see who will give you the best overall results. You don’t want to pay for a window cleaner and get taken to the cleaners for the bill. You also need to make sure that the cheapest cleaner is not the worst deal as well. There are a number of window cleaning companies that can give you a great job for a fraction of the price that you might expect to pay. Ask around and shop around before making a decision.

Equipment

The equipment that they use should be of quality as well. The better the equipment, then the better of a job that they will be able to do. Many companies will use equipment that is not the latest and greatest to save money. When this is done, the quality of the window cleaning that you will get will suffer. Be sure that you talk to the person you are looking to hire and make sure that they have equipment that will be able to handle the job you are putting in front of them.

All of these tips and tricks will be useful in helping you to get a window cleaner that you will be proud you chose. If you are not careful, you can get a deal that is far from good in the window cleaning experience. Follow these tips and you are likely to save money get clean windows that you can take pride in.

Hiring the right contractor or company for window cleaning can be tricky, there are a few bad apples out there that can really hurt the reputable operators. If you are in the Spokane area be sure to check out http://www.spokanewindowcleaning.com for all of your window cleaning and gutter cleaning needs. They have professional full time employees that do a great job on your home or business.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Robert_A_Jenkins/720993

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Travel Tips Straight From The Globe Trotting Gurus

Travel can be a great way to enjoy yourself and see the world. You can go wherever you want to. There are always new places to discover. This article will help you to find ways to make the most of your travels. We can help you plan every detail of your Canada ski packages to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Losing your child in a foreign place can be very stressful and you probably do not even want to think about it.

Be aware that they are police offers or government officials when you are traveling in a strange city. Do not ever give anyone your actual passport. Do not get into a vehicle with someone you don’t know.

Do not hope that an airline will make you are flying. If you think they will come in handy, a blanket and a pillow to be comfortable while flying, a light blanket and comfortable headphones. You may also think of bringing your own food so you can eat what you want.

You can use it to help keep the door closed as well.

Take clothespins with you when you travel. While they may not be something you would normally pack, they can be very useful.

You may be covered if a flight that was charged on your credit card. It pays to conduct some research before you leave.

It will be more expensive to just ride into the lot and park.

Use environmentally responsible services on your trip. A lot of hotels have a program for reusing linens, recycling bins, energy efficient lights, low flow plumbing, alternative sources of energy and so on. Tour operators, car rental companies, and other services are also implementing ways to be environmentally responsible.

Take a break every few hours when driving with kids.Breaks may offer you time to stretch your legs and use the bathroom. Getting little kids out of the car occasionally can help to prevent motion sickness. Your trip may become a little longer, but the reduction in stress is worth the small delay.

Booking your travel online is virtually a great way to get everything done at once. Online travel sites will assist in planning your entire travel itinerary. You can book everything you need for your trip, hotels, and rental cars all from your computer! You can even find photos and reviews of potential lodgings.

Take an extra passport photo when you travel abroad.It can take a while to replace a lost passport. You can make the process swifter by carryin a spare photo. You’ll also want to make sure you have any other types of documentation required for passport replacement.

You do not always have to wander far from home to enjoy a great day trip or weekend get-away. There are many things to do in your own home state or perhaps one that is close by. You can support local businesses by traveling close to home. You can be delighted to discover a place you didn’t know about.

Always take bottled water when going overseas.The water of foreign countries may not purified and could cause different sicknesses. Use bottled water to brush your teeth. You may get ill from tap water.

Make use of the E-tracking function that many travel sites have.This can keep you informed about the cheapest travel methods. You are able to receive email alerts if the flight that you have booked or shown interest in has changed with regards to your travel arrangements.

Don’t put your child in the aisle on a plane. Make sure that you or a friendly adult is there to sit in the aisle and your child. Children are very curious and can hurt themselves if they reach out when there’s a cart coming through. They can’t run if you are blocking the aisle.

