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Is your retic ready for the warmer months?

It’s time to start thinking about your gardens and getting them prepared for the Summer months.

Reticulation can save time, money and water, but to keep them performing at their best, they do require some regular maintenance. Before the heat really sets in, it might be a good time to give yours a bit of an annual check up. Here are some indicators that may suggest you need to undertake some maintenance;

Unwanted water features and fountains
Reticulation leaks are often caused by broken retic sprinkler heads, or root damage caused to your irrigation pipe work, by bushes, trees, and plant roots.

Reduced pressure and blocked sprinkler heads
Blocked sprinkler heads are one of the main causes of patching within your lawn. Patches of Brown dead grass appear slowly over the first few months of spring and summer, then before you know it the law is half dead. .

Solenoid valves not operating
At the heart of every irrigation system is the solenoid valve. This elusive piece of equipment normally lies in the ground, and would ideally be surrounded by a “fit for purpose” irrigation solenoid box. However they are prone to environmental factors like water ingress, root damage, traffic damage and general wear and tear.

Controller no longer working
Most retic controllers will last for many years without any problems, but occasionally they will go bad, and in most cases replacement is the cheapest and quickest form of action.

System won’t shut down
In most cases a system that won’t shut down can be attributed to a faulty reticulation solenoid valve, or a faulty controller.

High water bills
You may have a leak in your retic system, or it could be your reticulation controller acting up, or it could just be a programming issue.

If you would like any assistance with any retic repairs or new installations, please give us a call on 9493 8200 and we’d be happy to provide you with a quote.  

Top Spring gardening tips

Spring is undoubtedly the happiest time for gardeners. Leaves emerge from dormant shrubs and trees, wisteria and roses burst into bloom, flowering annuals cover garden beds and the soil is wet and warm. The weather entices us all outdoors to frolic about in the dirt and get cracking on some chores.

Clear Weeds

If you haven’t been brave enough to weather the storms this winter, this is the last chance to stop the weed seeds from burying themselves into the ground for next year’s weed crop.

Refresh your garden bed soil

Add manures, wetting agent and compost. Lightly turn this over into the beds.

 Potted plants

Most potted plants will need to be repotted or at least some fresh potting mix added to the top layer. This is the best time to do it. Give plants a light trim first before digging out some of the soil with a hand trowel. Top up with fresh potting mix with a bit of added compost.

Herb Garden

Refresh the herb garden. The warm or semi-tropical herbs will have died off or succumbed to fungal diseases.

Mulch

Check the level of your mulch. If it’s less than 5cm it may need to be topped up before November.

Citrus Trees

Fertilise your citrus trees. Oranges, limes and lemons will continue to flower and set fruit.

Lawns

Check your lawn for dead patches. It may need top dressing with a compost and loamy sand-based soil blend. You can mow it short to get all the good stuff into the subsoil.

Roses

Roses are going to start their blooming with great abundance soon. Remember to protect their leaves from fungal diseases with a preventative spray of one part organic milk to 10 parts water.

Get your garden winter ready

The weather is starting to cool down which means the garden is slowly starting to grow dormant. Before you put the gardening tools away, there are still a few things that you can do to ensure that your garden is ready for winter and that it has a head start on the new growing season.

Mulch
During the colder months, although it doesn’t look like it on the outside, there is a lot of activity occurring under the ground. Your trees, plants, shrubs and bulbs all have growing roots that require nutrients. Mulch will provide these nutrients as it decomposes over winter as well as protecting them from the weather. Mulch will give your plants the head start they need for Spring.

Aerate your lawn
Aerating your lawn will help to improve drainage and ensure the winter rains can penetrate to the roots. Just simply use a garden fork and make deep holes across the entire lawn. It’s also a good idea to give your lawn a good feed after you have aerated it so that the nutrients are well circulated within the soil and it can establish itself for the new season.

Do a big clean up
Go through and give you garden a good tidy up, like removing old and dead plants, branches, leaves and those pesky weeds. It can be time consuming but it means that you won’t have a huge job waiting for you in the spring!

Start a compost heap
Put all your grass clippings from your lawn, any leaves that have fallen from your trees, plant cuttings, shredded paper, and your household scraps (not meat, dairy or other vermin attractors though), and they’ll slowly break down to create a lovely, rich compost that you can use in the spring.

Give your gardening tools a bit of love!
Before you pack away your lawn mower and gardening tools into the shed or garage, why not take the opportunity to give them a bit of a spring clean so they are ready to go in Spring. Get your shears and secateurs sharpened, wash and dry your shovels and garden forks and brush off grass trimmings from under your mower and give it a good clean too.

Deck care for Winter

It’s important to keep your deck clean all year round but sometimes when the cold, wet weather hits we don’t tend to venture outside as often and we forget to do this.

