Ground Cover Plant Selection

Ground cover plants are low-growing plants that easily spread over a variety of areas. These plants form a dense covering and are useful to limit weeds and prevent soil erosion. Grass is a common ground cover but it doesn’t always suit the location. There’s a lot of plants to choose from but this post will focus on several popular options, and provide general information about each.

Full Sun Ground Cover

Creeping Juniper is a woody evergreen that can grow 12 – 18 inches tall. This plant has wide spreading branches with blue-green, needle-like leaves that can take on a purple hue in colder weather. This plant does well in full sun, dry soil and withstands heat very well without much maintenance. Wiltonii (Blue Rug) is a popular Creeping Juniper variety that stays under 6″ tall. Unfortunately, Creeping Juniper doesn’t have much of a bloom to speak of.

Shady Ground Cover

Pachysandra is another evergreen ground cover. This plant grows to about 12 inches tall with glossy, purple-tinted foliage in spring, turning bright green in summer. Pachysandra may take a yellow-green color when planted in sunny locations as it’s best suited for shaded landscapes. Pachysandra should be placed in moist, well-drained soil. It has a white blossom that will appear in April – May. The Japanese Spurg is the most common variety which can spread fast.

Sun or Shade Ground Cover

Carex Divulsa is a very hardy ground cover grass. This tough plant looks great in either sun or shade and will thrive in areas under stress. It’s a good choice for areas with foot traffic or a dog yard. Carex Divulsa can grow to about 24 inches tall and wide and grows in clumps.

Invasive Ground Cover

English Ivy is considered a moderately invasive ground cover. That means it’ll spread somewhat aggressively, even to areas you may not have intended. English Ivy is a creeping vine that forms a dense mat. It thrives in shaded areas where grass may not. It can climb wall, trees and buildings, even damaging the structure. But English Ivy also has some great characteristics too. Studies have shown that English Ivy can help eliminate allergens like mold. Even after a few hours it clears up a majority of a few air-borne allergens around it. Here’s an article for more details.

Kreg Jig Giveaway Reminder

Here is a last minute reminder about our current giveaway. This month we are giving away a Kreg K4 Pocket Hole System. All you have to do is leave a comment or subscribe to our email feed. Better yet, do both for the most chances to win. Contest ends tonight at 11:59pm, EST.

What do you think? What kind of ground cover do you have?
Image courtesy of Carl E Lewis

Factory-Reconditioned Tools | Refurbished Tools

If you’re looking for factory reconditioned (refurbished) tools, you’re reading at the right place. Most of the major tool manufacturers sell reconditioned tools through a few online retailers, and we’ve collected a comprehensive list below.

What Are Reconditioned / Refurbished Tools?

Reconditioned tools have been returned to the manufacturer for repair after either a defect or user mis-handling.  The manufacturer restores the tool to factory specifications, and then sells the tool through online venues (as opposed to restocking them in Home Depot).  The benefit for the consumer: most reconditioned tools are 30-60% off retail prices and still include factory warranties.  As a bonus, most of the these stores don’t charge sales tax.  For large purchases, shipping is usually thrown in for free, making refurbished the preferred way to purchase tools.

Multi-Brand Reconditioned Tool Stores

Amazon.com – The ubiquitous online retailer.  Amazon carries a decent selection of reconditioned tools and offers favorable shipping and sales tax policies in most locales.  The key to finding reconditioned tools on amazon is to use the keyword “reconditioned” in your search.

ToolKing.com – Quickly becoming the internet’s largest independent tool company.  ToolKing works directly with manufacturers to resell their products online.

And here’s the complete list of CPO-brand stores that usually carry factory reconditioned tools:

CPO Factory Reconditioned Outlets (in Alphabetical Order)

Bostich & Stanley Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Bostitch features many of the most popular Stanley Bostitch tools, including Bostitch’s very popular compressor and three nailer kit (finish nailer, crown stapler, and brad nailer). CPO Bostitch also sells fasteners.