Be up front when buying travel insurance. Tell the provider of any illness you are sick. You’ll be stuck with all of the bill yourself. For availing promos about Canada ski click here.

When you are traveling by car, even for business, the temptations will be plenty. Rather than checking out the buffet, visit the complementary exercise facilities the hotel provides. This will definitely make you feel energetic during your trip.

You might be able to save money through booking flights with one or more stop on the way. Too little time and you may miss your flight.You could be in the airport awhile if there is a long flight delay.

Before you set off on a trip outside of the country, remember to purchase a high quality voltage converter or electrical adapter from an electronics store. If you don’t purchase it before you leave, know that you will pay a huge traveler’s markup.

If the trip doesn’t have specific dates you must adhere to, you should adjust your plans a bit to search for deals. You could get a better deal and you can save money.

This would completely ruin your cruise trip. You might end up in bed for days recovering from seasickness and not enjoying the cruise. If you know ahead of time, you can bring a cheap medicine along that will alleviate the problem.

Then select the one is best suits your needs.

TSA is sure to be suspicious of your gift and take the nice wrapping right off. Instead, pack sheets of wrapping paper, or purchase it when you arrive.

When you travel long distances by car, you may be happier obtaining a rental car as opposed to using your own. You don’t want to put your car.

Know the three digit code for your airport’s airport destination. Your luggage should have to identify these numbers. This prevents delays or getting your bags late.

Traveling is a joy for many people. There are infinite places to go. Most places also seem different if you visit more than once. You will find your travels to be less stressful and more fun by putting the above advice to use.

Tips To Having Landscaping That Your Neighbors Will Envy

You can create the landscape you want. You simply need some key information with regards to landscaping. This article was designed to help you create a landscaped yard of your dreams. Concrete is a beautiful, long-lasting, and maintenance-free choice for a driveway and don’t mind the cement driveway cost Perth.

Try to use native plants for landscaping.When landscaping your garden, always try to use trees, flowers and trees that do well in your area.

Have your garden’s soil tested before beginning your garden or landscaping project. This will enable you are able to have a beautiful garden.

Choose the higher quality items over price. In many stores, you will usually find reduced and low-quality products. Go to specialty stores to get good products and advices from their workers. It’s worth the extra money to get products and solid landscaping advice.

Purchase at different times of the year to get good discounts. Wait until the off-season to purchase such things as shrubs, and buy trees, or trees if possible. If a new type of plant shows up in local stores with a high price because it’s so new, wait until the price drops; this normally takes a couple of years.

Include different plant species when you plan the look of your landscaping plans for variety and unique beauty. This is a vital thing to do to protect your yard against both diseases and harmful insects. If you use few types of plants, they may all perish in such an episode. Diversity is important in landscaping for plant health when landscaping.

When taking on a large landscaping project, consider a short consultation with a professional landscape designer or architect to get their perspective on your materials and design. The $75 and this will spend on it can be worth every penny by helping you prevent costly mistakes.

Try to create a landscape design that will continue to look great throughout the year. This requires you to include specimens that blossom at different times of the year. The key to a year-round landscape that is good throughout the year is doing research.

Use curved borders on your plantings when you are landscaping your yard. These round shapes are more visually appealing than straight ones. When people look at your yard from the curb, the curving lines of these borders will look more natural in contrast with the geometric lines of your home and driveway.

Although their cost estimate is an important factor, still take the time to look at pictures of yards they have worked on to see if you like their style.

Some plants blossom infrequently and you may find your yard could lack color between seasons.

Consult a professional landscape designers before you start a new project. Even when you are the primary landscaper, it’s always good to consult a professional. They can make sure that you some good advice on what to do or avoid if you are new to working on your landscaping.Even if you have some prior knowledge they can benefit from another perspective.

Always consider the climate when you will be using. Some plants need frost season, and if your weather does not cooperate, so selecting the right plants can help your garden stay beautiful. You should also consider sunlight, sunlight, and precipitation such as rain or snow before you decide on plants.

