Daily Archives2017 June 30

[ad_1]

Leyland Cypress trees catch a lot of wind! A deciduous tree like Maples or Oaks have leaves that turn on edge to let the wind pass through, but Leyland Cypress and Thuja Green Giant trees catch the wind. It is important to use the appropriate stakes and tie material for each tree size and also important when they should be removed. For Ball and Burlap trees especially, the trunk to root system connection will have loosened due to loading on the truck, transport to your location, and unloading. Properly staking them will allow that connection to re-tighten and also they will be straight when established. Explained below is exactly which stakes to use, how to secure them and where to purchase the material I recommend. Proper staking is one of the most important steps for success. Don’t waste your money on mulch and invest it on securing your privacy screen trees.

Ten feet and higher trees should be staked with six feet metal fence posts so that each tree is secured in three or four directions. Allowing them to rock back and forth, it will break the root to trunk connection, and a percentage of the trees will die. Ball and Burlap trees from 10 feet through 25 tall should be staked with tree tie webbing from am Leonard item LT500G, the green color is my favorite. It is easy around the trunk yet still has 900 pound test strength. Landscapers have used have used rebar wire or aluminum electric fence wire pushed through two feet sections of garden hose for years which will work for smaller Ball and Burlap (B&B) trees up to thirteen feet tall, but is not strong enough for larger trees and also takes lots of time and dull knives cutting all that garden hose. I always return one year later and collect back my tree stakes and it is very important to cut the tie material from around the trunk. An Arborist knot is best that will hold on but permit some stretching when you secure around the trunk but I also wouldn’t be convinced your helpers used it faithfully on each tree. If you are faithful and remove the tree tie webbing after one year, the tree will not be hurt even if other knots were used.

Fourteen feet and taller trees are best staked by securing the tie around the trunk midway up from the ground (or as high as you can reach) up from the ground. For trees this top heavy, you should not tie to a metal fence post directly in front of the tree because as the wind rocks the tree it will pull the stake up. If you use six feet metal fence posts on trees this size, secure the tie from each tree to the bottom of the tree stake right at ground level in front of the next tree along the row. If you had trees spaced at eight foot on center, and reached up and tied the webbing nine feet high on the trunk, your lines would be at forty five degree angles. Long Island landscapers use four inch diameter pine poles available from Lynch’s garden center in Southampton. Drive in the ground at 45 degree angles away from the trunk. These are strong stakes but still the lines should be tied up midway on the trunks and the lines should be at forty five degree angles for strength to the stakes. Smaller Ball and Burlap trees can be staked with three ply poly twine, it usually comes in white and has a plus in that it rots away after one year. This is great for landscape jobs a good distance away that you might not want to return just to release the tie material.

For seven feet tall B&B trees in twenty-two inch root-ball you can stake with two inch by two inch hardwood stakes six feet tall and use the poly twine or tree tie webbing.

When planting ten gallon size container grown trees five tall I use 1inch diameter 8 feet tall bamboo stakes they can be purchased for around one dollar each. For this application, use a post driver tool and drive the stake down through the root-ball into the ground beneath and use the poly twine. You won’t have to return to the job and collect the bamboo stakes, the portion underground will be rotten by that time and the ply twine will have rotted away as well. After six months walk the row of trees and re-tie anywhere the twine has rotted away, so for fall planted trees re-tie in spring.

[ad_2]

Source by David Watterson

[ad_1]

Can You Tell the Difference Between Hubcaps and Wheel Covers?

When you drive through the streets of your city, you’re bound to see vehicles with steel wheels, banged-up alloy rims, and busted plastic hubcaps. Your first impression? It’s always, “Wow, that’s ugly!” But if there’s a chance that someone’s saying that about your car, you should probably do something about it.

If you’re shopping for a solution for your boring wheels, you’ve seen the terms ‘hubcaps’ and ‘wheel covers’. What is the difference, and which one is right for you?

What Are Hubcaps?

Hubcaps aren’t actually what you think they are. Hubcaps are a component on older vehicles and some heavy-duty trucks that serves a small yet important purpose. It’s a small cup that fits tightly over a wheel hub – the area where the wheel bearing resides. It seals out dirt and moisture and holds in grease to keep all the delicate moving parts well lubricated.

Hubcaps are anything but pretty. In fact, most often they’re corroded, dented, and dull. Since hubcaps are smacked in place with a hammer, then pried off occasionally, they live a life of abuse. Because wheel hubs are most commonly a sealed assembly these days, hubcaps are no longer found on your everyday vehicle.