Maintaining your deck during the winter months can be an easy and simple task if you follow a few steps:

  • Keep you deck free of any lose debris such as lawn clippings, leaves, rocks & gravel and rubbish; sweep these away so that they are not “walked in” to your deck nor create scratches in the timber.
  • If you find that you do get a large quantity of leaves on your decking, it might we worth considering cutting back any trees in the area to limit the amount of leave debris.
  • Try to keep your deck free of excess water. Your deck obviously dries quicker in Summer due to the warmth of the sun, but it’s important at all times of the year to limit the presence of moisture on your decking and ensure your decking has adequate ventilation. Excess water can create slippery surfaces and a perfect habitat for mould to grow.
  • If you do see any mould or mildew on your decking during winter, remove it immediately to prevent any further damage to your decking.
  • Be careful when placing pot plants directly on your decking as this may create staining. Since most pot plants have water drainage holes in the bottom, the water drains on to your decking and has nowhere to evaporate. If you do have pot plants on your decking, regularly move them around the area to help prevent any staining.

Follow these simple steps over the next few months and your decking will be in top condition for when the warmer months arrive for you to sit back, relax and enjoy.

Why would I need to build a “granny flat”

The term “granny flat” is often mistaken as being just that, a small home for your granny! But now days there are many different reasons why people choose to build a granny flat on their property. A granny flat is a very cost effective alternative for a 2nd dwelling. The uses for a granny flat are endless and can adapt to your lifestyle as it changes. It may start off being a space to run your home business and then turn into a retreat for your teenage children. Once they move out, it could be the perfect place for your elderly parents to live rather than a nursing home. No matter what the reason, a granny flat is a worthwhile, versatile and profitable addition to any home.

Down sizing? A lot of “empty nesters” who absolutely love their neighbourhood but don’t need the great big home any more choose to build a granny flat on their land. This means they can stay living where they love in a new, modern and low maintenance home… but best of all they can reap the great financial rewards from renting out their other home.

Retirement / over 50’s village alternative… Over 50’s villages and retirement homes are not for everyone, they are very expensive to buy into and there are many strict rules and restrictions on the occupants. They can often feel cramped and claustrophobic and lack the privacy that most people desire. But the worst part of owning a dwelling in one of these villages is that you can never own the title of the land, the land belongs to the village owner so you do not have the option of a reverse mortgage or seniors mortgage on it. They have quite high entry and exit fees as well which makes selling your property quite hard and banks will not lend people the money to buy it off you because the land does not come with the dwelling.

Children can save for their own home...We all want to help our children to achieve the great Aussie dream of owning their own home. Unfortunately, the sky rocketing rental market and the high cost of living makes it near impossible for young Australians to save for that elusive home deposit. Your young adult children can live in a granny flat on your land and stop throwing money away on rent.

Work from home… Operating a home based business is a growing trend as there are so many personal and financial benefits besides just saving on rent. You can work the hours that suit you and your family, saving on fuel and parking fees and not paying rent when you have holidays, just to name a few. By keeping your home based business separated from your home you are not only creating a much more professional atmosphere but you are able to still separate work from home which is very important for life balance.

Many small business owners know how expensive the rent plus out goings are on a commercial premises which can make it near impossible for a business to make a profit. By building a granny flat / studio on your own land you are not paying your land lords mortgage for them but you are substantially increasing the value of your own home.

Disability/elderly care…Caring for a loved one with a sickness or disability in your own home can be very demanding. As much as you love them and want to care for them it can put an incredible strain on the relationship. If your loved one moves in with you it may mean that you have to modify your own home to suit their special needs which sometimes isn’t what you really want. A granny flat gives you the convenience and peace of mind of having your loved one close by without encroaching on your own space, but most importantly it will give them a feeling of independence and they have their own sanctuary.

Teenage retreat…As children get bigger they get noisier and crave for more independence, privacy and a space of their own. A granny flat is the perfect solution for big kids to move out of the house without leaving home. Years later if the children ever leave home the granny flat can always be rented out for another source of income. It is a very good feeling to know that you can house your children and loved ones in times of need.

Extra income from investment… Two income streams from a single property is surely better than one, and the humble granny flat is providing attractive cash flow for many savvy investors. A standard granny flat costing around $100,000.00 to build will most likely fetch around $250.00 per week rent which equates an attractive yield of 13%. With the cost of living constantly rising, a second income will never go astray. With the shortage of affordable housing in most areas of Australia, you will always be able to collect rent from your granny flat if you desire or you can move into the granny flat yourself and rent out your home. There is nothing to lose on an investment property with 2 sets of income…it can only be a positive thing.