The soil you begin landscaping.Some plants do much better than others in a certain type of soil. If your soil is keeping you from your dream landscape, you may wish to substitute another type or you may opt to build beds with wood chips or mulch products.

If any large plants are part of your design plan, remember that they’ll cast a shadow. This shade will help cool the sun during the summer months. Be sure to avoid planting anything that shadow.

Take some time to study different landscaping techniques. For instance, use a few larger plants as anchors throughout your yard design, to build a sense of continuity in your landscaping. The texture of plants are also important variation and contrast to your landscape design. There are quite a few books available that will allow you to learn more about this.

Do not be too quick to make any impulsive decisions. Plants look different all year round, may look beautiful in the summer or spring.

Consider the color changes of fall colors when designing your landscape. Many homeowners only think about spring or summer for their property, but fall produces some of the most beautiful colors. This will pay great dividends when autumn rolls around and you a stunning outdoor space even late into the fall.

Consider sharing costs with neighbors if you are wanting to improve your landscaping but are limited financially.You can create a schedule as to who uses what equipment at a certain time.

While seeing your neighbors can be fun for a barbecue, creating a little privacy can turn your yard into a much more relaxed area. A fence or shrubs can provide this privacy.

Lots of people focus on the perimeter of their property lines. This is great, but you also want to use a variety of shrubs and other plants in different places too. This will give more depth to the perception of your house. Your house will also give the impression that it is not as close to the road as it actually is.

Hopefully, now you have a bevy of new ideas for how you can improve your landscaping. Pick the tips that best suits your yard and begin using them in transforming you yard to what you have always wanted.

Surfing Is a Fun Sport-You Should Learn To Surf Life

What does it mean to Surf Life? First, I have to explain what fun the surfing experience can be. Then I will tell you how you can make surfing your lifestyle and how you can surf life in just about everything you do. With over 3.5 miles of sandy beaches with world-class waves, Oceanside hosts a variety of surf events tournaments and contests for all ages and skill levels.

Since the very early years of my life, my parents took me and my brother to the beach and taught us how to bodysurf. We surfed as a family. My mom and dad could do it and they took the time to teach us.

We graduated from bodysurfing to riding canvas air mattresses, homemade skimboards, paddleboards and eventually to surfboards. One thing you probably never heard of is surfing a pillow case filled with air. We did that too. We would wet the pillow case and the run down the beach to fill it with air, spinning the end into a knot to hold the air in the case for one wave. Like I said, we rode everything.

Surfing was fun and we carried that over into board surfing. When we first started to ride surfboards, we only surfed longboards, which were normally 10 feet and longer. We didn’t know about wetsuits, leashes, and as a result we were limited to beaches where there were no rocks on the shoreline unless we wanted to repair the dings caused when the fiber glassed board hit the rocks. If we were lucky, another surfer would run and try to catch our surfboard before it hit the rocks. Today, wherever there is a wave, it will be surfed.

Everyone in those days helped each other and shared waves. It wasn’t uncommon to take off on a wave and have as many as 5 of your fellow surfers on the same wave. There was no pressure not to share. Everyone just seemed to have fun. We spent hours talking about how many waves we caught that day and the new maneuvers we saw and tried. Everyone was constantly trying to outdo their buddies by trying new types of pullouts, walking to the nose, turns, etc.

The other thing that was fun was helping the other surfers improve by telling them what they were doing and complementing them on their surfing. We shared wax, towels, and ideas.

Maybe this free spirit was brought to us from Hawaii originally by Duke Kahanamoku. He brought the Aloha Spirit to the shores of California and the rest of the world. This spirit is what I talk about and want to share with you when I talk about how we should all Surf Life.

If you play golf, chances are you will mishit a shot, miss an important putt, or screw up badly on a hole and end up with a bad score. It will probably make you mad. I’ve seen golfers get so upset that they throw or break their golf club after a bad shot.

Well, this doesn’t happen in surfing. You never hit a bad shot. You may fall off of your board and get wiped out, but it is fun. You paddle out and catch the next wave.

