Solar power is a form of energy which is one of the best alternative energy sources with unlimited power potential. Using solar panels to collect that solar energy is a great way to save money year after year.

Wouldn’t it be exciting to be able to lower those every growing energy bills. I’d like to get to the point we don’t even need the power grid.

How Portable Solar Panels Works

Solar panels are made using photovoltaic cells, arranged in a particular pattern. These cells includes materials that can convert solar energy into useable electrical energy. I love the fact that today solar panels are becoming more and more portable. They can even be flexible so the bend to fit locations and you can take them with you.

What Uses Do Portable Solar Panels Have?

Personally, I love having portable solar panels at the cottage or on our fishing trips. They allow me to keep my laptop, cameras and mobile phone charged without the need to bring my bulky and heavy portable generator. But portable solar panels have more functions and uses.

I don’t like taking cold showers when I’m camping and with a portable solar panel I don’t have to because I can use it to heat up my water. No more using the portable stove to heat water to wash with.

We also have a set of solar powered garden lights. Every little bit counts, plus we don’t need any wires going through our home garden.

A Few Things to Remember

There are some significant points that you must remember while purchasing a portable solar panel. Bear in mind that the area where you are going to use the gadget must get adequate amount of sunlight to have a needed quantity of photovoltaic energy with this panel. Always remember that solar hot water panels do have continuous heat most especially when you are making use of them. This is the reason why monitoring the temperature of the water is needed.

Solar energy is essentially a very clean energy source. Nothing like traditional energy sources that give a lot of allergens and pollutants, solar energy is a pollution-free and helps to protect the environment. You can even reduce your power bills using the cells.

These cells are very helpful in preventing any electricity failures. Whether you are making use of audio recording or charging your cell phone during your camping adventure, using portable solar panels is very essential.

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Considering a pool, spa or hot tub? What you should know before you hire a contractor

(ARA) – Does your dream backyard include a lush lawn, lovely landscaping and – at the heart of the action – a pool, spa or hot tub? If so, you’re not alone, and this might be your year to turn that dream into reality.

A recent survey by the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) found that 82 percent of homeowners said they would use their backyard more if they had a pool, spa or hot tub. Nearly as many believe that adding one of those features would turn their backyard into an everyday vacation spot. The good news is that the right APSP certified professional can help make that backyard dream achievable and affordable.

“Owning a pool, spa or hot tub is less expensive than you may think,” says Bill Weber, APSP president and CEO. “Advances in technology have improved ease of operation and energy efficiency making the backyard pool, spa and hot tub experience within reach of more homeowners than ever before.”

If you’ve been dreaming of a pool, spa or hot tub, this is your year to make it happen. APSP offers insider tips to use when you call that special contractor to do the job.

* Experience – Experience is more than just the number of years someone’s been in business. Does the contractor you’re considering have experience building pools or installing hot tubs in backyard environments similar to yours? Ask to see samples of past work and look for yards with conditions similar to yours, especially if your home or yard has unique challenges like slopes or drainage issues.

* Cost – Has the contractor considered all factors in the cost estimate? Keep in mind factors that influence price go beyond just the size and shape of the installation; your contractor should also consider the quality of the materials, design, construction and installation time, durability and warranties into your cost estimate.

* Safety – Safety is a key concern for pool, spa and hot tub owners. Is your contractor bonded, insured and versed in all applicable installation/building regulations and standards for your state and community? Does he or she understand any unique safety concerns you may have, such as the presence of a special needs child in the home or a high-traffic corner lot where your pool may be an attractive temptation to neighborhood children?

* Vision – Does your contractor understand your vision for your backyard pool, spa or hot tub and can he or she help make it as cost-effective as possible? Your contractor should be able to advise you on the best location for your new pool, spa or hot tub, and provide you with sketches or even a video of your yard to help you envision the customized finished product.

* Education and professionalism – Does your contractor participate in continuing education to stay abreast of the newest technologies, efficiencies and design trends in the industry?

* Professional certification – Is the contractor you’re considering an APSP certified professional? Contractors who achieve the APSP certification have proven knowledge of design and construction, are committed to continuing education to maintain their certification, and adhere to a stringent code of ethics. To find an APSP certified professional in your area, visit www.APSP.org/memberlocator.

