What a mess I had!  When I bought my lake house, it was a year with so little rain, it was being called a drought.  The lake was down so low, I got a steal of a deal on it.  I was really pleased.  I knew the lake would rise again.  And boy, did it ever!  Two years later, the rains came.  It rained and it rained and…it rained.  The lake came up to my property and flooded the ground.  It came dangerously close to my home too.  That was not that much of a surprise though.  When was shocking was that when the lake receded after the initial flooding, it took my yard with it, or at least a good chunk of it.  I wasn’t willing to give up any more of my precious earth.  I had to stand my ground!  So, I made the decision to have a concrete retaining wall built between the water’s edge and my property.  I looked into retaining walls and the different varieties, block walls, cinder, stamped, etc.  At first it was overwhelming.  But, when I really sifted the information out, it was crystal clear which way I should go.  I settled on a cement block wall because it would hold up the best and it’s waterproof. I found a local concrete company and scheduled an estimate through their website at  www.albanyconcretecontractors.com for concrete retaining wall construction. The quote was cheaper than expected and I was elated with the price.  I had the company begin the following day.  A year has passed and I have not lost any more ground.  The retaining wall actually looks very nice and doesn’t interfere with any of my fishing or swing activities either.  Several neighbors have followed suit and had cement retaining walls built on their properties too.  Cement isn’t the ideal choice of retaining wall for everyone.  Some places look and function best with wood or even steel.  But if you live on the lake and are wanting to create a strong, durable barrier between your property and the water, cement is definitely the way to go.

Repairing a deck is a great way to save time and money when the damage is minor. Whether it’s a broken board, a hole, or normal wear, wood is easy to replace.  Before you get started, you’ll need wood sealant, filler, wood stain, a hammer, chisel, pressure treated wood, and nails.

Step 1: Remove the Nails

Before starting deck repair, you need to remove all the nails that are holding the boards together. Using the back end of the hammer, pry up the nails and rip them from the boards. If you’re unable to access the head of the nails, you may need to strike the board to chip away some of the wood around it prior to pulling it out. If you still can’t remove the nails, cut the board into pieces and discard it.

Step 2: Get Rid of Damaged Wood

Inspect the decking for signs of rot, and identify all areas of weakened wood. When you find it, stick the chisel into the edge of the rotten area and strike the top of it with the hammer. Your goal is to pry out the rotted wood and then replace it with wood filler. If the damage is too extensive, remove the board completely.

Step 3: Allow the Wood Filler to Dry

Give the wood filler ample time to dry before proceeding further with any steps. The filler will slowly harden, become part of the existing wooden slats. Ensure that the wood putty has been smoothed out so it’s parallel to the boards.

Step 4: Seal the Wooden Boards

Now that the board has dried, apply a thick coat of wood sealant to protect the lumber and create a durable moisture barrier. Inclement weather with heavy rain is one of the leading causes of wood rot, so don’t skip this key step.

Step 5: Cut the Deck Board to Size

Measure the length of the other deck slats and cut the deck board to the appropriate size. To ensure an even cut, use an electric saw and mark the line of the cut with a pencil in advance.

Step 6: Stain the Wood

Every residential deck comes in different shades of color; brown and gray are the most common, each having hundreds of shades to choose from. An easy way to pick the right stain is to bring a small wooden slat to Home Depot and have it color-matched. The process takes less than 30 seconds and you’ll have the exact same color stain for additional lumber. Take the new stain and apply it to the surface of the wood.

Step 7: Connect the Board

Grab the new piece of lumber and lay it side by side with the other boards. Then, nail the slat into place; use 3 nails per cross-beam.

This simple 7-step process is an easy way to save hundreds of dollars on your next deck repair without help from a contractor.

To learn more about wood deck repair visit deckbuildersalbanyny.com.

 

Minneapolis and the neighboring city of Saint Paul make up Minnesota’s “Twin Cities”. Hennepin County’s Minneapolis is famous for several things like its vibrant arts culture, state fair, and the Mall of America. Minneapolis, MN has a population of more than 400,000 people, many of which own restaurants and other businesses.

In 2020, there were 1,020 business establishments in Minneapolis with food service licenses. These restaurants and eateries serve all kinds of foods like Mexican, Italian, German, American, French, and much more. Certain foods make kitchens harder to clean than others. Picture a restaurant cooking French fries. It’s a basic Americanized side-order that comes with literally any food you can think of, such as the standard burger and fries. French fries are simply deep-fried potatoes. Deep fryers produce a lot of grease on the kitchen hood and vents, which then requires hood cleaning. Minneapolis restaurants can visit www.minneapolishoodcleaning.net to hire hood cleaners to clean the kitchen hood vents and remove grease. Getting rid of the greasy residue and sanitizing the exhaust vents aids in fire prevention. Hood cleaning also helps keep restaurant patrons and employees safe.

The Minneapolis government requires food establishments to be inspected and permitted semi-annually. Kitchen hood cleaners apply for a permit and pay a free before cleaning each time and is required by law to take pictures of the finished product to ensure safety. Restaurants can sign up for recurring hood cleaning services at a discount through numerous service providers. However, it’s important to ensure that the company you choose has years of experience in the field as well as quality reviews from previous clients. Poor cleaning can lead to failed health inspections.