Having a lawn is wonderful, but taking care of it is not. It might not be your least favorite chore, but it’s certainly better to find a good landscaper rather than let the yard occasionally grow wild. Landscapers also help ensure that you catch maintenance issues before they become overly serious. That said, a good landscaper can be a saving grace, but a bad landscaper is just someone who mows the lawn now and then. Find a good landscaper with these tips.

Set Your Budget

You can find “good” in most price ranges, but as with everything else, you get what you pay for; so where do you start? Set a budget that has a ceiling and a floor. Know what you are willing to pay and what you would ideally like to pay.

When you’re first looking for a landscaper, it might not be clear what is a standard rate in your area. Additionally, there are many great opportunities with new services or up-and-coming landscapers who have great skill and low prices.

Know What You Need and What You Want

Do you need basic lawn care? Or perhaps you have a row of hedges that need seasonal tending. If you have a full garden and deck area that requires regular attention, then be sure to put that on the list.

Write down everything you would like the landscaper to do, and then highlight or separate the items you need them to do. Not every landscaper offers the same services, and some may vary their services based on the season. Knowing what you need and what you would like ensures that you’re not compromising on areas that will come back to cause trouble later.

Interview A Few Landscapers

It’s easy to hire a friend’s “guy,” but you might not be getting the best price or the best service. The idea is that your landscaper should be a good fit for you and your needs, not just generally good at lawn care and trimming shrubbery.

Interview a few and in each interview ask the same questions. You can ask about how long they’ve been working, how often they think they’ll need to service your property and other areas of their work that sparks your interest. It would be best if you also used these interviews to get to know them. These people will be on your property regularly, and it’s best to know who you’re working with.

Sponsored by Lawn Mowing Barnstable MA

Replacing your roof is one of the best investments you can make, and it can have some immediate return when it comes to curb appeal. When it comes to property value, how your home looks directly impacts that. Without any questions, choosing the right color for your roof is a big decision!

Don’t Be Afraid to Express Yourself.

When you think of putting your personality on display, you probably don’t think of your roof. But, it’s a great opportunity. You don’t have to stick with slate grey shingles or tan tiles. There is a lot of opportunities to be creative and do something different. Different doesn’t have to be bold or outlandish. It can be subtle, elegant, or anything that best fits you.

Find Colors You Love

There are ways to match or coordinate roofing to the house color. These are general guidelines, not hard and fast rules, but these guidelines can lead you to colors that you may love. Tan or beige houses, for example, stand out with dark green or dark blue roofing, and many people wouldn’t consider green or blue roofing at first.

Do you have red siding? Try black, dark brown, green, or grey. Have a white house? Then your possibilities are nearly endless. Ask your roofing contractor what they’ve seen work with houses similar to yours in the past. They have more experience working with roofing and see color combinations every day!

Consider Custom Options

Some roofing options, such as metal roofing, can come in custom colors. If you are interested in alternative roofing options, then you may have more or fewer options when it comes to color choices. It’s best to start by choosing your material first.

After choosing your material, you’ll want to look at colors in real life. You don’t want to purchase or commit to a shade without setting it first. Online shopping is nice, but it’s not the best approach when it comes to finalizing your roofing shade.

Finally, consider color blends. For example, a standard dark blue may just be, well, blue. But, a color blend blue may use undertones of tan, beige, and brown to create deeper and more varied.

Sponsored by Roofer Portsmouth NH

Composite decking is the alternative to real wood. It’s a material that looks and usually feels like wood but instead offers many benefits that wood simply can’t. Not all composite wood decking is necessarily better than real wood, but there are certainly benefits to choosing an alternative decking material.

There are different varieties and even materials when it comes to composite decking, and decking professionals can help you make the best decision for which is right for your property.

How is Composite Decking Made?

Typically composite decking is made from a combination of plastic and wood. The types of plastic and wood materials and the blend of the materials vary based on the manufacturer. Some brands use up to 90% recycled materials and only 10% raw materials, which would include sawdust, wood fiber, or wood chips.

The two most common plastics are polyethylene and polypropylene. These vary mostly in hardness. Polypropylene offers more sturdiness because it’s less brittle and can handle more wear over time. However, polyethylene is easily recyclable and a favorite among composite decking manufacturers.

After the composite material comes together, the manufacturers will create composite decking boards. These boards are made from a process of melting the materials and coursing them through a die or a cast, so they come out in a typical lumber shape.

Is Composite Decking as Good as Traditional Wood?

In many ways, composite decking is better because most composite decking materials are mold, mildew, and pest-resistant. You shouldn’t have to worry about termites with composite decking, and often there is no allure to other pests either. Additionally, composite decking often requires less maintenance. You may need to pressure clean and make occasional repairs, but you will not need the regular sealing or refinishing that comes with traditional wood materials.

Composite decking should last more than 20 years, with minimal maintenance and occasional pressure washing. To top it off, composite decking is even more affordable or at least in the same price range. Composite decking can be made to look like most wood decking, including the more exotic or expensive options. Always speak with a decking professional before committing to any material.

Handyman and contractor are often used interchangeably, but they’re not actually the same thing. For anyone who only needs a contractor or handyman occasionally, it can be hard to spot the differences. Of course, for any project around the house, you want to make sure you have the right person for the job.

Handymen and contractors can handle various jobs when it comes to repairs, remodeling, and renovation. Here are a few tips to help you know the difference between the two and which is right for your projects.

What Exactly is A Handyman?

Uncle Mike, who can swing a hammer, turn a wrench, and fix appliances, is a handyman. Handymen are just that, handy people who are good at building, fixing, and doing odd jobs. Not all handymen take on a variety of jobs, some are very specialized, and some are extraordinarily talented. But, handymen are not licensed.

The biggest difference between handymen and contractors is having the appropriate license. It is important to note that there are many home improvement and home repair jobs that don’t require a licensed contractor.

Hiring a painter for your home? They don’t need a license. Repairing a patch of drywall? They don’t need a license.

Handymen might repair tile, drywall, hang pictures, fix fences, repair appliances, and pressure wash decks or the house itself.

What is a Contractor?

Contractors actually come in two varieties: specialized and general. General contractors don’t handle “general” work but instead act as the general manager of a team for a large project. Specialized contractors such as electrical contractors will likely work by themselves or with a small team to handle specific projects.

Contractors have licenses and should carry appropriate insurance for the type of work they do as well. These contractors come with a thorough understanding, and often technical training, on the type of work they do.

Ultimately, contractors are best when they are required or when the scope of the project is large. You can redo a roof or renovate a kitchen without them, but these large projects call for a practiced hand and higher skill level.