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Top trends to make your windows look hot this summer

(ARA) – Windows do a lot more than just let the light in and keep the weather out. They’re both key elements in your home’s overall design and in the unique look of each individual room. If you’re redecorating for warm weather, updating your window treatments is a great, cost-effective way to completely change the look of a space.

“People often switch their window treatments when the seasons change, but may only think of replacing heavy winter drapes with some frothy sheers,” says Lauren Foster, a home design consultant with Blinds.com. “Today’s versatile window shades offer ample opportunities to create a truly unique, seasonally appropriate look quickly and easily.”

When warm weather arrives, it’s time to open windows and let the sun shine in. Leaving windows curtain-free, and decorating with window shades instead, allows you to welcome the season into the room and show off the window’s intrinsic beauty. Foster points to the window shade treatment trends that will be hot this spring and summer:

* Prints and patterns – Long gone are the days when window shades were drab solid white or cream. Today, you can find a plethora of colors, patterns and even textures. Websites like Blinds.com stock a huge inventory of options, from Roman shades in passionate purple and energy-efficient cellular shades in celery green, to roller shades in sprightly floral patterns. Brands like Laura Ashley, Bali and Graber literally offer dozens of color, pattern and style combinations, making it possible to find a window shade to complement virtually any design theme.

* Bringing the outdoors in – Wood blinds have been a design staple for decades, and with good reason: they’re durable, beautiful and practical. This year, wood blinds play to the trend of bringing the outdoors in. Woven roller shades that feature bamboo, sisal, grass, jute and straw are versatile enough to create both rustic and sophisticated effects in any room.

* Exterior shades – Sometimes, the inside of windows isn’t the only spot where you could use some shade. Exterior shades will be “in” this season, as homeowners seek to maximize the appeal and design impact of their outdoor living spaces. Exterior shades not only provide much-needed protection from the sun for patios and porches, they can help underscore an outdoor space’s status as an important element of your home’s overall design.

* Cordless – Cordless shades have been available for a while, but their popularity is growing among homeowners and interior designers for a number of reasons. Cord-free blinds and shades create a clean, uncluttered look, allowing the beauty of the shade to shine without visual distraction. The cord-free adjustment mechanism holds blinds and shades securely in position, eliminating the need to constantly adjust them, and making it easier to raise them evenly. Finally, eliminating cords improves safety for children and pets, making cordless shades and blinds a must for children’s bedrooms and play areas.

“The arrival of warm weather is a great time to redecorate, and few updates make it easier to freshen a room than changing shades and blinds,” Foster says.

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Guest Post by Jenny J. M.

The easiest way to cook and eat vegetables is to get these from a grocery store but the most delicious vegetables we ever ate came directly from our own home vegetable garden.

We started with vegetable container gardening because it requires very little space even when we only had a little balcony with our apartment. Next we rented a home but weren’t allowed to dig in the yard, at all, so it was a patio vegetable container garden and required little space.

All that’s required for a vegetable container garden is a small amount of space where your containers will get lots of sunlight and of course a desire to grow your own vegetables. We started with only tomatoes and loved it.

We found growing vegetables in containers to be a creative way of learning gardening on a small scale or level. This experience will only provide safe and healthy vegetables but can also incite learning and the motivation to buy a home of our own, which we have today.

Beginners need all the help that they can get; so here are some pointers.

1. Purchase Containers That Appeal To You

You don’t actually have to buy your containers. We use a variety of containers as a result of staying green and recycling containers from products we buy. Example: Using plastic coffee jars for a vertical vegetable garden. Even our orange juice containers are recycled for herb gardening.

So one can get into the habit of recycling any functional containers. A container that has a diameter of 18 to 12 inches, which is tall enough to have the right depth for the root system and is safe from harmful substances can serve as a planter for a garden. The size of the container determines the sizes of vegetables to be planted. Plants that are moisture-loving can be grown better in nonporous containers like plastic, glass, metal and glazed pots that retain moisture. Clay and wood are porous containers that tend to keep a drier soil.