Bosch Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Bosch features many of their most popular tools, including table saws, sliding mitre saws, drills, and more. CPO Bosch also sells refurbished versions of Bosch Tankless Water Heaters.

Campbell Hausfield Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Campbell Hausfield features a whole selection of compressors and air powered tools, including their extensive pressure washer collection.

Delta Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Delta features the most popular Delta tools, including Delta’s widely-recognized table saws.  Unfortunately, Delta table saws are rarely available in a reconditioned state, and thus selection is limited.

DeWALT Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO DeWALT lists all the major DeWALT tools, including the full line of DeWALT drill drivers, corded and battery-operated tools, table saws, circular saws, and more.

Dremel Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Dremel ostensibly sells refurbished Dremel equipment.  Unfortunately, they don’t have a great deal of reconditioned inventory.  (Dremel tools must be unusually reliable).

HomeLite Factory Reconditioned Outlet

Looking for a refurbished leaf blower, hedge trimmer, or other outdoor equipment, CPO Homelite has you covered, with 20-40% discounts on all the popular Homelite models.

Electrolux Factory Reconditioned Outlet

Vacuums aren’t tools in the traditional sense, but we simply can’t pass up sharing these deals from CPO Electrolux.  Most of the vacuumes are between 30-50% off refurb.

Metabo Factory Reconditioned Outlet

Reconditioned saves you 20-40% at CPO Metabo.  They feature the full line of Metabo tools, including angled grinders, and Ni-Cad-battery powered tools.

Makita Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Makita delivers a boatload of refurbished Makita tools at up to 70% off (including a heavily discounted 5/8″ hammer drill that we nearly purchased writing this post.

Milwaukee Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Milwaukee delivers a wide range of Milwaukee products (drill drivers, saws, etc).  Topping the list of unusual products for these stores are Milwaukee’s refurbished generators. 

Jet Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Jet includes the full line of Jet benchtop and woodworking products.  Unfortunately, CPO Jet doesn’t frequently get reconditioned models.

Karcher Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Karcher delivers big in the pressure washer category.  CPO Karcher features both mid and high-pressure systems at 30-40% off retail.

Porter Cable Factory Reconditioned Outlet

Had we compiled this list in order of favorites, CPO Porter Cable would have been close to the top.  We love Porter Cable’s three nailer compressor combo kit, and CPO Porter Cable offers that and more.

Rigid Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Rigid offers nearly the complete line of Rigid power tool products (although notably absent was their shop vacs).  Tools include nailers, staplers, drill drivers, grinders, and more.

Ryobi Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Ryobi has most of the popular Ryobi tool kits.  They offer a pretty extensive set of reconditioned lithium-powered tools that make the site very appealing.

Senco Factory Reconditioned Outlet

CPO Senco includes an easy-to-navigate factory-reconditioned tools section that we like.  CPO Senco sells refurb coil nailers, framing nailers, and more.

Skil Factory Reconditioned Outlet

Last but not least, CPO Skil includes a comprehensive collection of Skil refurbished tools, including factory reconditioned power wrenches, and Skil’s wormdrive skilsaw.

What to Expect from Refurbished Tools

As we’ve written extensively about in the past, buying reconditioned tools does have some risk.  However, given that most refurbished tools bear a full factory-reconditioned warranty, we think it makes a lot of sense to buy reconditioned.

What do you think?  Do you own reconditioned tools?  Let us know about your experience and whether this list helped you out in the comments section.

Multi-room Audio and Ultra-Cool Remote with an iPhone or iPod Touch, Airport Express & iTunes

Imagine sitting in your living room, on your deck, or even in your bathroom with a remote control that gives you total control of music throughout your house.  Not only does this remote control which song is playing, how loud, and through which speakers, it also downloads metadata about your entire music collection, allows you to see what’s currently playing and what’s coming next, build playlists, and even view album covers. How about if the whole thing integrates with your iTunes collection and the remote doubles as an internet browser, portable .MP3 player, and even a mobile phone?  Think it’s too good to be true?  

