Post & Ask

Join Now Log In

Hometalk is where people share and help with everything home & garden

About Me:

I am retired so I consider myself home engineer. I do artwork, watercolors, pen n ink, and acrylic. I also sew and crochet too.

Favorite area of home improvement:

We just put in new windows and my livingroom kitchen and dining considered a grand room so looking for window treatments also new flooring.

Recent Activity

Pest Control: Wood Bee invasion

How to get rid of wood bee's...we live in a log home and the logs are treated but this does not seem to effect the wood bees as they make holes and lay their eggs in them. We have ...»

Woodbridge Environmental ... on Jun 06, 2013

The treated wood does not stop these bees from drilling. Only well painted wood works. In your ...»
case you have your work cut out for you, but it is possible to rid yourself of them. You need to get insect dust that you can puff into the holes where the bees are nesting and laying their larva. The dust will kill the adult bees and will kill the newly hatched ones before they bore out the side of the wood. You need to puff a lot of this into the hole then fill it with a color matching putty if you are leaving the house natural finish. This task will take some time. As the bees hatch and become adults they come back to the area in which they were born to start the life cycle once again. Until you break this cycle you will continue to have issues with them.
Lots of folks use wasp spray, and this is fine to kill the adult bees if you spray it into the holes. However the spray will not get to the larva if it has been sealed closed by the adult so when it hatches there is nothing left to kill it. Dust sealed into the hole has a longer killing life so it is still there when the young come out and begin eating their way out the side of the boards and logs.
A professional pest service can help you get this under control and once you are you need to stay on top of their treatments by keeping an eye on the bees and treating them as soon as you see them boring again.

Real Stone Fireplace...keep it "as is" or do a makeover? I can't decide! HELP!

Ok I need your honest opinions. This is my fireplace in my family room and it is from 1977. It is real stone and is very "ski lodge". Now I don't hate it but obviously it can use some ...»

Liked on May 28, 2013

Sediment in a hot water heater.

Recently there has been posts about draining hot water heaters and the pros as well as the cons in doing this. Typical maintenance on a hot water heater is to flush the bottom drain at ...»

Commented on Mar 22, 2013
This is so interesting as I have never heard as maintenance to flush hot tank..guess if all ...»
else fails read paperwork that comes with it. I do know we have high mineral content in our water and most of tanks have not out lived their warranties none have lasted 5 yrs. purchased from Sears and they are very good about standing by their warranties and have replaced everyone of them for nothing. Ours never leaks from the bottom its always around the top seam. We have considered next time to get a tankless one but have not read up on the pro's and con's especially since we are on well water with the high mineral content and have yet to find a filter system to place on water well to help with this situation. Any suggestions on both tankless hot water and filter system we are on natural gas.

See 2 more photos

Priming sheetrock.

Priming sheetrock walls? Here's some tips to help you knock it out.

--If the walls are previously unpainted, use a primer made specifically for drywall. If ...»

Clipped on Mar 21, 2013 to Painting projects

Laundry Tips Using Vinegar (Part 1)

I have found 5 great tips using vinegar to help with your laundry. Tips using vinegar to clean your washer, keep clothes from bleeding and as a fabric softener! See the rest of the tips ...»

Commented on Mar 20, 2013
My mother swore by vinegar and baking soda for different cleaning projects. As far as hardwood ...»
floors was told use only cleaners for them. Spandex stuff always used woolite on gentle cycle line dry or lay flat..NEVER put in dryer, this goes for bra's and leggings too.

See 1 more photo

How To Clean In Between The Glass On Your Stove Doors

Want to clean that space in between the glass on your oven door? It's really not hard...all you need is an inexpensive tool and a few free minutes...come on over and let me show you how I cleaned mine!

Commented on Mar 20, 2013
Tried this and it was great ...geez who knew after all these years how easy. As oven is ...»
self/cleaning it still looked dirty cause of stuff inside of door....not anymore...thank you as I also shared your link for others to see.

Make your washer clean itself!

It sounds funny that you have clean a machine designed for cleaning, but the washer does need some love. Detergent and grime build up on the drum over time. ...»

Commented on Mar 20, 2013
I also have a front loading washer make is a Crosley and it has a clean cycle and to use ...»
bleach for this.The washer also will tell you when its time to run cleaning cycle. I always wipe down gasket inside and out and glass after washing and there is a latch so to prop door open a bit so it drys. My washer is almost 2 yrs old and I have yet to have a problem with mold or odor. But as I use vinegar for much of my cleaning never thought to use this in washer..will now :)

See 2 more photos

How to Clean Between Oven Glass

If you still have smudges on your oven glass door when you are done cleaning, it might be inside between the oven glass. I give you a step by step tutorial on how to get between the ...»

Liked on Feb 04, 2013

See 1 more photo

DIY Glass Shelves in Front of Kitchen Window

Adding glass shelves between two sets of cabinets in front of the kitchen window is an ideal location for some plants. A little quarter round moulding, finish nails and pre-cut tempered glass is all you'll need!