2. Use of Quality Potting Mix

Using high-quality commercial soil is generally prescribed in vegetable container gardening. Most vegetables grow better in porous soil that contains a good amount of perlite or vermiculite. Among the other substrate media that can be used for growing vegetable are sawdust, wood chips or peat moss. One must never use garden soil, because of harmful microorganisms and because of the clay that can make the garden waterlogged.

3. Some Veggies Do Better Than Others

We’ve grown a variety of vegetables in containers and have found some do better than others. I’ve even grown potatoes in containers but we ended up with a lot of small potatoes, although they were really tasty.

Certain vegetables can actually prosper better in container gardens. These include green onions, eggplants, peppers, parsley, tomatoes and radishes. Peas, broccoli,  beans, cabbage, carrots, and beets as well as leafy greens are all easy to raise in a container. Choose simple, and easy-to-care herbs and vegetables.

Is there a spot in your house that is neglected but show potential having much sunlight and most suitable to vegetable container gardening? Grow salad veggies that you can pinch and  use when cooking.

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The stinky truth about a common pest

(ARA) – Warmer, longer days, flowers blooming, birds chirping and the onset of the garden season are all glorious signs that cold weather is behind us. And, while taking in the sights, sounds and smells of Mother Nature at work is refreshing, the good does bring a few, less-than-ideal issues – a major one being stink bugs. Unfortunately, this year may see the largest population of stink bugs across the U.S. to date thanks to the very mild winter weather pattern most of the country experienced.

Stink bug origin
Stink bugs have not always been a familiar sight to those of us in North America. Originally from Southeast Asia, they are thought to have taken refuge on a container ship that traveled to the U.S. The first population of stink bugs was spotted in Allentown, Pa., in 1998, and the bugs have since spread feverishly with a reported presence in at least 33 states. The majority of states infested with these smelly insects are coastal, but that is quickly changing.

Stink bugs earned their name from the foul odor they omit when they are disturbed, frightened or squashed. Their glands, which are located on the underside of their thorax, create a strong fragrance that repels predators. The most common stink bug is the brown marmorated stink bug, but it is only one of 250 species that can be found in the U.S., and one of 4,700 species worldwide.

Although stink bugs are problematic for various reasons, people primarily find them a nuisance in their homes. Adult stink bugs are mainly interested in mating, so they enter your home looking for a warm place to reproduce. While taking refuge, they can be heard running into things as they fly around clumsily hitting walls, lamps, etc. Simply squishing them will not solve the issue, because their smell acts as a pheromone, and causes others to flock to your home.

Their diet
Stink bugs enjoy feasting on all sorts of foods, from apples to carrots and leaves to cabbage; their diets are hardly picky. Farmers find these insects to be an enemy to their crops, and rightfully so. Some trade groups hold stink bugs responsible for a reported $ 37 million of damage to apple crops in 2010. According to the USDA, an estimated value of $ 21 billion of crops are at risk where stink bugs have been recorded.

Control options
Some people believe they’re unable to control stink bug populations without the use of chemicals and harmful substances. Most chemicals are increasingly ineffective against stink bugs and some traps may not always work. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to lower the risk of stink bugs entering your home, as well as organic methods to treat the stink bug population in your home. Make sure all windows and entryways are sealed tightly and check that fireplaces are closed. It is also beneficial to rake away any debris or edible vegetation from your home’s foundation to avoid attracting unwanted bugs.

Further indoor control of stink bugs can be handled using a trap, like the Victor Ultimate Stink Bug Trap. This more advanced trap uses heat, light and a powerful lure to attract stink bugs without using harmful chemicals. The benefits of a trap like this include a budget friendly price point as well as safety around pets and children.

There are also traps that help control outdoor populations like the Safer Brand Stink Bug Magnet. Through years of engineering and testing, proper pheromones have been discovered to create a powerful and effective lure that attracts and traps stink bugs without exposing gardens to destructive substances. This reusable trap can be hung from a tree to attract adults or set in a garden to attract nymphs.

Using chemicals to control stink bug populations is increasingly frowned upon because it can disrupt your home and can be dangerous to your health. Increasing demand for advanced technology has sparked innovation for products to trap these bugs and diminish their reproductive possibilities. This season, try using an organic approach to your stink bug control and help keep the environment, and your home, safe.