It isn’t. Apple’s latest set of gadgets (with which we’ve recently become enamored) work together to create this awesome multi-room audio capability. We’re in the process of setting it up for our patio and master bedroom, with very positive initial results (review to come later).  Here’s how it works:

iTunes Houses Your Audio Collection

The anchor of the system is the iTunes application installed on any suitable computer (Apple or PC) connected to a wireless home network.  If you or your kids have Apple’s popular iPod, you’re probably already familiar with iTunes. If not, don’t worry; iTunes is a free download from Apple.  The application allows you to purchase many popular songs for $.99 each, and will let you read in and store your CD collection – organizing all of your music into a one-stop-shop, the equivalent of the modern-day jukebox.  iTunes also features online radio stations and often includes free music from up-and-coming artists.

An iPhone or iPod Touch Serves as the Remote

To remote control your iTunes application, you’ll need an iPhone or an iPod Touch (official sites) and the Apple Remote Application (official site) available for download for free at that link and in the App store on your device.  Connect your iPhone or Touch to your local wireless network, and follow the instructions in the Remote Application to couple your computer’s iTunes application with the Remote.  (Setup is simple, and requires only 2-3 steps).

Once the application and the Remote are coupled, your complete audio collection will be visible on the device. Virtually all the features available on  iTunes for manipulating audio on your computer are now available on the phone.  Press play on the Remote, and your computer will start playing music. Turn the volume up/down on the Remote and you can watch the volume slider on your computer move in tandem.  

Got two or more iPhones or Touches? No sweat.  iTunes supports multiple, simultaneous remotes controlling the same device.

Yeah, it’s pretty cool….

But, unless your computer is right next to your speakers, it’s not really that useful to have a remote that controls your computer.

Airport Express(es) Take the Music to Your Speakers Wirelessly

Enter the Apple Airport Express (official site).  This nifty little device plugs into the wall and serves only 3 purposes.  The airport express can:

1. Create, join, or extend a wireless network–it can do all three and includes an ethernet jack on the bottom if it serves as the original access point.
2. Provide shared network access to a USB printer (via a USB port on the bottom and Bonjour software on your PC/Mac).
3. Receive a digital iTunes audio signal across the network  and output digital or analog audio (via an optical-capable headphone jack on the bottom) to powered speakers or a traditional audio receiver.

Multiple Airport Express units can be connected to your network to provide separate zones for your audio.  You can turn the zones on and off from iTunes on your PC, or from the iPhone / Touch Remote application.

The Result?

An upper-class audio system that rivals even the best of competitors, delivered with a boatload of additional features at a middle-class price.

Exceptionally Cool Features Summary

So, are you excited to tell your friends about this totally cool setup?  Here’s the highlights:

• iPhone / iPod Touch serves as a Remote for your iTunes Collection on your Mac/PC.
• The Remote App downloads all the data about the iTunes collection onto your iPhone / Touch, including album covers.
• Remote controls everything you’d want to control: playback, volume, search, create playlists, and more.
• Airport Express(es) plug into the wall and join your wireless network, then stream audio from iTunes to any location in your home.
• Remote controls which Airport Expresses are active at any given time, giving you total control over multiple audio “zones” in your house.
• iPhone / Touch Remote & Airport Express devices work anywhere in range of your wireless network.  Airport Expresses extend your wireless network if you are on a compatible network (e.g., an Airport Extreme-based network).

Where to Buy & How Much?

Many people (we included) already owned some of these components.  Here’s the breakdown if you’re starting from scratch, with links to Amazon for everything that isn’t free.  (Amazon ships all of this for free, doesn’t charge sales tax in most places, and sometimes has sales on these items).