Tips to keeping your garden healthy and thriving all year round

WATERING
Many home owners unnecessarily over water their lawns and gardens. The best way to water your turf is to give less frequent, but deep waterings. The water will penetrate deep into your soil, and the top layer of soil will dry out. This will encourage roots to grow deep searching for water, making them much more drought and heat tolerant requiring less water. If you water every day, the top layer of soil stays moist which allows the turfs roots to be lazy and stay on the top. When the sun bakes down onto the soil, the top layer where all the roots are dries out quickly and you will see your turf wilt during heat. If the roots are deep down, they will be protected from the heat and will have plenty of moisture available to them as the lower soil layers are still moist.

AERATING YOUR LAWN
Aerating your lawn each year will also allow water to penetrate deeply. If you are preparing a new lawn to be laid, ensure there is organic matter or more actual soil and not a sandy mixture in the lower layers for roots to establish in. If you turf underlay is too sandy, it will drain very freely and you will need to irrigate more often. A sandy layer is fine for the top 50mm, allowing the water to easily infiltrate deep into the lower layers which will hold the moisture.

LAWN MOWER HEIGHT
Raise the height of your lawnmower so that the turf has longer leaf blades. A higher cut turf will shade roots much more than a short cut lawn.

MULCH
Mulch garden beds 50-100mm thick to retain moisture and prevent soil drying out from heat and wind. Wind will quickly dry out soils and mulch will help retain moisture.

WETTING AGENTS
Use a wetting agent to help overcome hydrophobic (Water repellent) soil. Over time some soils can repel water due to the individual soil particles being coated in oils from breaking down mulch or leaves from nearby trees. A wetting agent will help remove these oils allowing your soil to absorb water again. The addition of organic materials such as composted manures and mushroom compost can also help hydrophobic soils and aid water absorption.

SAVE WATER
Install a weather station so that your controller will adjust run times based on actual weather at your property. Weather stations save around 30% of water use by reducing run times during cooler weather and increasing run times during warmer weather, instead of a pre-set amount of time regardless of what the weather has been doing.

PLANTING
Group plants together that have the same water requirements, in other words don’t plant thirsty plants with drought hardy plants.

Possible causes for loss of water pressure in your home

Water leaks can spring up anywhere in your plumbing system, including behind your walls, under your floors, or even in your home’s concrete slab foundation. Hidden water leaks can go on for some time before the signs are obvious, at which point the damage is already done.

If you suspect you have a leak because your water bill is going up, you hear water running somewhere, or you have tell-tale signs of water damage, the following causes could be to blame;

External causes

  • there could be a burst pipe, leak, fracture or fault in the area’s water supply.
  • Changes to the local water basin
  • Pinched sewer lines caused by invasive tree roots
  • A fracture in the local water main leading to clogged water lines
  • Work being done on your area’s water supply can also be another reason behind low water pressure, both planned maintenance work and unplanned water interruptions.

Internal causes

  • a fault in the plumbing layout
  • Have you recently had new appliances installed in your home, or renovation work done? This can sometimes affect your water pressure if someone has used the stop tap or stop valve outside your property and left it partially closed.
  • leaks in a water main, or a leaking or running toilet. Look out for water spots or puddles near the water fixtures in your home, or a dripping sound if the problem is a leaking tap. There could also be a leak outside your home, at the point where your house’s water main joins up with the local supply.
  • Obstructions in the supply pipes are another cause of water flow problems. A build-up of mineral deposits, dirt, sand, algae and even gravel can cause blockages in your home’s water lines.
  • Similarly, corrosion can cause low water pressure as rust from old iron pipes may plug up valves and pipes. Disintegrating plastic pipes can be another issue.

To accurately detect a leak, get a licensed plumber to take a look and to pinpoint the exact source of the leak, they will more than likely use acoustic microphones, pipe locators and nitrogen gas.

Reasons you may need self-storage

Moving
One of the common reasons for renting a self storage facility is when people are moving to a new home or are in the process of selling their existing home to de-clutter. Many people move around the country during the year, and a lot of these people are using a storage solution for storing their surplus household belongings. Especially when moving interstate or to a to a new city, if you’re unsure about the size and space of your new home, you can use a self storage facility until such time you have settled into your new home. Many people are also using a self storage facility when selling there home before actually moving. A neat, tidy and orderly house will be more attractive buyers and ultimately lead to a higher sale price. So de-clutter and make the rooms of your home clean and well arranged by storing surplus belongings in a self storage facility.

Matrimony
Particularly for people that are remarrying or getting married later in life that have accumulated a lot of personal household items you may require the services of a self storage facility. Imaging the space you are going to need when you are merging two households with additional kitchen appliances, furniture, big electronic items fridges, washing machines etc. You can store these surplus belongings in a personal self storage facility until you can use them or arrive at a decision to either sell or donate the surplus items. Self storage is also an excellent solution for storing all your wedding gifts providing a safe and secure environment until you are ready for them in your home.