What makes you happy and successful in life, marriage, and your job? Having fun? I think that whatever you are doing you should enjoy, just like you enjoy surfing. As I said, it is a spirit that you should and will learn to carry over to your relationships and your work.

Surfing is something that can sure help you do this. Surfing gives you a feeling of freedom. It gets you close to nature out in the fresh air and in the water. It is a great way of relieving tension and stress, while you get a good physical workout. Surfing improves the quality of one’s life.

Surfing is really a fun sport. There are all kinds of amateur contests or you can treat it as a sport each day you surf even though you are not in a contest against others. Although it is normally an individual activity, it is very seldom that you are alone. You are normally with your surfing buddies and friends either riding the waves or hanging out on the beach. It is a happy time.

Surfing leads to beach parties, barbeques, and other social events. You develop a new set of friends who enjoy doing the same thing as you do. It is a mellow lifestyle that you carry over to everything you do. Although it can be competitive, it is still mellow. You are in the water feeling the spray on your face, breathing the fresh air, and in a wonderful state of mind.

Buy a ukulele and learn to play it. Get yourself a Woodie car or a good surf vehicle. Do you really need to wear a tie to work? Feel the aloha spirit. All of these things go with surfing.

Take these feelings with you into the world around you and into your personal and business life and then you will know what it means to Surf Life. You will learn to relax when you get into a difficult situation. You will stop stressing out when someone cuts you off on the freeway.

So my friends, go surfing and learn to Surf Life! Both are a blast!

Chuck Herpick, a Stanford graduate and former Naval Aviator, is an accomplished surfer and has spent his lifetime in or near the ocean surfing most of the California and Hawaii breaks over the many years.

Chuck has been a friend and associate with legendary surfer Tom Morey, inventor of the Morey Boogie Board. Together, he and Tom have designed and made many different types of soft and hard surfboards and other surfing products.

He is also the owner of Oak Street Surf, [http://www.oakstreetsurf.com], an online surf shop representing the latest surfboard products where you can get a good review of top of the line surfboard types and designs. You can talk with Chuck to discuss in detail the various options for you to ensure that you select the proper surfboard that will bring you surfing fun and success.

Chuck believes that surfing, whether it be bodysurfing, boogie boarding, board surfing, skimboarding or riding a Standup Paddleboard (SUP) will change your life forever. You will be able to apply the love you will obtain from surfing to everything you do and will learn how to Surf Life! What a joy!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chuck_Herpick/1477936

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Concrete Vs. Asphalt: Which Is the Best for Your Driveways?

When it comes to driveways, making people go with either concrete or asphalt as their preferred paving material. They have their own merits and demerits and are very suitable for construction. But which is the best material to be used in building driveways? Let us discuss about the pros, cons and materialistic properties of each of these materials to find out about that. Use our concrete price calculator Perth to get an estimated amount of concrete for your next project.

Appearance and Design Options

Concrete has lots of decorative options and designing prospects compared to asphalt. It can be stained or tinted with various colors to form unique and colorful patterns. Similarly, it can also be stamped into different designs. On top of this, one can easily give different kinds of finishes to a concrete.

On the other hand, asphalt has no decorative options like concrete. It just comes in standard black color. As it has to be rolled and compressed to make the surface even, there is not any way to give it unique finishes like concrete.

Weathering and Climate Compatibility

Weather is an important factor in deciding whether to choose asphalt or concrete for your driveways.

In Hotter Climatic Regions: Concrete driveways are more suitable in the regions where the weather tends to be much hotter than asphalt driveways. Driveways constructed using asphalt, are prone to cracks and grooves because the tar softens in hot temperatures quite easily.

In Colder Climatic Regions: Asphalt driveways are more suitable in this type of weather than concrete driveways. Cracks are easily formed in driveways made from concrete due to frost heave. Similarly, the salt used on roads to combat ice and snow also affects concrete negatively while on the other hand, asphalt is resistant to salt. As asphalt is dark in color, it can readily absorb heat from the sun which makes the melting of ice even faster.

