本文发表于2022年春季This Old House Magazine.Click here to learn how to subscribe.
为春季准备房屋的方法HomeHome
在最初的入口开始干净
Muddy footprints, salt stains, grime from who knows where: That’s winter’s legacy to your front entry. To clean this area, remove the furniture and mats, then sweep away cobwebs and dirt.
将软刷刷浸入氧气漂白液中-1/2杯每加仑温水;擦洗墙壁,窗框,门和地板。
Start low and work up, so runoff won’t leave streaks, and rinse wellwith a hose before the solution dries. Use glass cleaner on windows; scrub furniture with mild soap and water. Launder or brush out mats before setting them back in place.
Fill low spots in the lawn
Yard areas that puddle after a rain and stay that way for even a few days make ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes come summer. Fill them in now, in one of two ways.
对于不超过3英寸的浅凹陷,散布½英寸松散干燥的隔离式混合物,bob体育app苹果下载例如快速固定(Terramaxag.com)。将沙子和草种子混合在土壤中,并用金属草坪耙;根据需要的水。在六周内重复。
For deeper depressions, strip off the low spot’s existing turf layer and set it aside. Level the area with topsoil, then replace the turf and water well.
Check your sump pump
During the rainy season, a failed sump pump increases the risk of a flooded basement. Make sure your pump is working with this simple test: Pour a bucket of water into the sump (the pit the pump rests in) to lift the float switch; that should turn the pump on.
Make sure the float moves up and down freely, the pump runs smoothly with no unusual noises, and the sump empties swiftly. If that doesn’t happen, you could have a clogged pipe, a stuck impeller, or a broken check valve. Call a sump-pump repair service to get a diagnosis. And if you don’t already have a backup battery for your pump, consider getting one: An overflowing sump is the last thing you need to worry about if the power fails.
“For maximum impact, plant perennials of the same type in masses in beds and borders; that way, they’ll deliver a big splash of color when they bloom at the same time.” -Jenn Nawada,This Old HouseLandscape Contractor
Give garden soil a boost
By adding biochar, a type of highly porous charcoal, you can improve your soil’s water-holding capacity, fertility, and microbial activity while keeping nutrients from leaching out. First, blend the char (nextchar.com) with an equal amount of compost and let it rest for at least 10 days while the char locks in the compost’s nutrients. Then add more compost to the fortified blend to make an 80-20 mix and rake it into the soil.
覆盖您的窗户井
这些地下室的开口允许自然光线,但还会收集必须定期清理的碎屑,将窗户暴露在雨天和雪上,捕获小动物,并带来旅行和跌落危险。
As a preventive measure, install window-well covers made of tempered glass or polycarbonate plastic. They still give you light while keeping everything else out of the well. If you have a below-grade living area that requires emergency egress, make sure that the cover you get can be opened or removed from the inside.
是时候进行白蚁检查了
These tiny insects can nibble on wood undetected, unless you keep an eye out for their telltale signs each spring. Outside, look on foundation walls for the mud tubes made by subterranean termites traveling from their nests up into your house.
在内部,一种不同的类型(干木白蚁)散发出类似于地板和窗户和门框附近的盐和胡椒粉的微粒。随着天气的温暖,两种飞行以寻找新房,然后脱下翅膀,将它们放在窗台上。HomeHome看到这些迹象吗?打电话给专业的灭虫者。
“If a nailhead pops up on your wood deck, don’t just hammer it back down. Pull it out and replace it with a longer nail or screw. If the wood in the nail hole is soft and wet, fill the hole first with a wood splinter covered with polyurethane glue to get a tight fit.” – Tom Silva,This Old House总承包人
Keep conifers in shape
当他们推出新的增长时,减少了这些常绿植物,但是当您这样做时,请放轻松;针叶树不会从修剪错误中迅速康复。为了控制那些带有树枝的人的大小,例如松树和云杉,一旦他们长2至4英寸,就可以删除新增长尖端的½至1⁄3。
要保持工厂的当前尺寸,请在其长度长的时候卸下整个尖端。在随机分支的针叶树上,例如杜松和阿只植物,在休眠芽前的一个分支沿着任何地方修剪。当您仅修剪本赛季初的绿色树枝时,新的增长将掩盖任何切割的末端。