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Connect on your patio or porch, enjoy the new view

(ARA) – With temperatures on the rise, it’s time to get outside to relax with family and friends. Today’s homeowners want their outdoor spaces to be an extension of their homes, with 80 percent saying a patio or front porch are “must haves,” according to a survey of residential architects by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

“What’s old is new again as the front porch is again a popular place to connect with your friends, family and neighbors,” says Kathy Krafka Harkema, spokesperson for Pella Windows and Doors. “Plus the patio offers a secluded spot to grill, entertain, kick back and relax.”

To enhance both the indoor and outdoor look and comfort of a home, install a new patio door. Pella offers a variety of energy-efficient patio doors from classic to contemporary.

For example, the Pella 350 Series vinyl patio doors provide style, energy efficiency and durability, without breaking the bank. Or consider transforming your ho-hum space into an outdoor showplace by choosing a new Pella Architect Series patio door that features enhanced air and water performance with a low sill height to help reduce potential trips or falls. Available with HurricaneShield impact-resistant glass options, they’re ideal for hurricane-prone areas or virtually anywhere you want added soundproofing and year-round security.

Create an outdoor oasis

Consider these tips from design experts at Lowe’s to create the coolest patio on the block:

* Mix functional furniture. Coordinate the style of adjacent indoor and outdoor rooms since you and your guests will likely spend time in both areas. Group pieces together to encourage conversation and showcase an attractive view.

* Add colorful accessories. Incorporate rugs, outdoor pillows, candles and other accessories in bright colors and fun patterns. Some of the season’s top color palettes include rich reds, bright blues, soft neutrals and garden greens.

* Incorporate a fire pit. Adding a fire pit brings pleasant memories of the past. Roast marshmallows, share stories and enjoy the night. For safety’s sake, keep furnishings away from the fire pit and extinguish the fire completely before you turn in for the night.

* Lightscape instead of landscape. Lighting can help show off what you already have in your outdoor space. Add depth with lightscaping from different sources. String lights provide a magical setting for guests after the sun sets. A wall lantern next to the patio door or LED garden and path lights add a soft illumination to your outdoor area.

For more home improvement inspiration, and to find energy-efficient Pella Windows and Doors in your area, visit Pella.com or call 888-847-3552.

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Vertical gardens are beautiful, catchy, modern, and trendy. They also have the capacity of giving you a feel of being surrounded with greenery.

The best things about these gardens are that they require very less space. If you have a small back yard and cannot accommodate a garden in it, you don’t have to be upset you can try the option of a vertical garden.

Some simple formulas can help your vertical garden flourish making your walls look amazingly trendy and beautiful.

These beautiful gardens grow vertically with the support of a wall or a fence, whatever may be the support they grow vertically and not horizontally. You can use some beautiful veining plants, creepers, hanging plats too add to the beauty of your garden. To add color to your garden you can add flowering plants and plants baring fruits to your garden.

1. Support Your Garden

Before you start planting your vertical garden you must make sure that the support you offer to your plants is strong enough to bare their weight. Your woolly pocket that will incorporate the plants must have a strong frame to support it. This frame can be a strong fence or a wall inside or outside your house. Just make sure the support you offer your plants is strong enough to take their weight.

2. Be Sure of What to Plant in Advance

Now before you do anything make sure you have decided what you would want to plant in your vertical garden. To enjoy the growth of your plants you will have to arrange them properly. A number of plants can be grown in a vertical garden and hence you can decide from the variety available for vertical plants. Just make sure you choose the right size of the plant before planting them.

3. Choose Soil for Your Garden Correctly

The support and the woolly pocket is not all you need to choose a soil that helps your plants grow well. The soil has to be nutritious, should be able to retain water and drain water in order to keep your plants healthy. Healthy plats grow well adding beauty to your garden.

4. Watering The Garden

The trick of a healthy garden is watering it well. The water that you give your plants has to be adequate neither less nor more. Adequacy is not enough you have to water your plats on time making sure that their soil remains wet. You can opt for drip irrigation to make sure that you vertical garden is healthy and well watered. Drip irrigation is not necessarily used for very big vertical gardens; they can also be used for smaller ones.

