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186 – American Homestyle and Gardening Magazine
from:The American Homestyle and Gardening magazine can be a very useful magazine to subscribe to if you are interested in improving your home and garden. There are plenty of tips on decorating and home improvements as well as gardening and money saving tips. The magazine advertises products for the home and garden, some of them at discount prices. It also has a series of articles on homestyle and on gardening. Below are summaries of two useful articles in the American Homestyle and Gardening Magazine.
Landscape Design and Energy Efficiency
There are specific techniques that you can use in the design of your garden which will help to increase energy efficiency in your home. For example the way you place the trees and shrubs that you put outside your home can have a significant impact on the way the place is warmed and cooled. If, for example, you place deciduous trees to the south side of your home this will have an effect on the amount of hot sun on the building - thus acting as a cooling agent in the summer whilst still allowing the winter sun through
The American Homestyle and Gardening Magazine states that according to the US Department of Energy the correct placing of two or three trees will save the average household an estimated $100-$250 a year in energy costs. The trees should not be planted to close to the house however, because with maturity the roots could damage structures. Evergreens form a useful windbreak which can save on heating costs. They should be planted at a distance from the house equal to three to five times the size of a mature tree. Designing your garden therefore can be done with energy saving in mind.
Repairing Guttering
If you are redesigning your garden, while at the same time attempting to save on costs; then it is a good idea to make good any problems with your guttering. This will improve the outside appearance of your home and prevent any damp seeping through the walls. The American Homestyle and Gardening Magazine has some helpful advice on repairing guttering. Gutters sometimes develop holes – this may be a result of some damage or it could simply be corrosion from the weather. If the hole is very small then simply use roofing cement to plug it. Clear debris away from the area then put some roofing cement around the hole and smooth the cement in with a putty knife.
If the guttering has developed a large hole then you may need then you may need a small patch of metal to cover it. Cut the patch slightly larger than the hole then place some cement around the hole press the patch in place and tidy up the edges with a palette knife.
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