• iTunes – Free download from Apple.
• Remote Application - Free download from Apple (also availlable via the App Store on your iPhone / Touch).
• iPod Touch – about $220 from Amazon; or iPhone – starts at $199 with a 2 year commitment to AT&T Service.
• Airport Express – $99 from Amazon.
• Powered speakers or receiver & speaker setup.  Prices vary.  Here’s a bunch of powered speakers available on Amazon to get you started…

If you’re running audio from the Airport Express to a typical receiver, you’ll also need this headphone jack-to-RCA cable to pipe the sound from the airport express to the receiver.  If you really want to get fancy and your receiver supports it, you can substitute the RCA-style cable for this mini-TOSlink to TOSLink optical cable (which the airport express also supports and may provide better sound quality).

What do you think?  Have you tried Apple’s audio solution?

Fix a Jammed Hardwood Flooring Nailer (Drive Blade Replacement)

I was so close to finishing phase 1 of the floor install when disaster struck. A jammed cleat put my hardwood flooring nailer (a cleat nailer, similar to a toe nailer) out of commission. I fired it just like before but a cleat (big ol’ staple) broke and deformed the drive blade. Here’s what happened:

A Broken Drive Blade

I lined up the nailer just like I had 100 times before. I hit the hammer face and the compressor kicked on. After a closer look, I could see the cleat hadn’t gone in completely AND one of the cleat legs was missing. It was still in the cleat nailer! I disassembled the nailer and removed the leg but the damage was done, the drive blade was deformed.

The drive blade is a long, flat blade that drives a cleat (or nail) into the wood. When you strike the hammer face, the compressed air powers the drive blade down, forcing the nail into the wood. The broken cleat created a jagged edge on one side of the drive blade and it wouldn’t retract.

Necessary Tools

For this project I highly recommend a magnetic screw driver with exchangeable tips. Amazon sells a great ratcheting screw driver with 100 different bits for only $14.99. I also used my ever trusty, grinder to reshape the drive blade. Or, you can just swap the blade out for a new one.

How to Disassemble a Floor Nailer

These steps will cover how to disassemble a cleat nailer (Central Pneumatic, model 97586-2VGA) to gain access to the drive blade. Be careful whenever working with air tools. A misfired nail is very dangerous.

Step 1: Disconnect the nailer from the compressor. Remove any nails or staples loaded in the magazine.

Step 2: Turn the nailer upside-down. You’ll see several hex head screws securing a protective cover and the drive blade guide. The arrow shows where the cleat exits the nailer. The circles indicate hex screws. Remove these screws and set them aside. Write down or remember each screw location. See picture 1.

Step 3: Next, you’ll see three more hex screws. These screws hold the nail/cleat magazine in place. You can see the spring which loads the next cleat. Remove these screws. See picture 2

Step 4: The spacer is a smooth piece of plastic (not pictured) located on the front, bottom of the nailer. Two more hex screws are behind the spacer. Use the angled holes to remove these screws. These are the last screws to remove. See picture 3.

Step 5: Now that everything is unscrewed, several pieces will come apart. Remove these taking care to avoid the drive blade.

At this point I used my trusty grinder to reshape the jagged edge of the drive blade. I looked into ordering a new drive blade. It was only about $10 but would take 6 – 8 weeks to arrive. I decided to reshape the blade and hope for the best.

I reassembled everything and oiled the nailer. All air tools should be oiled on a regular basis. It’s cheap, easy and quick so there really isn’t any excuse. I added around 4 drops of Air Tool Lubricant (available from Amazon) to the air plug and manually pumped the mechanism. Next I connected the nailer to a compressor and tried it without any cleats. Everything worked! And I was back to getting my floor done.

What do you think? Was this article helpful?

iFloor Bankruptcy Yields Major Wood Floor Discounts at Lumber Liquidators

Here’s a sweet deal if you’ve been holding off on wood flooring:

iFloor.com was the latest victim of the economic downturn, and just auctioned off more than 1.8 million sq. ft. of their inventory which Lumber Liquidators decided to purchase.  

