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How to Choose a Perfect Rake for Pine Needles

Last Updated: | Joshua Houtson

One of the best ways of beating meddlesome pine needles is by raking them to oblivion. For a small yard, this calls for the best rake for pine needles.

Problem is, every Tom, Dick, and Harry is marketing his rake as the best for pine needles. So, how do you tell the best?

Check The Tines

In general, your pine needles rake head can be metallic (steel), plastic (poly or resin), or made of bamboo.

Metal tines (also called spring rakes because of the bounce) outlast the rest because they don’t bend even with heavy piles.

Bamboo rakes are extremely lightweight, but the tines are notorious for breaking too easily while plastic tines are so-so -if they don’t break they will fail to provide adequate flexibility.

Investigate the Handle

Your pine rake handles will either come out of fiberglass, aluminum, or wood.

Fiberglass is strong, lightweight, waterproof, does not shrink, and doesn’t crack and for some people, it’s the way to go. But fiberglass is harder to replace if it shatters.

Its greatest rival is hardwood. It holds fairly well, can last, be molded for a personalized grip, and it’s easier to repair/replace.

But wood rots in damp conditions and expand/shrinks with changes in humidity.

Moving on, although metal last for many seasons, they may bend or warp over time or with heavy use in addition to being problematic to handle during chilly weather- unless you wear gloves.

The worst is plastic. They impact the environment since they’re not reusable and can break under little provocation.

Test It For Comfort

Your rake needs to have suitable ergonomics to avoid soreness, proper dimensions to avoid back pain, and be generally less straining when in use.

You can either look for a fitting rake for every member of your family or buy a lightweight pine needles rake with, if possible, an adjustable handle plus adjustable tines.

That way, each user can set the rake to their most comfortable dimensions.

That being said, rake heads that are between 22 to 24 inches seem to pick up more pine needles in a sweep while remaining fairly comfortable.

In comparison, an 18 inches wide head could slow you down when faced with lots of pine needles while a 30-inch-wide pine rake is more stressful though pretty quick.

Still there, the best handle length depends on your height but should be long enough to allow you to clear more ground quickly and without bending.

Overall Construction

Don’t read too much in some of the fancy design features.

For example, although some rake heads may be curved and come in a plethora of pleasing designs, there’s little evidence to prove that such variations improve performance.

What matters is that it’s well-built in its entirety.

Check that the tines are securely attached to the handle. Also, verify that they’re not overly brittle as to break or bend when moving leaves. Springy tines are actually preferable as they stretch out when raking under pressure.

On handles, make sure that the grip is fine and that it’s firmly connected to the head.

Final Word

To rake pine needles, you need the perfect rake and to get this rake, you need to check factors such as your comfort, the construction, rake handles, and the tines.

If you get it right, your landscaping efforts will never again be messed by the invasive pine needles.

How to Build Up Dirt Around Foundation?

Last Updated: | Joshua Houtson

It’s never a good thing to have water flowing into your foundation. It either sits there and gradually weakens the structure or leaks in through existing holes or cracks to cause moisture problems in your basement.

Now, one of the best drainage improvement methods is to grade the soil around your house using dirt.

By grading the landscape around the home, water will find it easier to flow away from your house saving you from potential disaster.

Here is how to use dirt to grade your home foundation:

Requirements:

  • 10-foot wood board
  • A level
  • Tape measure
  • Writing paper/pen
  • Dirt

Step 1: Measure The Current Slope

Measure the current slope as determined by the soil surrounding the house to assess the amount by which the soil grade requires to be raised.

Take your 10-foot wood board and set its first end on the ground immediately next to your house’s foundation.

Now place the level at an ideal spot on top of your board.  Next, lift the other end of the 10-foot board until your level reads that the board is evenly positioned.

To complete, measure the distance from where the board ends to the ground and record the findings.

Step 2: Decide On the Amount of Sloping Desired

Now you need to make the crucial decision: how much sloping do you want for your house?

Here is the tricky bit:

The minimum recommendations regarding the soil grading around homes vary depending on location. However, it’s generally agreed that the more sloping away your home is, the better it is as far as reducing moisture problems is concerned.

