Everyone wants that perfect looking yard. And it’s tempting to simply put out the sprinkler especially on those hot days. But if your not careful, you could doing more harm than good.

When to water your lawn

• Don’t water your lawn during the heat of the day. A good portion of the water will evaporate before it ever makes it to the roots.

• Don’t water your lawn late at night. Nighttime watering promotes disease and mold.

• Do water during the morning. The morning hours have less heat and wind. This is the best opportunity to put some moisture back into the ground.

How to water you lawn

• Don’t water too often. It is better to water your lawn thoroughly but infrequently. Generally, once a week is enough.

• Don’t overwater. Overwatering is another huge waste. Your lawn needs about an inch of water per week during the growing season. And that includes rainfall.

Rain sensors are a great addition to any in-ground irrigation system. They can detect when it is raining and automatically interrupt the irrigation system to save your lawn and your water. Amazon has an inexpensive Toro brand, wired rain sensor. Check it out here.

What do you think? Are you watering your lawn too much? What’s your experience with rain sensors?
Image courtesy of Ricardo

If you’re looking to tackle any painting job beyond painting a smooth drywall/sheetrock surface, you are probably already considering an airless paint sprayer.  Airless paint sprayers offer numerous advantages over brushes and rollers for large irregular surfaces like open-joist ceilings, wood decks & fences, popcorn/stipple ceilings, and more.  Airless sprayers provide even coverage, let the paint get to where brushes and rollers cannot reach, and most importantly, they save a lot of time.

Airless paint sprayers use a compressor to force paint through a hoze to a nozzle that atomizes the paint into a fine mist.  Most airless sprayers accept interchangeable tips that provide different flow rates and spray fan widths.  Paint cans will usually include instructions on what nozzle width should be used  (Note: caution is in order when using an airless sprayer - they have enough power to cause harm if the stream hits your skin and close range)

Some airless sprayers have a paint resevoir that is coupled to the handle, trigger and nozzle.  This type of sprayer can be useful for very small jobs, but isn’t good for large projects, or those where you are working over your head (such as when you paint a ceiling).  Inverting these units can cause them to lose pressure, and they generally require frequent refills due to the small paint resevoir.

Amazon sells a refurbished version of the Wagner Spray Tech II 2,750 PSI Paint Crew Sprayer.  This paint sprayer is the most versatile paint spayers we’ve found, and retails for almost $200 at Home Depot.  Amazon’s price is a steal, and this sprayer has everything most homeowners will need.  It’s advantages include:

• 2 gallon hopper located on the ground (few refills, you don’t hold it over your head)
• 25 foot hose
• interchangeable tips
• 2750 PSI pump to spray even thick latex paint

What do you think?  Do you have this airless sprayer?  What do you think of it?  Do you own another model you’ve had good success with?

Stipple ceilings were very popular in the late 1970s and 1980s.  They are commonly mistaken for popcorn or ’spray on’ ceilings that also have texture.  Both of these ceiling types were installed in this period because they are much less expensive ways of finishing a drywall/sheetrock without mudding and sanding the joints of the drywall smooth, which generally requires more time.  Both ceilings have acoustic properties that allow them to reduce echo in a room (the primary way they were marketed in the 70s and 80s).  Like almost everything from the 70s, they’ve fallen out of favor in the market.

In my opinion, when done correctly, stipple ceilings are the least offensive of the two choices.  I’ve included a picture of both types of ceilings here so you can identify which one you have.  This article applies only to stipple.

Stipple Ceiling (left) | Popcorn Ceiling (right)

Popcorn ceilings are installed by spraying a compound on the ceiling that results in little ‘balls’ (hence the “popcorn” name - looks like popcorn stuck to the ceiling).  Stipple ceilings are created using a stipple applicator, dipping it in a container of drywall mud, and ‘printing’ the ceiling with the applicator tool.  Stipple usually resembles ’stalactites’ and is notorious for popping baloons.  Since stipple ceilings are made from drywall compound, the ’stalactites’ can be removed with sanding (described below).