LL is holding an iFloor Bankruptcy Sale to liquidate the flooring this weekend only.  We checked out the sale and it’s very tempting if they have the flooring you’ve been eyeing up.  For instance, 3/4″ by 5″ Bellawood Brazilian Cherry is only $4.99/sq. ft.  That’s the price that the 3/4 by 2-3/4 boards normally run, and about $1-2 off their usual low price.  There’s a bunch of other good deals as well. You must purchase online and the deals only go through Sunday.  Here’s the link:

Let us know if you decide to pick something up from the sale!

Refinance with High Combined LTV Ratio

In keeping with the refinance theme…. I’m still trying to refinance my mortgage. My most recent obstacle is a poor Loan-to-Value (LTV) ratio. With the failing economy, my home is worth about 10K – 15K less than when we purchased. That ups my combined LTV ratio to about 90%! But, I spoke with a different loan officer today and am optimistic about still being able to take advantage of the amazing interest rates.

My Mortgage

Here is a quick summary of my current mortgage scenario. Jocie and I purchased our lovely townhouse about three years ago. We couldn’t put 20% down but wanted to avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). So we broke the mortgage down into two loans. The primary loan is a 30 year fixed for the bulk of the mortgage with an interest rate of 6.125%. The secondary loan is a 15 year fixed for a smaller portion with a higher interest rate of 8.125%.

Refinance and Subordinate

Here’s the game plan so far. Refinance the primary loan and leave the second loan as is. With such a high combined LTV ratio it’s really tough to find a lender who will assume the risk of both loans. Focusing on the primary loan makes it more appealing for lenders and allows me to go through with the refi. It’s not the best situation as I’ll take a slightly higher rate (about 5%) because of the second loan, but I avoid PMI and will save money in the long run. The only catch is that the secondary lender needs to agree to subordinate their loan.

What Does it Mean to Subordinate a Home Loan?

Think of my two loans as a pecking order for taking over my home. If I default on my payments, the primary loan gets priority. If I pay off the first loan, the secondary loan moves up in line.

Refinancing basically means paying off one loan and starting a new one. So for the current plan to work, the secondary loan would have to agree to remain subordinate (maintain lien position) while a new primary loan was created. This request has to take place because the both lenders agreed to loan money under a specific set of conditions. Since I’m trying to change these conditions, they have to reassess my ability to repay their loan.

The secondary lender is likely to agree since their loan doesn’t change and a better primary loan interest rate means I’ll likely be better able to pay everyone involved. Most lenders require a fee to cover the cost of reviewing the request. But again,  I have to think long term.

What do you think? Ever request subordination of a loan? How’s your refi going?
Image courtesy of woodleywonderworks

When Good Faith Estimates Don’t Reflect True Closing Costs

Kim and I closed our refinance on Monday night.  The terms: 5% fixed for 30 years; no points, no origination fee, $575 lender fee.  The new loan combines the principal balances of the mortgages on our primary residence and rental property (but will only be secured by our primary residence).

Unfortunately, everything didn’t go off perfectly.  The HUD-1 form at closing (the standard closing statement) differed from our Good Faith Estimate by about $700.  After review, $300 of these charges were related to increases in escrow amounts, $100 in charges were due to underestimated title exam fees, and a whopping $300 in charges were for MD State Recordation Stamps (a .5% tax).  The $300 in stamps was required because we increased the loan amounton our primary residence by nearly $60,000 to cover the mortgage on our rental.  Since we aren’t technically refinancing our townhome mortgage (we’re doing that in a separate transaction), we had to pay the recordation tax on the extra $60,000.

The $300 in additional escrow is relatively unimportant to us.  In MD, we receive interest on our escrow accounts that meets/exceeds the interest on standard savings accounts.  So, aside from losing access to the money temporarily, escrow isn’t that bad of an investment.  While I wasn’t happy to fork over an additional $100 for title fees, the difference in the estimate was less than 10% of title costs and was likely an oversight on the part of the title company when they reported costs to our lender.  