To move forward, let’s take an example:

Assuming you got a 2-inch distance from the edge of the board to the ground in the previous step, you would definitely want to raise the grade so perhaps the new distance should be 4”, 5” or even 6-inches.

Tip: You can consult a local grading professional for advice on the ideal grading if everything else fails.

Step 3: Build Up The Foundation Soil Grade To The Desired Distance

Now start building up the prevailing soil grade around the house by dumping soil dirt right up to against the foundation. You will add adequate soil to the ground right by the foundation so as to establish a good base before measuring the distance from the base, still with your 10-foot board to check the new difference in the sloping.

If you’re not satisfied, add some more dirt then repeat the measurements.

When okay with your new soil grade, proceed to build the dirt up around the whole foundation to the new height.

Step 4: Fill The Remaining Area

Now fill in the remaining area around your house’s foundation to about 10-feet out from where the perimeter of your house is. Add dirt to the lower heights while moving out away from your house to build a steady but gradual slope.

Step 5: Check For Consistency

Once you complete, lay the 10-foot board once more over the ground and measure the slope.

You should ensure that the board is sloped down flat without any drips or holes beneath it as you do this.

Check the slope all round at 1-foot intervals so as to be sure of a consistent slope around the entire home.

Conclusion

There go the steps on how to use dirt to grade your home’s foundation. As you can see, it’s pretty straightforward.

It’s however always good to consult a professional if stuck.

11 Tips to Choose Good Saw in the Market

Last Updated: | Joshua Houtson

Whether you are hunting for a chain, circular, jig, or any other saw, the following tips will help you land a saw that knows how to cut.

Tips to Choose A Good Saw

Here are 11 easy tips to choose a good saw. So we hope, if you read these tips carefully, you can get your perfect saw for cutting 2×4.

1. The Right Blade

One of the most common mistakes is picking a saw with an incorrect cutting blade for your tasks.

First, investigate whether the accompanying blade can cut your material then how well they stand up against such materials.

Also check that it has the right width, tension, and cutting depth.

2. The Grip and a User-Friendly Design

A perfect saw will have a handle that perfectly matches the size and shape of your hands. Otherwise, extremely large handles means lost force and reduced precision.

Rubber-coated handles guarantee awesome grip even when wet.

3. Purpose

How are you planning to be using your saw? If, for example, you require a saw for the occasional light pruning tasks around the yard, a small saw would be fine.

If, in contrast, you want a saw to cut 2x4s, you’ll need the best saw for cutting 2x4s. Similarly, bigger projects will need larger sized saws.

Some saw types are also suited for specific needs. For example, scrolls saws are great for decorative cutting.

4. Brand/ Manufacturer

Buying an established brand increases your chances of acquiring a proper tool as such manufacturers’ stand behind their products and go out of the way to ensure your satisfaction in the long run.

Listening to what other buyers are saying can help you gauge a company’s reputation.

5. Tooth Geometry

The saw’s teeth should be sharp and secondly have the geometry that serves your needs. This will give you a cutting edge.

6. Portability

Cordless and lighter saws can be easily transported to any working location since you don’t need a power source. You are also spared from the hassle of carrying heavy extension cords or generators.

7. Safety Features

To boost your odds for landing a productive saw, check that the overall design is safe for the user. For instance, protection on the blade making it safer for use. Flesh detection technology could also be a welcome addition.

8. Price

You could be one of those DIY guys who believe that the price is a quality indicator.

Now, the risk is that you may end up splashing out hundreds of bucks on a saw that’s all bells and whistles only to discover that you only need just one of the many features.

First, know the features you need then match these to your budget.

9. Your Experiences and Abilities

You skillset, experience with saws, age, and general fitness matter.

So, can you comfortably handle an 11lbs.-rated saw? Then, which saws do you traditionally feel confident using?  If you pick a saw which is tough to handle due to advanced age or weaker body, chances are that you’ll soon start hating it.

10. Maintenance and Durability

It may not represent value for money if you’ll soon be back to the shop because your saw is constantly breaking down.

Check that the overall saw construction is strong and potentially long lasting by evaluating the used materials and the saw’s engineering.