Potholes and Root Growth: Concrete are more resistant to potholes and roots compared to asphalt due to their rigidity and hardness.

Changing climates: In some regions where the weather is frequent changing, concrete can be a better option compared to asphalt for driveways. This is because the edges of concrete driveways can stand up against weathering better than that of asphalt driveways.

Maintenance and Repairing

Sealing: Asphalt driveways needs to be sealed after about 8 months of their installation because they will be still soft during that time. After the first sealing, it requires to be sealed again every 4 to 5 years. In the case of concrete driveways, if they are sealed once then they do not need to be sealed for about 50 years.

Stains: Stains in concrete driveways are easily visible because of their light coloring while asphalt does not get stained as easily as concrete. However, sealing can help in reducing staining too.

Cracks: Weathering and aging will infect crack on both concrete and asphalt driveways. However, cracks on asphalt are easier to mend than the cracks on concrete. On top of that, maintenance fee is quite minimal in asphalt than in concrete.

Lifespan

The lifespan of the driveway really depend on the climatic conditions of the place and the foundation structure of the driveway itself. However, generally speaking, concrete driveways can last for more years than that of asphalt if maintained properly.

Price

Constructing asphalt driveways is much more economical than constructing concrete driveways. Your average asphalt driveways usually costs about $3 to $4 per square foot while for concrete driveways can cost from $10 to $15 per square foot. However, the prices might vary a little from state to state.

After reading this, if you think that your driveway should be of made from concrete then remember our concrete contractors in Houston, Texas to construct or renovate your driveways. Check our website for more information: [http://www.nutechconcrete.com/]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nathan_Wave/1832957

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How To Catch More Waves and Get Surf Fit Fast

Point One: Surfing is Your Best Surfing Training.

Surfing is a unique sport that challenges our minds and body’s in many diverse ways each time we paddle out. The fact that mother nature doesn’t provide us with a perfect play and practice environment whenever we surf and forces us to battle with wind, wave chops, swell direction, tides, currents, water temperature, flat spells, seasons, and a moving playing field, means that the more time spent in the water (within reason) the better progressions we can make with our surfing skills and abilities. The Surfcomp app has been created for surfing competition event management.

This fundamentally means that to get better at surfing requires that your base training, be surfing. Paddling out in a variety of surf spots, practicing skills on different boards and learning to read the ocean should be priority in your surfing training. But and this is a very big but, get ready for point two.

Point Two: Strength Training is Very Important

Conditioning with correct land and water based strength movements, exercises and drills can excel a surfers performance, reduce the likelihood of injury, enhance endurance and increase performance consistency every time you surf. This is especially true if you wish to surf well both now and in the future. The thing is, there is a fine line between doing what is beneficial and what is not. There is also a fine line between balancing time spent on your board and time spent performing surf specific fitness to bring about the best and fastest results.

Let me explain. World class coaches consider time as one of the most important training variables to consider whenever they prescribe sport conditioning programs. Time under tension is a strength and conditioning variable that dictates the outcome of any exercise or movement, therefore extremely relevant to every repetition and every set during your training. Coaches also consider total training time for each individual and each workout, while also taking into account the law of diminishing returns. In the training world this translates to mean that the longer you strength train at any one time then the lower the output or results you can achieve.

For surfing training and conditioning this often further translates into a basic truth we all tend to forget. Less is more. Especially in today’s modern world where we are often time starved to surf train in the first place. In order to improve explosiveness and power (speed x strength) at the same time as developing paddling power and endurance, while also building a strong and supple surfing body, it is of paramount importance we play particular attention to time under tension and total training times. Put simply, spend your time wisely when performing surfing strength conditioning so that you get the most bang for your buck.