But, the $300 in recordation taxes should have been caught by the lender.  I think the reason they weren’t caught is because we changed the loan several times before deciding to draw funds to cover the rental property.

Dealing with Good Faith Estimate Errors

The options for dealing with errors in the GFE that materialize at settlement are pretty straightforward:

• Live with it.  Remember, the Good Faith Estimate is just what it’s called: an estimate.  There will likely be changes at settlement, especially for taxes and fees that aren’t controlled by the lender.  In many cases, it makes sense just to live with the changes.  In our case, $400 represented about a 3 month payback period on the new loan.  We didn’t think the lender was being deliberately deceitful, so we opted to close anyway.
• Walk away (at least for today).  Until you close, you can always walk away from the deal.  If the settlement sheet includes a different rate, or different lender terms than your Good Faith Estimate, we think this is the best option.  Call your lender on the phone.  Ask them to explain the difference and to revise the settlement documents.  Think about contacting a new lender.
• Go to the Government.  In most cases, this option is more of a pain than its worth.  You can contact your state financial regulatory agency and let them know of the situation.  This could result in disciplinary action against the lender, but isn’t likely to help you with your immediate situation.
• Go to the Media.  Again, this is probably more trouble than its worth.  (Even if the local news station reports on the issue, it is unlikely to get substantial positive action from the lender.  At best, it will make others more aware of the business dealings of the lender.
• Blog About It.  Let your voice be heard online!  (That’s what we’re doing…)  If you don’t have a blog and the situation merits it, you could report the lender to an online advocacy site like ripoffreport.com.

What do you think?  Have you encountered errors in the closing process?  What did you do about them?

Drobo to Backup your Computer / Data

I recently had a Western Digital (WD) external hard drive fail. I was using it at work to provide additional storage space and it was a major hit when the drive quit working. I tried a number of things to get my data off but to no avail. A third party company said it would cost between $400 – $2000 to recover my data depending on the difficulty. I took it as a wake-up call that I needed to make backups of all the data that feel is important.

Tips for Getting Data Off Failing Hard Drives

People come to me once in a while to ask for help getting data off hard drives that have gone bad. Usually it’s a broken thumb drive. Here are a few things (in no particular order) to try but nothing works all the time.

• Bad Pin Connection – Sometimes the pins aren’t physically making a good connection. Try plugging it in repeatedly. You might get lucky.
• Broken Wire – The wires connecting the pins are another culprit. Open the shell and look for broken wires. Re-solder them to establish a connection.
• Recovery Software – You can run software that will identify bad sectors and attempt to repair them or other software that will attempt to retrieve the data. I’ve had mild success with Data Recovery II. When you purchase a computer, they’ll sometimes include diagnostic disks too. Run the scans and see what they tell you.
• Different Cables – Use a different cable. Sometime the drive is fine but you’ve got a bad cable. Many hard drives have more than one connection type. Try them all.
• Different Computer – Try the drive with another computer. Linux operating systems handle hard drive errors differently than Mac or PC’s. If you have Linux available, try it out.

Drobo DR04DD10 For Redundant Storage

I was never a huge fan of the WD drive. It had some problematic drivers (for my Mac) and it was nothing more than a chunk of extra space. My father-in-law has had a Drobo for some time so I decided to check them out. I started at the official Drobo site and was immediately impressed.

A Drobo is basically a really nice (easy to use) storage and backup system. You slide in a few hard drives, pick a few settings, and you’re ready to go. Here’s how I set mine up.

• FireWire 800 – The Drobo allows FireWire 800 and USB 2.0. I use the FireWire 800 for speed but it’s nice to have options.
• Hard drive slots – A Drobo has 4 hard drive bays to insert 3.5″ SATA drives. I put in 3, 1TB SATA hard drives. The fourth slot is empty so if I ever need to expand, it’s just adding another drive.
• Automatic Backup – You can select Drobo to automatically set aside space and make a backup of itself. Or, if you like to live on the edge, use everything for additional storage.

