Monday, June 30, 2014

How to Stain & Seal an Old Pool Deck



NewLook International's ORIGINAL Solid Color Stain, TiqueWash and SmartSeal were used to restore and stain this old, faded pool deck. Visit www.GetNewLook.com for more information.

Friday, June 27, 2014

How to Stain Stamped Concrete Floors



How to Stain Stamped Concrete Floors -- http://www.getnewlook.com/Translucent-Enhancer.html

Want to learn how to stain concrete floors? Read the video transcript:

The Translucent Color Enhancer is a water-based, polymer-modified, transparent concrete stain. It is non-acid, non-acrylic and non-epoxy based. [Integral concrete color eat your heart out!]

The Enhancer is used for antiquing stamped, textured concrete surfaces to create a two-toned finish. It can also be used to blend surface blemishes and discolorations.

The Enhancer is a 3-component [transparent concrete stain] kit that is packaged in a variety of sizes, each of which cover a range of square feet depending on surface porosity, moisture content, surface temperature and method of application.

Like all specialty coatings, the Translucent Color Enhancer must be installed on a properly prepared surface. For this project, the above half of a 10x10 slab on grade was stained with a coat of the ORIGINAL Solid Color Stain. The stains and discolorations on the lower half were left alone in order to demonstrate how a different base finish can affect the final appearance of the Enhancer. Visit GetNewLook.com for more information about surface preparation.

Once the surface has been prepped and the Enhancer has been mixed according to instructions, you're ready to begin applying the material.

Begin by spraying the [transparent concrete stain] material in one corner and work your way across the surface. The translucent nature of the Enhancer causes it to work in such a way that wherever there is more product material, you will get a deeper, richer or darker color. Gravity will cause the Enhancer to run off the high areas and puddle in the textured areas of relief where it will dry darker and give the surface the antiqued, two-toned finish desired.

You may choose to apply the enhancer in one very heavy application or apply multiple lighter coats to get the desired depth of color. However, a general rule with applying an enhancer is that the stain should be applied evenly. If this is not taken into consideration, one result may be that you end up with a spotty look from your sprayer.

If you have drip marks or a spotty look from your sprayer you may also lightly mist the wet stain with water to help break up these spots. This has to be done very lightly so that you do not over-dilute the stain and compromise it's bonding properties. A hand squeeze water bottle is best to use so that you can better control the amount of water applied.

Keeping a high amount of pressure in your sprayer will ensure a more consistent and even application. Drips, spots and over-application are less likely to occur. Maintain your sprayer to make sure an even spray is always occurring.

The Enhancer should be applied when it is cool to allow the enhancer time to fall into the low areas of the stamp. In summer months, it is important to budget enough time in the morning to be done before it gets too hot.

It is important to understand that not all stamped surfaces look alike and as such should not be approached in the exact same way. Stamped surfaces that have deep impressions will lend themselves to potentially having more contrast. To create more contrast on surfaces with subtle impressions, you may lightly mist water on the wet concrete stain to help push it off the top areas and into the lower areas of the stamped surface. This allows more of the base color to show through.

If there is too much stain in an area, you may rag it up but it is recommended that you start with a slightly wet rag so that you do not take up too much stain.

Note: the Enhancer must be sealed when cured and dried.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Cobbles, Cobbles, Cobbles. We Have Cobbles!



Dixon Landscape Materials has a large selection and large quantity of various sized cobbles to decorate your landscaping project. Whether commercial or residential, these cobbles can add the perfect touch to your landscape. They are very popular in creating dry river streams too.

Dixon Landscape Materials is located at 150 East H Street, Dixon CA. Call us at 707-678-8200 and visit our website at www.DixonLandscape.com.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Steep Slope Front Yard Landscaping | Hillside Landscaping



Landscaping ideas for a steep slope or hillside. Front yard landscaping is created for a circular driveway on a slope or hill. Landscape planting ideas for xeriscaping front yards.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Homes.com DIY Experts Share How-to Build an Outdoor Fire Pit



DIY experts Katie and Jon Jasiewicz from SewWoodsy.com show how to build an outdoor fire pit for Summer as part of their series of DIY tutorials for Homes.com.
In this DIY tutorial Jon provides detailed instructions to prep the outdoor area and build the fire pit. Be sure to visit often for inspirational tips to complete your next DIY project!

Friday, June 6, 2014

We Have Synthetic Turf And Accessories!

Check out our line of synthetic turf and accessories! We have everything you need to install and keep your synthetic turf looking great!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

How To Start A New Lawn By Laying Sod

It has got to be the most commonly asked question about starting a new lawn. Anybody who has ever contemplated starting a new lawn has pondered this question. Sod or seeds? Ordering topsoil and seeds is cheaper and offers you more of a variety of grass types. Sod on the other hand, gives you a beautiful and healthy lawn instantly. It is basically the microwave for lawns, but it costs quite a bit more than topsoil and seeds. Which one is right for you? Let's take a look at each. Then you can make an educated choice based upon your needs.
The first thing you need to do, regardless of which method you choose, is prepare your lawn. This means that you need to get rid of any grass and/or weeds that may be there. There are a number of tools you can use for this including flat-bladed shovels and sod-cutters. Regardless of which tool you use, be sure to get the grass and/or weeds from their roots. If you do not get their roots, you are wasting your time. The next thing you need to do is have your topsoil chemically tested to see which type of grass you will need. There are a few tests that should be run, including figuring out the pH and the sodium adsorption rate, to name a couple. These tests will probably cost about thirty dollars or so, but it is well worth the investment. After all, who wants to go through the trouble of making a new lawn only to wake up one morning to a weed-infested, yellow lawn? The next step is to till. This includes buying or renting a tiller and breaking up all of the compacted topsoil of your soon-to-be lawn. Then, apply a starter fertilizer and compost to the topsoil.
After adding the fertilizer and compost into the mix, it is important to till again. This will work the fertilizer and compost into the topsoil. Be sure that it is level, and if slanted, slanted away from your house so that your house does not flood from water run-off. If necessary, grab a rake and rake the topsoil to level the topsoil completely. You will then need to buy or rent a roller. This will level the topsoil completely. The main idea here is to ensure that the topsoil is COMPLETELY level.
This is where you must decide how to answer that age-old question we were talking about earlier. Below I will go through the steps to starting your new lawn by laying sod.
LAYING SOD
Here comes the fun part. It is time to roll the sod. You should start by rolling one strip of sod on one far side of your lawn. Then roll another strip of sod on the other far side of your lawn. Continue in this manner until you reach the middle. When rolling the rolls of sod, be sure to roll them next to each other very tightly, but without overlapping. If it is not level anywhere, you should shovel some topsoil under the roll of sod to even it out. Another very important thing to do when you roll the sod is to make sure that adjacent rolls are not lined up evenly with each other. They should be unevenly lined similar to the way bricks are laid. When you are done rolling the sod, get that roller and roll over the entire lawn to make sure there is good contact between the sod and the topsoil. This will enable the sod's roots to attach to the topsoil. The most important thing to do after you complete the process of laying sod is to water your new lawn religiously every day. If you will be too busy to water your new lawn every day, or if there are local laws against it, you should definitely look into having an automatic sprinkler system installed.
It is important to lay sod at the right time. The "right time" will vary based upon where you live and what your climate is. It is best to speak to whoever will be supplying you with your supplies about when is the best time to lay sod in your particular area. There are a number of ways to go about finding a local landscaper who can supply you with all the supplies needed to lay sod, but it is nice knowing that you are using a reputable company.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/605475