Point Three: Focus on Building a Functional Athletic Body

It doesn’t matter if your a complete novice just getting your feet wet or a seasoned pro on the world tour, having a functional surfing body will always equate to better performance in the water. A functional surfing body means good physical alignment and structural integrity which is why so many athletes focus on posture and incorporate things like yoga and dynamic flexibility into their routines. Remember, good surfers are good athletes. Period. Great surfers must therefore be great athletes. People tend to forget this obvious fact. It’s a pretty simple concept. Why should surfers be any different from other athletes?

Point Four: Train don’t Drain.

In most cases this means short, sharp, surf specific workouts are better than longer draining sessions. ‘Train don’t Drain’ is another well know conditioning phrase that expert coaches throw around because it is all too common for exercisers to follow over zealous training programs that lead to energy depletion rather than energy cultivation. This is particularly relevant to surfers who need to be ready to perform at anytime.

You see strength and conditioning is one of the best things to quickly improve your surfing performance yet can hamper your goals if training parameters or movements are not specific to your sport, body and lifestyle. Why do you think professional athletes have coaches? We are not the same and every exercise or training methodology is not suitable for every athlete.

Point Five: Paddle Out as an Athlete

If you want to achieve fast surfing fitness combined with a more powerful surfing body develop an athletic mind set each time you paddle out. This means focusing on improving your surf game every time you surf. Work on your paddling speed whenever you paddle, focus on repeating specific movements you want to master even if it means falling. Most of all it means practicing getting into the right mental mindset prior to surfing and maintaining that mind set in the water.

There are many surfing athletes in the water with high skill levels all wanting to catch the same waves that you are paddling for. Many of them have focused on both land and water based surfing training and like most athletes will have performed most of the hard work prior to entering the water or competition. They may have worked on surf specific fitness in a pool, they could have worked on improving flexibility with weekly yoga classes or they could be hitting the gym with a surf trainer so that they can surf hard when they get to the beach. Either way you look at it, if the athletic conditioning work has been done all ready, you just have to paddle out and surf.

Hayden Rhodes has coached professional and amateur athletes improve their minds and bodies through private coaching, scientific C.H.E.K. personal training protocols, functional diagnostic testing, hormonal balancing, nutritional coaching and performance conditioning principles.

If you are a complete novice just getting your feet wet or a seasoned professional surfer (or anywhere in between) there are always training secrets and strategies to improve your personal performance and your surfing body. To find out more simply visit SurfTrainingSecrets.com

For a free 5 day coaching guide with insider secrets to boost your own surfing performance head over to the website SurfTrainingSecrets.com

If you have questions or comments simply drop me a line, so that I can personally help you improve your surfing body and surfing performance.

SurfTrainingSecrets.com

Powering Surfing Athletes

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How Important Is Physical Fitness For Surfing?

Surfing is fun and is supposed to be fun. It is a great sport. However, if you are not in good physical condition, you will end up disappointed and not have fun. First off, if you are not in good shape for paddling, you will have a difficult time paddling your surfboard out through the incoming waves to get out to the spot where you can start catching waves. The paddle out to the best spot in the lineup to catch waves can be anywhere from fifty yards to four hundred yards. If you are exhausted when you get out in the lineup, you will have to spend good surfing time resting instead of catching waves. Chances are you might not even make it out there. See and watch wsl live on your mobile apps then access the live results in each category.

Some of you will be so out of shape that you will not be able to get through the incoming surf and will be forced to turn around and go back to the beach where you started. That doesn’t sound like a successful fun day of surfing.

I was once told that “couch potatoes don’t make it in surfing”. That really makes sense. This probably applies more to part time surfers because many surfers surf all year around. However, even the year around surfers have to stay in training to realize their maximum potential for a good surfing experience every time they go out.

Surfers need to stay motivated and keep themselves in good physical condition because you know that when the good surf comes you will be ready. What this means is that when there are days and sometimes weeks with no surf, you need to stay in the gym lifting weights, stretching, working on their core muscles and doing your cardiovascular training.

