Fall Home Improvement 2018

l l a F HOME IMPROVEMENT Wednesday, October 24, 2018

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PAGE 2 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

Ready your windows for winter as season approaches

By Tyler Julson

tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com

With the winter weather fast approaching, many people are preparing to winterize their homes to keep the cold out as best they can.

One of the most effective ways homeowners can reduce their energy usage and still keep warm is making sure their windows are in good shape.

The president of Home Solutions Midwest, Steve Field, has been full time with the company for 24 years, but has grown up in the family business. Field said there are many different reasons why people should consider replacing their windows, the first of which is age. Older windows allow the cold to enter more easily than

newer double-paned insulated windows.

“If your windows are single-paned, it’s definitely time to replace them,” Field said. “The energy efficiency you gain with the new technology in insulated thermopane windows is definitely worth it. Even if they’re not leaking, they’re still going to be cold.”

Some of the other obvious signs a house needs new windows is if there is a draft coming from around the area, the functionality is broken or if the seal around the window is broken. Field said if a window appears dirty, but the streaks are between the two panes of glass, it means the seal has been broken and the insulation is

Steve Field, the president of Home Solutions Midwest, said there are many reasons why windows may need to be replaced, and some of them are less obvious than a visible break. TYLER JULSON/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

no longer there.

Although the broken seal might not seem like a fix that needs to be made right away, it’s going to

WINDOWS AND DOORS TO ELEVATE YOUR EVERY DAY

bring up energy usage in the long run. The inside is still protected from the outside elements, but See WINDOWS, Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | PAGE 3

LEAVES Continued from Page 8

So, by mulching your tree leaves into your lawn, you are essentially getting a free fertilizer application of nitrogen.

There is even one report of maple leaves reducing dandelion numbers in lawns the following spring after leaf mulching. Truly, some leaf litter can be good for a lawn.

Successfully mulching leaves

FERTILIZER Continued from Page 8

conversion from ammonium to nitrate. Ammonium is stable in the soil whereas nitrate moves with water and may leach out of the root zone over winter and early spring.

into a lawn canopy requires more frequent mowing in the fall and possibly several passes with the mower to mulch the leaves sufficiently. Specialized mulching mowers are available, and these mower types will also be beneficial year-round to mulch grass leaves into the canopy. Chopping leaves into small pieces is important.

Don’t leave excessive leaf litter on a lawn when and if: • It shades out the turf at one of the most critical times of the year that the grass plants are storing carbohydrates before the winter.

• It increases the incidence of snow mold diseases, resulting in dead patches of turf or a thinned canopy during spring green-up.

• It slows the spring green-up by reducing soil temperatures in the spring, by acting as a mulch layer on the soil surface.

• It provides a more suitable environment for burrowing pests like voles.

When lots of leaves on the grass are not a good idea

So how do you know if you have excessive tree leaves?

Although the soil temperature network was established to support application of commercial fertilizer, it is equally useful for those applying manure in the fall.

University of Minnesota Extension recommends delaying fall manure applications until soil temperatures at the six-inch depth

are below 50° F to prevent leaching losses. Research from the University of Minnesota at Waseca showed liquid dairy and hog manures injected in November produced yields 10 bushels per acre higher than manures injected in September and October.

Here are some other regional

The best way is to try mowing a pass or two and mulching the leaves. Make sure that no more than 20 percent of the turf is covered by tree leaves after being mulched.

The leaves have been mulched but there may be too much litter left on the surface. Mow more often to chop up the leaves or collect the remaining leaves that fall.

What leaves make the best mulch?

recommendations according the University of Minnesota Extension.

• Western Minnesota (non-coarse textured soils): Fall application of either anhydrous ammonia or urea are recommended practices.

• Southeastern Minnesota: Fall application of nitrogen fertilizer is not recommended regardless of soil temperature because of the karst geology.

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PAGE 4 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

NOT IN MY HOUSE: KEEP PESTS AND USE MULTI-FACETED APPROACH TO TAKE BACK YOUR HOME

By Sam Wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

Local homeowners are advised to take a multi-pronged approach to prevent mice and other critters from entering homes.

Raleigh’s Ace Hardware owner Matt Raleigh advised people

“If you have any points where they can get in, fill them up with foam,” he said. “You can also put something around that distracts them from coming in.”

Raleigh suggested using the Mouse Magic mice repellent product to prevent rodents from

“You don’t want to have mice around, because they are pretty destructive and kind of gross.”

— Matt Raleigh, owner of Raleigh’s Ace Hardware

make sure holes in houses and foundations are properly covered.

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entering stored boats, campers, RVs and farm equipment and

Fresh Cab rodent repellent in places homeowners do not often visit. Steel wool is advised to be placed in places with a lack of insulation.

Raleigh said mice traps or poison products could be used.

“You don’t want to have mice around, because they are pretty destructive and kind of gross, pooping everywhere,” he said.

“So it’s good to not have pests in your house.”

Raleigh suggested homeowners survey their homes and garages, look for cracks in the foundation

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The foam expands to fill gaps and cracks up to 1 inch big. The airtight bond helps keep mice out (and drafts down).

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | PAGE 5

CRITTERS OUT OF YOUR HOME THIS FALL Another “green” repellant, the botanical repellant is safe for indoor use. Where you don’t want rodents, that’s where you want your Fresh Cab pouches.