Important Safety notice:  Be aware that some drywall compounds used in the 70s and even 80s were made with an asbestos.  It is possible that your stipple ceiling has asbestos in it, even though asbestos was largely outlawed from use in 1978.  This is because contractors and builders were allowed to use asbestos-containing supplies they already had on hand.  If you suspect your ceiling contains asbestos, you should get it tested at an asbestos testing lab before sanding it.  Sanding an asbestos ceiling would release large quanties of airborne asbestos - the most dangerous kind.  Asbestos has been known to cause asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Technique for Sanding Stipple Ceilings

1.  Use an electric, light-duty sander with a dust bag.  Slowly move back and forth over an area using 80 grit sandpaper.   It is important to purchase a sander with a wide pad that you can hold over your head for some period of time.  Orbital sanders work best [see our recommendation below].  You can either choose to sand the ceiling totally smooth, or you can “knock down” the stipple to a more subtle pattern.  If you like the “knocked down” look, it is fast and easy to produce and it is MUCH easier to get to look good.   If you are planning to sand the ceiling flat, you should first use an electric sander to knock down the ceiling, and then a poll sander with 120 grit, then with 200 grit  to finish the job.  It is too easy to scar the drywall paper with an electric sander, so stop after the 80 grit.

We recommend the DEWALT D26451K 3 Amp 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander for for this job.   You can also purchase the assorted sandpapers pack (10 Each Of 80/100/120/150/220) which will give you everything you need for the ceiling job, and will give you extra for future jobs.

2.  Use a poll sander.  This will save you from holding the electric sander over your head, but will require ALOT more sanding to get the job done.  You should look for 60 grit paper to start.  If you are satisfied with “knocking down” the stipple, you can stop with 60 grit when the subtle pattern looks good.  If you want a smooth finished ceiling, you’ll need to move to 120 grit, then to 200 grit.

Here’s a picture of what a stipple ceiling looks like after an electric sander has been used to create a more subtle pattern.  This look is great, because it still hides faults in the drywall, but doesn’t feel like it’s “coming down on you” like traditional stipple.

As with all jobs like this, you should try the technique in an area that’s not visible from the living space, like inside a closet.

Popcorn Ceiling photo courtesy of tmlens.

These days being “green” is in style. So why not be in style?

Approximately 100 billion plastic bags each year are thrown away and sent to the land fill. Plastic bags take up to 1000 years to decompose, and when they do, they break down into toxins that poison the soil and water.

So an easy, environmentally safe solution is to bring your own reusable shopping bags with you! They are durable, easy to clean, and can fit more groceries, reducing the amount of trips unloading the car. They also look good! Many grocery stores even reward you for bringing your own bags, such as Trader Joe’s, who every time you shop with your own bags will enter you to win a monthly drawing worth $25.

These days, there are many stylish shopping bag options. I really like bags that fold down into a smaller bag so I can carry them in my purse or store them in my car glove compartment. Buy some here.

Or if you are looking more for style and cost-efficiency in a bag, then check out these.

In addition to carrying your own bags, here are some other quick tips to help the environment while shopping:
1. If you purchase something small, skip the bag and carry it out.
2. Ask your local stores to stop providing free bags, or offer incentives to costumers bringing their own bags.
3. If you must use bags at the store, opt for paper over plastic, and don’t double bag.

Image courtesy of Diana Lili M.

Have you ever wanted to create a basement that has an industrial ceiling look (the one that has become popular in many commercial businesses, especially restaurants?).  Instead of installing a drop ceiling or a drywall ceiling in the basement, you might consider using an airless paint sprayer to paint the joists, ductwork, and beams.  You could try to do the job with brushes and paint rollers, but it would be simply impractical.  There are too many angles involved to get it to look good using that method.

What color should I choose?  The ceilings I’ve seen done this way are either flat black, very dark brown, or white.  A darker color will tend to hide imperfections in the ceiling, but may also lead to the room feeling much smaller.  A lighter color may show more imperfections, but will make the room feel for open, and will make the ceiling seem higher.  You might also consider using an accent color (like a red or green) for the ductwork and other accent marks.