Also, research its maintenance requirements lest you end up spending bucket loads of money on inconveniencing maintenance routines.

11. Extras

Some saws come with useful additions and can make your work easier.  Examples include “headlights” that help you make a straight cut in low-lighting, saw dust attachments, and more.

Wrap Up

Landing a saw that cuts like a champ require that you ask the right questions. From the maintenance, blades, tooth geometry and all the way to your safety, get all the answers.

That’s how to get a saw that cuts it.

7 Tips to Choose the Perfect BTU for Your Home

Last Updated: | Joshua Houtson

Getting an air conditioner with optimal BTU (British thermal units) will help you cool your rooms more efficiently and save you loads of money.

That’s because improperly sized air conditions waste energy (because of the inefficiency) resulting in astronomical utility bills.

Tips to Choose Perfect BTU for A Home

Here are some practical tips to help you choose the perfect BTU rated air conditioner for your home:

Tip 1: Measure The Room

Start by measuring the room(s) to be cooled. To calculate the area, simply multiply the width times the length.

For instance, if my room is 15 feet wide by 18 feet long the area would be 15×18=270 square feet.

Tip 2: Calculate the BTUs

For starters, BTUs needed depends on the room size. Now, you can use the multiple online BTU calculators or read from our chart.

Before showing you the chart, here is how we calculate..

You will take the area (found earlier) then multiply it by 20 BTUs (20 is the standard required BTUs to cool one square foot).

So, this is how it would be: Area X 20 BTUs.

From my example:

The correct BTUs rating would be: 270×20= 5400 BTUs.

This means I would need an air conditioner with a minimum 5400 BTU rating (quite small).  

A quick question: Do such small air cons work?

Yes, they do. However, it has to be on for many hours which translate to higher electricity bills.

Here is the guiding table…

Square footageBTU rating/hour
150-2506000
250-3007000
300 – 3508,000
350 – 4009,000
400 – 45010,000
450-55012,000
550-70014,000
700-100018,000
1000-120021,000
1200-140023,000
1400-150024,000

Whichever way, the BTUs indicated on the aircons unit should give you an idea on the ability of the models under consideration.

Here is the interesting bit:

BTU ratings are pure estimates and assume, among other things 10ft ceilings, sufficient insulation, and even windows.

Factors like excessive sun and random harsh climate will affect the accuracy. So, how do you get it right?

Tip 3: Reduce The BTU Capacity By 10%

Now, we said the whole thing is based on assumptions and you will need to make modifications based on your unique conditions.

First, is your room heavily shaded? If the answer is yes, take 10% off the figure in the table.

So in my case, I would pick 90% of 5400= 4860 BTUs for my cooler.

Tip 4: Increase The BTU Capacity By 10%

If your room isn’t shady but is instead always warm and bright, you’ll need more cooling.

So, you will crank it up by 10%.

In my example, this would now be 110% of 5400= 5940 BTUs…

Tip 5: For shared Rooms, Top it Up Further!

If we’re talking about shared facilities such as hotel rooms, each person needs a special treat so you go up again.

Actually, this time, you’ll add each additional person a whole 600 BTUs.

This means if my partner joins me in my sunny room, my aircon would be 5940 (Usual rating)+600=  6540 BTUs and if she carries a friend, it would be 5940+600+600=7140 BTUs.

And if it was in my shadowy room, my new aircon would be 4860+600= 5460 BTUs.

Tip 6: Add 4,000 BTUs!

Where you will install the unit also matters as far as calculating the BTU is concerned.

For example, if you will be mounting it in the kitchen where things usually get boiling hot, you need not less than 4000 BTUs on top.

So, if my room was sunny and a kitchen, I would be buying a 9,400 BTUs rated cooler (5400+4000).

Tip 7: Combine Rooms!

If you’re cooling two adjacent rooms and which are not separated by doors, you’ll need to add together the rooms when calculating the area since the conditioner will be cooling both spaces.

Conclusion

Getting the BTU rating correct is your most important step when buying an air conditioner. Simply calculate the area then follow the chart. And finally, make the necessary modifications.