5. Add Colours to Your Garden

Plant some plants that bare eye catching and colourful flowers and fruits. Check where you place them. You can either use plants with contrasting colors or match them up. Lines of contrasting colors on your walls will make your vertical garden and your walls look stunning. It is very important to look what you plat and how you plat them in a vertical garden.

6. Use Shades For Your Plants

Some plants need ample of sunlight, you need to make sure that these plats receive good amount of sunlight to flourish well. If these plants do not get proper sunlight they will get ruined. A few plants need semi shade or semi sunlight, you can arrange a shade for such plants, direct sunlight can harm such plants. Whereas some plants are indoor and do not need sunlight at all, these plants can be planted inside your house to add beauty to your house.

7. Maintain Your Plants

Maintained vertical gardens look beautiful and also make your house look amazing, whereas gardens not maintained look shabby. What you have to look for is that your plants are well watered, have enough soil, the soil is well nourished and your plants get adequate sunlight. If these aspects are in place your vertical garden will definitely grow well. Along with maintaining the soil, water and sunlight of the plant you have to make sure that the support for your garden is strong enough, don’t forget your vertical garden is based on its support.

Besides being stylish and trendy these vertical gardens maintain your privacy. They make your house look absolutely amazing. Place these plants well to get the best view of them. These gardens will add charm to your house only if you maintain them well. Look after their maintenance and they can make you live amid greenery.

About the author: Alia Haley is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and autos. Beside this she is fond of cars and fancy dresses. Recently an article on Toshiba Satellite c670 attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on BlackBerry Curve 8520 price.

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People from all walks of life and incomes are taking up home gardening. The benefits can range from keeping active around the house and yard, to having the satisfaction of watching something they plant thrive, to a source of healthy food at a time when prices are climbing.

Of course, sitting down to a salad that you grew and having either family or neighbours say, “You grew this out back?” is its own reward. Which reminds of the first strawberries we ate from our home garden. They were so good they brought back memories of my childhood 50 years ago.

For beginner gardeners, a few “big picture” home gardening tips will help make your backyard garden that much more fun and successful.

Where To Start Your First Home Garden

Start Small And Grow

From personal experience I would suggest you don’t bite off more than you can chew, no pun intended. A 10’ x 10’ garden plot can provide sufficient space for a few rows of veggies, a tomato plant or two, a row of ice box melons or strawberries. Think small, at least in the beginning.

Your Garden Wants Lots of Sun

Next, spend some time observing the sun before you plant. Too much direct sun may result in dried out plants that will require a lot of watering. For delicate plants, you might want to consider a mesh shade to protect pants from harsh afternoon rays when the sun is strongest.

We don’t have to worry too much about getting too much sun on our backyard gardens here in New Brunswick Canada but as you move further south it becomes a concern.

Not enough sunlight means your plants won’t grow as fast, or could be stunted. You may want to consider container planting since the container can be moved to catch the necessary rays.

Think About Collecting Rain Water

Also, figure out how you’re going to water your garden. Consider irrigation canals so you can just lay a garden hose in the canal and have the irrigation do the rest. Avoid flooding, so your plants won’t get washed away.

We use rain barrels to catch rain coming off the garage and house which saves us a lot of water and keeps our water bill down a bit. We are looking into getting some water butts.

Stick to plants that are easy to grow in your climate, with the soil that you have available. There’s a reason gardeners bring zucchini bread to the office–zucchini is hardy, and grows easily, given adequate water and sunshine. Last year we had so much zucchini we were giving it away.

Bibb lettuce is another backyard gardening winner. It grows quickly and you can supplement your store bought salad with just a few leaves initially to lend that home grown flavour. Swiss chard, rhubarb, and Bok Choy are other leafy greens that can be used in a variety of ways and grow in many kinds of environments.

Once you’ve figured out your environment, and what grows easily in it, cultivate a relationship with a nearby nursery. Employees of nurseries are used to answering all sort of gardening questions, and frequently have the answers to what grows where, how to aerate the soil (so the water will flow easily through it), and how to feed your plants with either an organic fertilizer that works in your climate, or the best way to set up a small composting operation to avoid using chemical fertilizer, if that is a concern.