Anticipating a new member in your family
Then new baby is going to arrive into the family soon and you need to make some space. Clear up the unused bedroom or home-office space by putting everything into storage, even if it only for short term until you get organised and decide what to do with it.

College Education/ Higher Studies
When children grow up and go to college, parents typically to go through the period of “empty nesting” and may look to refurbish a child’s room into a multi-media room or workout and relaxation room. Why not put your child’s belongings into a self storage facility and leave the decision up to them if they want to retain their childhood belongings. And we all know that it is very common these days that after completing their studies, children move back home, and so the room shall have to be again changed back to a bedroom. Alternatively they may just collect it from the self storage facility and take it to their new home.

Downsizing a Home
When you retire from your job and the kids have moved on you generally require lesser items/ belongings in your life. This maybe a period when you start thinking of downsizing your home. Nonetheless, you’re yet not ready to give up all your belongings just yet that you have proudly accumulated during your life’s journey. So considering a self storage unit to store the excess belongings securely until such time as you decide what to do with them is sometimes a perfect option.

How to avoid electrical accidents

Turn off appliances you’re not using

When you’ve finished using, or you’re not using, an electrical appliance, make sure that you turn it off at the switch. For example, if you’re done using your mobile phone charger, make sure you unplug it, if you’re using appliances that generate heat, double check that you switch it off and unplug it when you leave the room. A great habit to get into is doing a routine check when you leave the house to make sure that everything is properly switched off and unplugged.

Don’t overload sockets

This is probably one of the most important rules to follow. Never overload your sockets with dual plugs and extension cords. A good rule of thumb is to use one plug per socket. If you use extension cords, make sure that it has a fuse that will kick off when it overloads.

No liquids

Another vital rule is to keep cables, plugs and all electrical devices away from liquids. When you’re in the kitchen or bathroom, make sure to keep your electrical appliances away from water and only handle them with dry hands. Do not stand in water while using electrical appliances and don’t fill up your electronic kettle while it’s still plugged in.

Covering cords

It might be tempting to hide that annoying cord under your rug but is poses another potential hazard. Someone can easily trip over a covered cord as well as you won’t be able to see the condition of the cord if it’s covered. An electrical cord should always stay as cool as possible so when you cover it, you prevent it from cooling down naturally.

Don’t expose wires to heat

When using several appliances in the kitchen, be aware of cords that may hang over the stove top or toaster. This is extremely dangerous.

No foreign objects

There’s nothing more annoying than not being able to get your toast out of the toaster, but don’t let that cloud your judgement and drive you to stick your finger or a knife into the toaster. This is extremely dangerous and may give you an electric shock as the electrical appliance is still plugged in.

Socket Safety

When you’re not close to a socket or plug, it’s tempting to want to yank the cord out of the wall. This is very dangerous and can damage the plug, outlet or appliance.

Small children have a fascination with sockets, so the best practice is to put safety caps on any unused sockets to prevent them from sticking foreign objects in them.

Maintenance

Always monitor the condition of your plugs, cords and sockets. Check them regularly for flaws, twists, damaged or exposed electrical wires and burns around sockets or plugs. If you find any problems, get a licenced electrician to fix it and don’t try to repair it yourself.

Is your retic ready to SPRING into action?

As we emerge from the Winter season we are all ready to burst into Spring and begin enjoying some warmer conditions and lighter mornings. The winter rain has encouraged the plants in the garden to grow and lawn to become greener but as we head towards Summer we can expect rainfall to steadily decrease until next February.

 

Is your reticulation system ready for action?

With the winter sprinkler ban behind us we can now consider switching the retic back on after its long hibernation. But is it still working?

 

There are many common issues that property owners experience when attempting to switch on irrigation systems once again in Spring.

These include:

  • Leaks
  • Broken or clogged sprinkler heads
  • Faulty reticulation controllers
  • Low water pressure
  • Zones not working

It’s not always easy to find the source of the problem. Property owners generally don’t have the time to properly investigate the nature of issues or own the correct tools for the job. This can mean repeat visits to your garden centre which can prove expensive, frustrating and time consuming. To add to the expense, Water rates have seen a steady increase over recent years so water leaks on your irrigation system can also prove expensive through water wastage if not identified and repaired quickly.

Recommendations

  • Switch on your reticulation system and carry out a test cycle
  • Visually check all sprinkler heads are working through the test cycle
  • Check timer on controller is working and program system to operate for your nominated watering days.

 

Don’t know your watering days in Perth?

You can find them here: http://www.watercorporation.com.au/save-water/watering-days

Watering tips

  • Sprinklers can only be used between 6pm and 9am on your watering days
  • Remember to only water once on your watering days
  • Watering in the morning is best – water soaks into the roots and is available throughout the day
  • Remember to switch off your sprinklers when rain is forecast

You may know your watering days but does your irrigation controller? A water-wise garden irrigator can help you set your irrigation for your rostered watering days.