Alright, so it’s splitting hairs; a matter of semantics. But if the part you’re looking for isn’t called a hubcap, what is it? Maybe wheel covers?

What are Wheel Covers?

For a classy, dressed-up look for your wheels, there are a few choices.

You can opt for expensive painted, chrome, or alloy wheels. There are a ton of styles available so you can choose one that suits your style. The problem is that aftermarket wheels corrode easily and can be easily damaged. You could put out big bucks just keeping your wheels looking good.

You can choose wheel skins. These fit directly over your factory wheels and look just like the factory wheel. If you’re looking for the factory design, specific to your vehicle brand and model, this is the perfect choice. You just need to make sure that it’s the right design for the wheels you have, otherwise the wheel skins you buy aren’t going to fit.

Wheel covers, on the other hand, are another option. Wheel covers can be brand-specific or custom-fit. They can be chrome, silver, or painted your favorite color. Wheel covers are easily maintained, durable, and flexible.

Wheel covers are your best choice for customizing your car inexpensively. You aren’t locked into just one design or color, and there’s a hubcap – scratch that – wheel cover pattern you’re sure to love.

Have you accidentally rubbed the curb and cracked or scuffed your wheel cover? No problem! A new set of wheel covers costs a fraction of a single replacement alloy wheel. Have your tastes changed? Easy! You can pick a new wheel cover design and change your car’s look in just a few minutes.

Wheel covers are available in virtually every wheel size on the market. Many aftermarket wheel covers are a universal fit, dependent only on your personal taste. Or, if you’ve lost a factory-installed wheel cover, you can get an individual exact replacement.

[ad_2]

Source by Rick Dynek

[ad_1]

A lot of people are beginning to wonder and discover the process of burning water as partial fuel for their vehicle; while the technology has been around for many many years, it has never been as popular as it is today (due to the high gas prices). Like many say, “whenever there is a disaster, an opportunity arises” Now… I am not a big fan of cliche quotes and terms, but this one is my exception.

In fact people all over the globe have begun the process of converting their cars so they can run on HHO gas. The process is actually quite simple to understand, not to mention the reward is very useful. However in order to achieve this award you need the right guide, mind set, and materials. Beware of scam sites out there that may be promoting useless information. Always make sure there is a money back guarantee.

Pros of Converting Your Car To Run On HHO Gas

• Increased Gas Mileage
• Increased Fuel Efficiency
• Quieter engine and cooler engine temperature
• Less Fill ups at the gas station
• Producing less emissions from your vehicle
• Last but not least… Save 35 – 40 percent of your current gas bill

Now that we have some of the pro’s of converting your car to run on HHO, lets get to some of the down sides.

Cons

• Spend money on a guide and materials (roughly $175 for everything)
• Takes time and effort
• Risk buying a useless guide

Now the cons that I described are pretty basic, I mean you are going to have to spend some money and read up a little if you want to do a project like this. No… I am not saying its like building an Ark, however you want to make sure you read your guide carefully.

I almost forgot to mention that HHO generators/Kits are the same thing, they are also reversible and do no harm or damage to the value of the vehicle. You can mount them and un – mount them at any time.

[ad_2]

Source by Erik C Fuller

[ad_1]

Phoenix, Arizona, achieves #4 in the list of top 10 cities with the highest vehicle theft! (2004 National Insurance Crime Bureau [NICB])

In 2002, Arizona had the highest car theft rate in the United States, with the vast majority occurring in Maricopa and Pima Counties. According to the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority (AATA), “a vehicle theft occurs every nine minutes and 16 seconds.” This causes an estimated economic loss of $3.7M to residents of Arizona in 2002 alone!

Don’t be another statistic!

Help to deter theft by etching your auto glass with traceable numbers. This procedure is highly recommended by the NICB, police departments and insurance companies for effectiveness. Although vehicle manufacturers mark some parts, it’s not enough. By permanently installing visible VIN and serial numbers into your vehicle’s glass, you can greatly reduce auto theft and aid in recovery.

You can visit your local auto dealership or window tinting/glass repair facility; or you can do it yourself with an etching kit found on many different websites. In addition to glass etching, the NICB also recommends other popular visible or audible devices such as audible alarms, steering-column collars and locks, wheel locks, theft-deterrent decals and ID markers on the car.

Auto glass etching entails chemically marking the automobile with its own unique vehicle identification number (VIN) on all windows, including sunroofs and T¬-Tops. The chemical process of etching involves using a mild acid that reacts only to the glass. Etching all the glass windows makes the vehicles less wanted by car thieves. The actual etching is small and does not mark or deface the window, but is one of the first details most car thieves see before attempting to steal a vehicle.