Other Great Drobo Features

• Easy Upgrade – Adding a hard drive is so easy. Just slide one into a free slot or replace a smaller drive. You can mix ‘n match hard drive makes, models, and sizes.
• Drive Health Monitor – Drobo will monitor the health of the drives and let you know when a drive is full, and when a drive needs to be replaced.
• Redundant Storage – Drobo will automatically backup your data. This means swapping out a failed hard drive is no big deal. Your data is safe.
• Quiet – The Drobo is super quiet. Sometimes I put my ear next to it see if the fans are going.
• Multiple Operating Systems – Drobo works with Mac, Window, and Linux plus, all the associated file systems.

Complaints about Drobo

I only have two general complaints about the Drobo. First, they are not cheap. I guess you have to pay for good hardware and Drobo is no exception. Second, you have to purchase hard drives separately. It’s nice to be able to pick and choose your drives, but it’s another thing to purchase.

Where to Buy A Drobo

Amazon has an amazing price for the Drobo: $359.99!! I’ll confess that I’m a little bummed because I paid more. But right now, Amazon has a discount and free rebate. To make it even better, the Drobo ships free too! If you’re in the market for a Drobo, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better price. Here’s the link:

• Data Robotics DR04DD10 Drobo

What do you think? When was the last time you backed up your computer?

When to Spread Crabgrass Preventer (a Preemergent Herbicide)

Crabgrass is one of the most common annual grass weeds in North America–and one that is particularly common here in our little subdivision of Baltimore County, MD. Crabgrass grows from a single seed and shoots out wide blades of grass in the shape of a star.  The plant grows very rapidly, moving from seedling to full plant in 14 days.  OK State University has a great picture of crabgrass here if you’re looking to identify it.

The term annual grass weeds refers to the whole set of weeds that occur annually in lawns. These weeds germinate in the soil in early Spring/Summer, grow, spread, and drop seeds during hot Summer weather, and die off in the frosts of early Winter. Each year, no living crabgrass remains in the lawn, only ungerminated seeds lying on the surface and just beneath the surface of the soil. 

How to Control Crabgrass

Nature gives us a short window to stop crabgrass before it starts.  In early Spring, before the new seeds germinate, a preemergent herbicide can be applied to the soil.  Preemergent herbicides (called preemergents for short) prevent crabgrass seeds from germinating into the full plants. The result: less crabgrass grows during the season.  And, since less crabgrass grows, there are fewer plants dropping seeds for the next cycle. With consistent application of preemergents, along with other grass care, crabgrass can be virtually eliminated from a lawn.  This gives way for the healthy, rich turf we all dream of.

When to Apply Crabgrass Preventer

Crabgrass seeds germinate in the early Spring when the temperature of the surface soil rises into the 50s and 60s.  Once the seeds germinate, the opportunity for prevention is passed.  So, applying the preemergent early is key.  Scotts Turfbuilder with Halts Crabgrass Preventer (our preemergent of choice this year because that’s what was available at the big box) recommends spreading the preemergent before the days are regularly in the 80s.  We think that’s much too late.  Once the days are regularly in the 60s and 70s, the seeds will be germinating and sprouting small plants.  Instead, apply preemergents very early in the season, while the temperatures are still in the 50s.  In Baltimore County, MD, this means spreading the preventer before April 1.  

Scotts crabgrass preventer can be applied only twice per year, once in the early Spring and again in the late Summer if desired.  The limitation has more to do with the Turfbuilder nutrients in the product rather than the crabgrass preventer.  A product that only contains the herbicide could be applied more frequently.  That said, we think it makes sense to spread preemergent only in the early Spring, while focusing on building up the cultured turf for the rest of the year.

