Proactive Maintenance

Great article in Seattle Times this weekend. (Can’t believe I said that. Oh yea, it’s because it was copied from a reporter for the Denver Post.) Proactive maintenance is key to saving money as a homeowner. Something mentioned in the article is what we have recommended to homeowners for years: If you had an inspection performed when you purchased your property, find it. It is an excellent, and usually well organized, template for checking all of the elements and systems in your home. You may even find a few deficiencies that were in the report, but were forgotten in the haste of moving in and getting settled.

Time To Fertilize The Lawn: Caution

I mentioned last week that it is time to get started with fertilizing your lawn in order to get ahead of the weeds and bugs. However, I failed to mention MOSS. Scotts fertilizer with moss control works very well on my lawn. The word of caution is that you take the steps necessary to make sure this fertilizer doesn’t end up on your patio. With a little rain you may end up with rust stains that are just about impossible to remove. The reason is that one of the important active ingredients in moss control fertilizers is iron.

If your lawn runs right next to your driveway, walkways or patio, be sure to use a “drop” spreader in these areas, not a broadcast spreader. Spread this type of fertilizer only when conditions are quite dry. To be on the safe side, sweep or blow off the flat-work areas when you are done to make certain that no particles of fertilizer remain. The flat-work around your home is an important value amenity. Value will be lost if these areas are rust stained from moss control fertilizer.

There are many websites that offer assistance in dealing with rust stains. Here are just a few:

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/stain-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-rust-stains

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050619/news_1hs19heresh.html

I have no experience with these sites or the products they are peddling, so caution is advised.