The recommended areas to be etched include the following:

• Front Windshield – drivers side in lower corner by factory VIN number.
• Side Windows – lower corner, near door lock or handle.
• Rear Window – driver’s side in lower corner or towards the middle, lower edge.

These are the following steps for the glass etching kit for those handy, do-it-yourself types:

1. Clean area to be etched with glass cleaner – Remove the blue stencils from the white backing paper and apply to the outside of window glass in the desired locations. With fingertips, gently “pat” the stencil to ensure that it is in full contact with glass, paying specific attention to the area where the VIN number has been cut into the stencil.
2. Apply a film of etch cream – brush both left and right completely covering all characters.
3. After etching cream has been on for 5 to 7 minutes: Carefully remove and discard all stencils into a plastic bag or container. Spray etched area with plain water or glass cleaner and wipe dry with paper towel. Repeat process for all windows.
4. Warning decals – Apply to inside of windows in conspicuous locations. Suggested location: near handles on front doors.
5. Complete the Insurance “Proof of Etch” certificate.

However, it is recommended to have this done by a licensed professional as this process requires a very steady hand and must be done under optimum conditions.For example; do not etch glass in direct sunlight on very hot days, when the temperature is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or in very windy or wet conditions.

[ad_2]

Source by Bill Burke

[ad_1]

At first glance, the words in the title of this article may all seem synonymous; that is, they may appear to be nothing more than three ways of saying the same thing. In truth, however, there are differences, albeit subtle ones.

In this article, I want to show you what those differences are, why they matter, and the criteria you ought to use when deciding whether to use auto emblems or something else for your car. These distinctions are important because each one sends a message about you to those who see it, and that may be very different from the one you intended.

What did these words mean originally?

So to begin with, let’s consider the original meanings of these words. Etymonline is a web site that does just that. According to them, the word emblem was derived from French and Greek, and referred to “inlaid ornamental work” that was “thrown in.” In this sense, it was symbolic of something else.

The word badge probably referred to emblem when it was first used in the 15th century. The word decal was not used until the early 20th century and is a shortened version of decalcomania or the French “decalcomania.” However, it referred to what was known in 18th century England as “transfer printing” – a process in which a design or drawing was transferred from paper to glass or porcelain in the kiln. The print was fixed to the object and when it was fired, the paper vanished, leaving the picture on the plate, vase, or bowl.

What do these words mean today?

The word decal is not found in Roget’s Thesaurus; but the word badge is, and here we discover that it can be used in three ways. The way that most of us are accustomed to is as a means to identify authority. So we have police or detective badges and military badges. Sometimes, we refer to the manner in which someone behaves as a badge of this profession or that profession: the badge of a servant, valet, groom or bailiff. Other times, we refer to a form of behavior, usually disreputable, that is the result of the opinions or feelings of others about us.

Emblem can also signify authority, but it’s much more common to think of it in terms of a representation of our ideas. In other words, it is a symbol of something that’s important to us.

Why does it matter?

I mentioned earlier that the distinctions between them were important because of the messages they gave to others. For example, in the case of auto emblems, the symbol says something about you as the driver. If it simply shows the name of the dealership where you bought the car, then anyone who likes it will know where they can get one, too. If it depicts a national flag, then everyone will know that you’re proud of your country. If it exhibits the logo of a particular group of athletes, then everyone will know that you support that team.

Badges, for the most part, are used to convey authority. On military bases, a general will have a license plate with the appropriate number of stars on it. In a parade, the Grand Marshal’s car will be designated in some way so that everyone knows that that automobile is his, hers, or theirs. A decal, can also be a badge as in those that are door-sized and affixed to the sides of police cars.

Auto emblems also say something about the economic strata from which the driver comes or aspires to. Popular auto emblems include a horse on its hind legs (Ferrari) and two capital Rs superimposed one on top of the other (Rolls Royce). Manufacturers use auto emblems to send a message about their brand to their customers. One can hardly imagine them using a decal for this.

What’s your message?

What message do you want to send to others? Do you want to impress them, inspire them, cajole them? Do you want them to think more of you, less of you, or you don’t care? Your attitudes will determine your behaviour. The next time you go to your car, meander around it, and ask yourself: “What does it say about me?” “What auto emblems would tell people who I really am, or who I want to be?” There’s no time like the present.

[ad_2]

Source by John R Martin