Don’t Plant Grass Seed | Avoid Garden Areas

Because preemergents prevent seed germination, they should be carefully applied so as to avoid garden and other new growth areas.  You should also avoid planting any type of grass seed within 3-6 months after applying preemergent.  In other words, plan to plant new turf only in the Autumn.

Other Considerations / Instructions

• Always follow instructions on the crabgrass preventer you choose.
• Don’t aerate or heavily rake the lawn after applying pre-emergent.   (This will degrade the barrier).  Wait for the Fall to aerate (see Todd’s article on how to aerate a lawn for that) and to spread seed.
• Wait 2 months before applying other chemicals unless you are following instructions or consulting with a professional.

Stay Tuned for the Scotts Turbuilder & Crabgrass Preventer Review

We took some pictures of the lawn just before we applied Scotts’ product.  We’ll be writing an update to this post in the early Summer.  If you aren’t already subscribed, grab our feed by clicking one of the subscription buttons in the upper right.  You’ll receive great articles by e-mail, including this upcoming review!

What do you think?  Do you spread crabgrass preemergent each year?  Tell us about your results in the comments…

Pneumatic Hardwood Flooring Cleat/Toe Nailer by Bostitch

Hardwood floors are one of the most beautiful and value-added upgrades for existing homes.   A typical professional installation will yield at least a full value increase in a home’s sale price.  To sweeten the return on investment and reduce expenses, many folks (including us) are installing hardwood floors themselves.  The project is relatively simple.  In fact, this is one of our top 10 do-it-yourself recommendations because hardwood flooring is simple to install.

Pneumatic Hardwood Flooring Nailers

The most important tool in a hardwood flooring installation is the hardwood flooring nailer.  Hardwood nailers, also called toe nailers for the way they drive nails from the side of a board down into the subfloor, come in two varieties: manual and pneumatic (air-powered).  Manual floor nailers use an internal spring mechanism that stores power as you swing the hammer against the stopper.  Each nail will require about 3 swings of a rubber hammer before the spring mechanism releases and fires the nail into the wood and subfloor.

Pneumatic nailers use pressurized air to augment the installer’s swing.  As a result, nails are properly seated with only one hit.  The advantage is a far quicker installation and one that is likely to produce a tighter, more professional look (pneumatic nailers do a better job of squeezing boards together during an installation).  Pneumatic nailers are also less likely to short-fire a nail, which can require more than 5 minutes to fix each time it occurs.  On average, a hardwood floor requires 3-4 fasteners / square fit.  In a typical first floor, this could equate to more than 3000 fasteners!  We think the investment in a pneumatic nailer more than makes sense — its basically a requirement.

Bostitch Hardwood Flooring Toe Nailer

If you’re planning to install hardwood floors and are shopping for a hardwood flooring nailer, we like the Bostitch Hardwood Flooring Toe Nailer.  We’ve used this toe nailer to install several hundred square feet of flooring and were impressed with its easy use and consistent drive.  Plus, the Bostitch enjoys a great reputation, and a 7 year warranty, making it an excellent long-term tool investment.

 Here’s the links from Amazon.com and Sears.com:  

• Bostitch Flooring Nailer (Amazon.com)  <– Best Buy
• Bostitch Flooring Nailer (Sears.com)

The Bostitch nailer enjoys a great reputation among professionals, and it’s well deserved. The nailer is made of aircraft grade aluminum, and has all the features a great hardwood nailer should have (easy to use even for beginners, large clip for nails to avoid constant reloading, comes with the matching mallet).  Bostitch’s toe nailer is a bit spendy, but by doing the job yourself, you come out way ahead over a professional installation. 

Why is Amazon the Best Buy Location? We prefer Amazon for their free shipping and no sales tax (most locations) policies which sweeten every tool purchase.  In this case, they are usually $30-50 or more cheaper than the retail stores and other online venues.

What do you think?  Do you own this nailer?  If so, tell us about your experience in the comments.

photo courtesy of juhansonin.

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