Day: May 30, 2021

Tips To Prevent Carpenter Ants

Have you noticed any large black or reddish ants wandering through your home’s interior or exterior? You may want to get a close look at those ants because if it is indeed a carpenter ant, you’ll need to ensure they don’t cause your house any severe damage. 

Carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects that love to make their nests in the wooden parts of your home, such as decking, cabinets, siding, fencing, and more. Actively preventing these ants from hurting your home should be on the list of to-dos for any homeowner. 

Why Carpenter Ants Are A Serious Problem

Many homeowners shrug off seeing one or two carpenter ants crawling around, which is a mistake. Just because you only see a couple of these little ants doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty more eating out at the wooden areas of your home. 

Carpenter ants don’t eat through wood the same way that termites do, but they still can leave you with a lot of damage. These ants create tunnels throughout the wood to create comfortable nests. When this happens, support beams can break, floors can dip, walls can bulge, and much more severe destruction can ensue.  

What You Can Do To Prevent Carpenter Ants

Before these carpenter ants start infesting your home, it’s ideal to take preventive measures to ensure they never find their way to your house in the first place. Here are some ideas to help you prevent a carpenter ant infestation:

  • Relocate wood items – If you have any firewood, construction materials, or any other wood products, consider storing them outside of your house at least 20 feet away, and if possible, elevate them off the ground. 
  • Cut back branches – Keep branches and brushes cut short and away from your home, so shade is reduced. The sun can dry up any exterior moisture and prevent rot, which attracts carpenter ants. 
  • Keep your gutters clean – Obstructed gutters with any breaks throughout the system create puddles and moisture outside your home, which create rot.
  • Fix any issues – If there are any water issues near your home or any rot, have them fixed as soon as possible. 
  • Get an inspection – Have a professional inspect your home for any issues or signs of carpenter ants frequently to ensure your house is safe and protected.

ROOF REPAIR AND INSTALLATION IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CT

If you’re looking to have your roof fixed or redone or your gutters replaced or cleaned, we’ve got you covered! The experts at Landmark Exteriors are here to help ensure your home’s roofing and gutter systems both look great and are functioning properly for years to come! Give us a call at (203) 838-3838 to learn more.

How to Start Composting at Home

If you’re looking to reduce your food waste at home and live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, composting is for you! Easily done at home, composting helps give items you would typically throw out in the garbage a new life.  

What is Composting?

Composting is the natural process of recycling organic matter and turning it into a beneficial fertilizer to help enrich your soil and help plants grow. The composting process involves putting items such as food scraps, paper waste, and yard waste into a bin or pile where worms and microorganisms can break down the scraps and turn them into nutrients. 

How Can I Start Composting at Home?

Are you ready to start composting? Here’s how to get started:

  • Select your food scraps and be ready to store them – Think about what foods you eat and cook with and what scraps you’ll have available. When composting, you’ll learn that there is a decomposition time frame that requires you to layer your scraps over time rather than throw it all together at once. So, gather some containers and make space in your fridge and freezer to store these scraps.
  • Choose the right location for your compost – Depending on your space available, you’ll want to decide if a compost bin or pile is right for you. Luckily, both options work great! Determine which part of your home or backyard you’d like to keep your compost.
  • Make your mix – Start making your compost mix with both green and brown organic material. The green would be considered food scraps, while the brown would be paper or yard waste. Ideally, you want to layer the browns on the bottom with the greens on top.
  • Wait and aerate – The decomposition time varies based on the temperature. If it’s hot, it can be as short as two months. Another crucial part of composting is allowing air to flow throughout, so turning your compost every seven to ten days will bring you success.

What Items Can and Can’t be Composted?

There are plenty of different items from your home that can be composted that you would normally throw away. This includes: 

  • Vegetable scraps
  • Fruit scraps
  • Cooked food without oil, dairy, or meat
  • Coffee grounds
  • Teabags
  • Eggshells
  • Grass clippings
  • Flowers
  • Tree leaves
  • Wood shavings or sawdust
  • Black and white newspaper clippings
  • Printed paper

Be sure not to add these items to your compost:

  • Oils and butter
  • Dairy
  • Meat and fish
  • Bones
  • Diseased yard waste

ROOF REPAIR AND INSTALLATION IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CT

If you’re looking to have your roof fixed or redone or your gutters replaced or cleaned, we’ve got you covered! The experts at Landmark Exteriors are here to help ensure your home’s roofing and gutter systems both look great and are functioning properly for years to come! Give us a call at (203) 838-3838 to learn more.