Maryland and D.C. Home Improvement and Home Inspection discussion and Repair Advice

Late Spring Freeze: The Handyman and Homeowner Guide to Protecting Outdoor Landscaping in Maryland. What the homeowner should do with a late Spring Freeze/ Frost.   Baltimore, MD: Tonight (April 7th, 2017) and into Saturday morning, forecasters are calling for freezing temperatures possible throughout Central Maryland*. With the warm weather the past few days, many of us in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. have already begun outdoors landscaping for Spring. With a semi-rare Freeze Watch in place, there are a few measures that homeowners should take to help plants survive. The issue with a cold freeze and some plants is the inability for vegetable and flowers to withstand freezing water on a cellular level. As we know, when water freezes it expands and can break the sensitive cell structures. For certain plants, this is irreparable damage. Here is a quick reference on what you can do to prevent damage: 1: Sensitive plants in pots: Bring indoors. 2. Sensitive plants...

How to Prevent/ Rid/ and take care of Ticks. Maryland Tricks for Homeowners Baltimore, MD: I grew up around farms in Southern Maryland. Ticks were a normal part of life but now in suburban Baltimore (Timonium) I have a growing family and my opinion has changed. The population of Lyme Disease carrying, Deer Tick has exploded and the harmless “Dog Tick” I grew up burning with a match head is nowhere to be found (just my observation). Because of this, a general concern to rid our yards of Deer Ticks is valid (and recommended). Nearly 2% of Deer Ticks actually carry Lyme Disease in certain areas. Although not foolproof, here are some quick tips you can take and prevent ticks or tick nests from taking a residence around your yard. *Ticks love shade, moisture and places to hide. Keep this in mind and do the following to create a tick Hell! 1. Keep grass mowed and cut short: Tall grass is ideal for ticks, mice and other animals. It hold moisture, allows for a place to hide (i.e....

*do not be this guy and approach a downed power line. What to do during power outages: Home Tips from EFynch Baltimore, Maryland: It is the dead of winter and your power goes out. What are you supposed to do? Depending on the length that the power is off and the time of day- you should prepare for the worst. Once night falls, weather always tends to worsen plus repair work will move slower. You can expect being without power for the long haul. In modern times it is hard to think about shelter and surviving but cut the power to your home with a blizzard outside, I promise the primitive concerns we take for granted become front and center. (PLEASE TAKE THIS AS A SERIOUS MESSAGE). In the event the power is off and you do not foresee an immediate return. We recommend you do the following: 1. Monitor the temperature inside your home. If it goes below 50 degrees, you should immediately perform a “quick winterize”- information on this will be posted soon. 2. If you have n...