One good way to stay in good physical condition is to have a workout partner. Ideally your workout partner will be one of your surfing buddies and you will be able to motivate each other. If you get bored with the gym, go to the nearest body of water and go paddling and go running. This will keep your shoulders and cardiovascular system in shape as long as you spend at least a half hour of strenuous paddling on your surfboard, paddleboard or SUP. Don’t take the easy way out. Stay disciplined.

I think that you should all find something that gives you the inspiration to keep in shape so that when the good waves arrive you will be ready. Personally, my inspiration is thinking about getting in the water with good waves to surf and then surfing like a champion. For some of you, your inspiration could be the motivation of competition with your surf buddies and your desire to be better than they are. For others of you, you get your inspiration from watching surf movies and imagining that you are riding the waves. Then there are others who just want to make sure that they are in good physical condition and that’s what they do, they stay in good condition all year around.

Another very important aspect for your surfing success is the food you eat and the sleep you get. Good food and lots of sleep are a must. Healthy eating will make sure that you keep your weight under control, keeping the fat down and your muscles in good shape. Eight hours of sleep is recommended to give your body a chance to recover from the prior days activities and prepare you for the next day of hopefully good surf. You need these two items to insure that you are in good physical condition for your surfing fun and success.

One simple recommendation I will give you is to eliminate sugar, processed foods and wheat from your daily intake of food. Physically, you can do chest and shoulder exercises along with setups and cardio.

Be aware that your physical condition is a very important part, if not the most important part, of surfing. If you ignore staying in shape, you will not enjoy one of the best sports in the world. It will become drudgery and you will eventually gravitate back to the couch or some other activity that is nowhere near the fun you would have if you were surfing.

No matter what sport you take up, you have to be in good physical condition. Another thing is that you also have to be in good mental condition. If you know that you are going to surf and you are going to be exhausted from paddling before you surf, your mental approach to surfing will be bad. You need to be excited every time you surf. Being in good physical condition, having good waves to surf, and having a good mental attitude will make your surfing session a fantastic experience. You will be stoked!

There are a couple other things that need to be addressed that have to do with your physical conditioning. They are stretching and hydration. You need to be limber and all stretched out. It is important that you stretch your whole body every day, especially before you go surfing.

Keeping your body hydrated is also very important. Your body is approximately 66% water. You have to keep the water level up. It is very important that you drink lots of water every day. It keeps your whole body including your brain in good shape. Forget the cokes, alcohol and caffeine and stick with lots of water.

The last part of the puzzle is having proper equipment. If you spend the time getting yourself in good physical condition, then it makes sense that you should have the proper surfboard type and design to perform at your top level. It takes a strong commitment from you to get in shape, so make a commitment to getting yourself the proper surfing equipment.

Surfing is supposed to be fun. Get yourself in great physical condition and go do it! Take this enjoyment you will get from surfing and apply it to your everyday life. Always remember to Surf Life!

Oak Street Surf, [http://www.oakstreetsurf.com], is an online surf shop representing the latest surfboard products. Log in and get a good review of top of the line surfboard types and designs including bodyboards, skimboards, SUPs and custom longboards and shortboards.

You can talk with Chuck to discuss in detail the various options for you to ensure that you select the proper surfboard type and design that will bring you surfing fun and success. He is also a physical conditioning expert and can help you with your physical conditioning program for surfing.

Chuck believes that surfing, whether it is bodysurfing, boogie boarding, board surfing, skimboarding or riding a Standup Paddleboard (SUP) will change your life forever. You will be able to apply the love you will obtain from surfing to everything you do and will learn how to Surf Life! What a joy!!

Visit Oak Street Surf at [http://www.oakstreetsurf.com], the one-stop online surfboard and surfing equipment store, to find out more about surfboards, surfing, Standup Paddleboards, and what types and designs of water sports products are available. You will be able to talk to the experts with over 70 years of surfing experience.

Visit the site now!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Chuck_Herpick/1477936

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