The natural ingredients in Bondide’s Bat Magic repels bats from their favorite places: your attics, blinds, wall voids and chimneys.

These ready-to-use scent packs use natural ingredients to repel mice. It is people and pet safe when used properly. You can use it in your home, garage and attic.

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PAGE 6 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

GET READY TO (NOT) FREEZE

TAKE CARE OF PIPES TO PREVENT PROBLEMS

By Sarah Kocher

sarah.kocher@albertleatribune.com

When baby, it’s cold outside, it’s more than just your extremities that need a little extra protection against the cold.

According to Jeff Kelley of Kelley

Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, any pipes that won’t be treated to your indoor heating will require attention ahead of the winter.

This includes outdoor pipes, but it also includes pipes that may run through your crawl spaces or across your garage ceiling into the upstairs of your home.

“If they freeze, they could break, and if they break, then they’ve got the potential for a pretty big problem,” Kelley said.

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Additionally, plumbing that will not be used in the winter — such as those in an outbuilding or a house that will sit empty — should be prepared for the weather. Pipes can be winterized by injecting antifreeze. To rid the pipes of water, Kelley said they can either be disassembled and drained or have air pumped through them.

Antifreeze can also be put in drain traps and toilets. Avoid the automotive stuff, and go for the kind of antifreeze you would use for an RV, he said.

Most people can take care of this themselves with a trip to the hardware store. Kelley said there are kits available to help homeowners insulate their pipes. You can also use heat tape.

In the basement, double-check your pump discharge valve. Kelley said most homeowners will switch the valve to inside drainage when the clocks fall back. This will avoid the line freezing outside.

However, a lot of the work Kelley said he does during the winter season is outside faucet repair. He

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | PAGE 7

WINDOWS Continued from Page 2

If you do decide to replace windows on your home, Field said there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The first is to remember why you are replacing the window. He said knowing why you’re

WINTERIZE Continued from Page 8

looking to create a winter scape in their yard — ice and snow can make for some interesting scenes when resting on the elements in the yard.

replacing the window can make it a lot easier to decide on a new one. He also said to educate yourself before you go out shopping, especially if you plan on installing it yourself.

“You can go out and find something that fits your style, fits your budget and install it yourself, that’s Most shrubs and plants can be trimmed or pruned in the fall, but there are some that should wait until spring. Spring-blooming plants such as lilac or rhododendron shouldn’t be pruned until after they’ve bloomed in the springtime. Pruning them in the

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PAGE 8 | FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2018

GET GARDENS WINTER READY PROPER TRIMMING, PROTECTING FROM WEATHER HELPFUL

Know where, when to apply fall nitrogen fertilizer

By Colleen Harrison

colleen.harrison@albertleatribune.com

When it comes to winterizing your garden, what to do depends on what and where you plant.

According to Tony Hill, retail manager of Hill’s Gardens in Albert Lea, there are different ways to combat the harsh winter elements and their effect on your garden.

Surrounding plants with leaves, mulch or wood chips is a good way to protect the root system of

Cut plants back right above the nodes.

Hill’s Gardens Retail Manager Tony Hill demonstrates fall pruning on a baby lace shrub in the business’s greenhouse. COLLEEN HARRISON/ALBERT LEA TRIBUNE

plants. While most might think it’s to protect the roots from freezing, Hill said it’s to keep the

An already-pruned bobo shrub.

roots from thawing and freezing multiple times throughout the winter when sunnier, warmer days come into play. The back and forth puts stress on the plants.

For more tender plants, covering the plant in burlap is another option. Plants such as perennial daisies or butterfly bush should be pruned back and covered, Hill said. Any plants that are in their first year of being in your yard should be covered.

See WINTERIZE, Page 7

Fall leaves: Should I mulch them or bag them?

Many homeowners wonder if they should be collecting and removing tree leaves from their lawns prior to mowing, or if the tree leaves can be mulched (mown) into the lawn. Like many recommendations for lawn management decisions, this one

can also be answered with the phrase, “it depends.”

It will be difficult to fully mulch this many leaves and not cause problems to the turf before going into winter. Collect them and compost off-site.

How to decide

A number of factors will de-

termine whether you should be mulching your tree leaves or collecting them, including:

• What amount of leaves are present before and after mowing?

• How long after being mulched will the leaves be on the grass?

• What are the air and soil temperatures in the next few weeks?

See LEAVES, Page 3

ST. PAUL — According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the recent cold-weather snap has cooled soil temperatures quickly in the northern regions of the state to the point where it may be safe to apply fall fertilizer. The southern areas of the state are still a bit warmer and delaying fall application is advised.

The MDA is urging farmers and applicators to check soil temperature and delay fall application of anhydrous ammonia and urea fertilizer until soil temperatures stay below 50° F. To assist tracking soil temperature, the MDA provides real-time soil temperatures at 25 locations across the state. The website includes a map with MDA sites with soil thermometers at a six-inch depth, North Dakota Ag Weather Network sites at four-inch depths, and research sites at various depths.

“There are areas of the state where fall application of nitrogen fertilizer is simply not recommended due to groundwater contamination conSee FERTILIZER, Page 3