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DIY PEST CONTROL TIPS FOR SUMMER

In the kitchen— Pests thrive in dirty, damp atmospheres. Keep the kitchen counters, stove-tops, racks and drawers

clean. Wipe surfaces regularly with a disinfectant cleaner. Make sure food containers are sealed and no overlooked food particles are left to attract insects. Overripe, rotting produce can also attract pests like house flies.

Eliminate standing water—Pests such as mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Clean the area around your house and make sure the grade of your property and all the drains direct water away from the home.

Garbage removal—Ideally, garbage should be disposed of every single day. An accumulation of garbage can lead to cockroach and rodent infestation, which worsenswhen rotten food particles are present. Keep your outdoor bin located away from the house, if possible. Maintain your foliage—In your garden, fill in low spots where water can accumulate and prune any plants on a regular basis to avoid wild, bushy growths. Cut back any shrub or tree branches that contact the house because they can serve as a bridge for tree-borne pests to access your home. Clean your gutters—Accumulated leaves and organic debris in gutters can give ants and other pests a happy home. Clean the gutters seasonally and consider adding gutter covers if tree fallout is a common problem. Fight an infestation—Familiarize yourself with the many available DIY pest-control kits, which fall into three major categories: Crawling Insects; Flying Insects; Rodent and Wildlife Control. Products include insecticide concentrates, traps, powders, aerosol sprays and more, and instructions for application are usually specific to the type of pest or insect you’re trying to remove.

CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES CONSIDER MAJOR CHANGES TO PRICING

According to a recent study from Umpqua Bank, U.S. construction companies are employing a number of strategies to become more efficient and position themselves for a rocky economy.

Nearly 5 in 10 construction companies surveyed as part of Umpqua's Bank's 2022 Business Barometer, a nationwide study of small and middle market companies, expect conditions to worsen over the next year. Concern over inflation, which ranks as the overall top concern of construction companies, appears to drive a mixed outlook for the industry. More than 8 in 10 expect their prices to increase, with 51% also anticipating a corresponding spike in revenue.

More than 7 in 10 surveyed companies are also having difficulty finding qualified employees, and supply chain disruption continues to pose a significant hurdle. Only half of construction companies surveyed say they've been able to purchase the goods in a timely manner needed to run their businesses.

In response to challenges, 78% of construction leaders are likely to make significant changes to their pricing models. In addition, a solid percentage of construction leaders have other strategic moves in mind, including automating more repetitive tasks (63%), making significant changes to products or services (45%), increasing their real estate footprint (41%), and financing expansion of their business (23%). For more insights, visit www.umpquabank.com/business-barometer.

COST OF LIVING MAY BE HOLDING HOMEOWNERS BACK FROM CRITICAL HOME MAINTENANCE

Hippo, a home-insurance group focused on proactive protection, released its 2022 Homeowner Preparedness Report, surveying of nearly 2,000 U.S. homeowners and renters.

With national inflation rates reaching a high of 9.1 percent already this year, homeowners today have been more hesitant than in previous years to complete important home maintenance projects, with more than half of first-time homeowners (51%) putting them off due to inflation and price increases, and just one in five homeowners (20%) setting aside money or creating a budget to pay for home upgrades or maintenance. In addition to heightened financial pressures, nearly a third of homeowners (31%) surveyed say they have experienced unexpected repairs to their home in the past year that were caused by severe weather. With growing financial and climate uncertainty, establishing a preventative home care routine for homeowners to tackle smaller issues before they become costly repairs is more important than ever.

“Proactive home maintenance shouldn’t be an afterthought” said Rick McCathron, CEO of Hippo. “Instead, it should be met with a sense of confidence and accomplishment in protecting what many Americans consider their most important financial asset.” Read the full report at www.hippo.com.

REAL AMERICAN HARDWOOD COALITION LAUNCHES WEBSITE

Remove stickers, tape,caulk, putty, grime & more!

The Real American Hardwood Coalition has launched a website at RealAmericanHardwood.com designed to inspire and educate consumers.

“The website takes visitors on a digital journey to learn how and why they should choose Real American YOUR FAVORITE Hardwood flooring, cabinetry, millWIDER! NON-SCRATCH SCRAPER TOOL JUST GOT work, furniture, and other goods for their homes,” says Michael Martin, president and CEO of the National Wood Flooring Association. “Today’s consumers are overwhelmed with product choices and often believe Save Time and Effort When Cleaning Small Surfaces, Edges & Grooves! they’re buying natural and renewable hardwood products, when in fact, they’re buying look-alikes such as vinyl and plastic that are manufactured from non-renewable resources. ORIGINAL MODEL AND Now, the industry has an informative NEW WIDE BLADE FEATURES: tool that’s setting the record straight ROUNDED TIPS —BETTER and separating fact from fiction— SCRAPER THAN A FINGERNAIL backed by research and science.” FLAT-EDGED TIPS—WON’T The website educates consumers SCRATCH LIKE A SCREWDRIVER using interactive site modules to POINTED TIPS—BETTER THAN A TOOTHPICK FOR CLEANING GROOVES AND CORNERS engage consumers and compare the appearance, durability, value, home health, and environmental attributes of real wood products to faux, woodAvailable in original look alternatives.

2-packs, 5-packs and new wide blade 3-packs

Find us at www.scrigit-scraper.com, local hardware stores, and Amazon!

ASK MATT

QUESTION: What’s the best way to clean mold off a wood fence?

ANSWER: Bleach does a good job of cleaning off mold and mildew, but the type bleach makes a difference. Chlorine bleach does a fine job removing superficial mold, but it’s not as effective killing mold on porous surfaces such as outdoor wood, because the mold’s enzyme roots grow inside the pores. Chlorine bleach can’t penetrate the porous material due to its ionic structure, so the mold problem will likely return. Chlorine bleach also damages the lignin in the wood, which is what bonds the wood fibers together, and this will make it more prone to aging and splintering along the surface.

An alternative is to use oxygen bleach. An ingredient found in laundry detergent, oxygen bleach cleans fabrics without disrupting the color or damaging the material. It can be combined with water, applied to the wood and allowed to soak for 10 or 15 minutes, then it can be scrubbed and rinsed off with a garden hose. Oxygen bleach cleans the wood without damaging the fibers or harming the surrounding vegetation, so there’s no need to use drop cloths for protection. H Need more info? Visit Matt’s blog at HomeImprovementAndRepairs.com.