What Airless Paint Sprayer should I use?  We recommend the Wagner Spray Tech II 2,750 PSI Paint Crew Sprayer. That link will take you to Amazon’s page of refurbished units that cost about 40% ($80.00) less than buying new at Home Depot.  The advantages of this particular sprayer include the hopper being located on the ground, and a long spray hose.  If you’re going to paint the ceiling, you don’t want to be holding the paint itself above your head for long as some sprayers would require; it will get very tiresome.

What about electric wires?  Normally, electric for lighting would be hidden by drywall or a drop ceiling.  You will probably need to run wires in conduit if you leave the ceiling beams exposed.  Of course, requirements vary by locale.  You should always consult with a licensed electrician before finishing an electric project in your home.

Our friend Chuck just wrote a guest post on painting his basement ceiling white. I’m a much bigger fan of the flat black look, but Chuck wanted the room to feel open and airy.

What do you think?  Will you consider an industrial ceiling look for your home?  Have you already done this?

That’s a picture of our tank.  We’ve been raising discus and angelfish (along with neons, corycats, and other tetras) for about 4 years.  At first, we were very diligent about water changes in the tank.  We changed out 1/3 of the water each week.  (We weren’t willing to do the 10%/day change that the discus would really love - that would be too time consuming).  Over time, we got lax on water changes - pushing the envelope to 3-4 weeks, and in worst cases, to 5 weeks or more.  

During times when we didn’t change the water for extended periods, green and brown algae would begin to develop on the walls of the aquarium, and all over our plastic plants.  We were fearful of trying chemical algae preventers due to the harm they might cause the fish.  For those who don’t know, Discus can run anywhere from $10-$200 at retail stores, with prices only slightly better from wholesalers.  At those stakes, it’s not like killing a feeder goldfish; these fish are an investment.  Of course, we weren’t worried about harming plants; we prefer the low-maintenance aspect of the plastic ones we’ve picked.

We finally had a friend recommend Algae Destroyer Advanced by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.  We added it to the tank.  Wow!  We were impressed.  Algae Destroyer worked almost immediately (2-3 days).   Both the green and brown algae have abated.  In fact, the algae used to be our warning sign that we were overdue for a water change, now we don’t get any algae - even if we don’t change the water for 6-8 weeks.  I haven’t noticed any distress among the fish (nor have we lost any in the last 6 months since we’ve been using Algae Destroyer).

You may want to use caution if you have young fish or live plants.  I have not tried this algae preventer under those conditions (although AP claims it will work for that situation).

What do you think? Has Algae Destroyer or another product worked for you?

If you’ve found this page, you’ve discovered a new feature on One Project Closer — Quick Tips! 

Why Quick Tips? 

We needed a space to post smaller tips that aren’t really worthy of a whole post.  Many other blogs call these Asides or Extras.

Quick Tips will cover the same topics that the main posts do, but won’t appear on the main page or in RSS syndication. As such, they probably won’t garner much discussion.

Are Quick Tips Special?

Not really. Quick Tips work the same as all other posts on the site, except that they don’t show up on the main page or the feed.  They show up in the right sidebar instead!

What Happens If I Leave a Comment?

If you leave a comment on a quick tip, it will show up in the recent comments list on the right sidebar, and the author will be notified (so we will reply).  As usual, if you see something that’s comment worthy (like we made a mistake), just let us know.

How Did You Make This Work?

These four sites were extremely helpful:

Perishable Press’ WordPress Super Loop explains how to exclude posts in a specific category from the main page.  WordPress Garage’s Display Recent Posts in the Sidebar explains how to show recent posts in the sidebar.  We modified the code from WPG to filter on categories with some help from WordPress’ Codex Page on GetPosts().  Finally, JayPee has a great article on how to exclude a category from your WordPress RSS.  We chose to update the source feed for FeedBurner so that everyone’s Feed subscriptions were automatically updated to exlcude the new category.

If you want to do this on your site and are having trouble, just leave a comment here.  We’d be happy to help.