The nursery will also be able to suggest the right gardening tool. Don’t think you need to go overboard here. A pair of sturdy gloves (unless you want to get your hands dirty), a garden trowel for digging around plants, a hoe long enough so that you don’t have to bend too much, a shovel and a rake should be enough to get started. Make sure these tools are sturdy enough so that you can use them for several seasons even if it means spending a few extra bucks.

Some veggies will take root simply by throwing some seeds into well aerated soil–carrots, for example. Others, like tomatoes, may need to be started in containers and planted in the garden when they bear leaves.

Above all, be patient. Care, know how, Mother Nature, and planting what works in your climate and soil can produce veggies and sometimes fruit (think melons) that will have friends and neighbours exclaiming, “You grew that?”

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Not everyone was born with a green thumb. In fact, for some of us, our gardening thumb more resembles a sickly shade of brown that dying plants take on rather than a lovely shade of green.

However that doesn’t stop many of us from wanting to have a home garden, and why should it? If you’re a beginner gardener whose better at killing off plants rather than cultivating them into something beautiful then you might want to try your hand at these five plants, which are known for being particular hardy when it comes to weathering even the brownest of thumbs:

1. Philodendron – These leafy green plants can be grown either indoors or outdoors and flourish either way. They typically thrive in shady spots with moist soil, and can survive on as little as one watering every week or week and a half.

The end result will be a huge plant with large leaves that brings a nice pop of life to either a room or garden.

2. Bluebeard – The Bluebeard plant is a type of shrub that flowers with beautiful blue flowers that can trick anyone into thinking you put a lot of work into nurturing and developing such a unique looking shrub. Each year they will spread their seeds so new plants will continue to pop up with little to no effort on your part.

3. Jade Plant – To keep color around your house or garden year-round the Jade plant is a good one to include. It produces its unique pink flowers during the winter months adding in color when other plants have stopped growing.

And because it needs little sunlight or attention it’s perfect for those of us who are less than equipped to handle more intensive plants.

4. Cacti – Not all cacti look like the type seen in deserts and western movies, and some bloom extremely beautiful flowers or have exceptional aesthetics. They require little in the way of the gardener and their unique appearance makes them an interesting focal point of any room or garden.

5. English Ivy – You’ve probably seen houses covered in greenery that is likely the English Ivy. It does well with little sun or water and will naturally spread out over the ground and walls, fences, etc. with little effort on your part.

Just because you weren’t blessed with a green thumb doesn’t mean you need to swear off home gardening entirely. Instead start with plants that thrive under minimal care and then work your way up to plants that require a little more attention from their owners. With enough practice you’ll be a gardening guru in no time.

Author Bio:

This is a guest post from Laura Backes, she enjoys writing about all kinds of subjects and also topics related to internet service providers in my area. You can reach her at: laurabackes8 @ gmail.com.

Note: Jenny and I also grow an indoor home herb garden to keep fresh herbs through the winter.

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Organize your garage with tips from a pro

(NC)—According to a recent Canadian Tire survey, 61% of Canadians are regularly looking for new storage solutions and tips on how to better reorganize. Follow these three easy steps, courtesy of Jordan Shiffman, an expert in storage and organizational solutions, so that this spring you can have your dream garage and a spotless car to complement it:

Assess the Mess

Pick a sunny morning to pull everything out of the garage and take inventory. You’ll immediately see what you no longer need.

Our vehicles are more than transportation to us. They are mobile offices, entertainment rooms, team supply rooms and more. Clear out any garbage or junk and consider using a solution like Rubbermaid Mobile organization products to control car clutter and make your travelling more enjoyable.

Keep it Clean

Canadian Tire survey results also uncovered that despite spending an average of five hours a week in their vehicles, only half of Canadian drivers clean the exterior regularly (more than once a month). Pressure washing the garage and your vehicle is a great way to get rid of corrosive winter road salt or sand lingering in both places; Karcher makes a variety of pressure washers that can handle the job.

Zone Your Space and Think Tall

With the garage clean and clear, try to visualize where the big things like the lawn mower might fit. Also, designate areas for specific items like yard tools that you need regular access to. Use available wall and ceiling space for storage; customizable wall track panels like the Mastercraft wall system are useful for getting tools, sporting equipment, lawn and garden accessories off the ground, making space for your vehicle.

www.newscanada.com

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