Category: Views & Ramblings

1. DIY Home Improvement: Should You Pressure Wash Your Roof?

   Posted on 11:16am Thursday 16th Oct 2014

   We have been talking more and more about home improvements now the bad weather seems to be setting in and there are some jobs that are best done before the sleet and snow comes! The inside of the house is the place where things are most noticeable but what about those areas that you don't always think about?

   You may already know how useful a pressure washer is for making light work of some tough cleaning jobs, but is there any reason why you can’t also use it to remove dirt, moss and mould from your roof? I personally hadn't given it much though but apparently by just using a wider spray and start cleaning from a safe distance, you can gradually move in closer towards the roof so that you can clean the asphalt and shingles effectively. If you have a pressure washer like the ones you can get at www.karcher.co.uk, here is a look at what you need to know before you clean your roof with it.

   What’s on your roof?

   If you have an asphalt shingle roof then it is actually an excellent food source for organisms like lichen, mould, algae and mildew.

   This is because many of the asphalt shingles fitted these days contain a limestone filler which helps to add weight to the shingles and make the roof sturdier. This same limestone filler is on the menu for the algae, which will feed on it and unfortunately, degrade the quality of the roof over time and reduce its lifespan.

   Points to consider

   If you are going to be successful in your attempts to clear all the things like moss that are enjoying the free meal on your roof, you have to assess the state of your roof and see what needs to be done.

   In order to remove things like algae and lichen, the water pressure required will have to be more powerful than the pressure you are going to get from an ordinary garden hose. A pressure washer with a strong enough jet of water is perfect for the job, and pretty much the only way that you are going to successfully remove the offending organisms.

   The current state of your roof is an important consideration and you need to assess its condition before you make any attempts to clean your roof with your pressure washer. If your roof shingles are showing signs of damage or are clearly loose, you probably may want to re-consider using your pressure washer until you have had a roofer look at the roof, and repair any minor damage before you carry on with the cleaning.

   Say goodbye to algae and moss

   The answer to the original question is yes, pressure washers are fantastic tools for cleaning your roof and ridding it of some of that unsightly algae and moss.

   

   The key to making the job a successful one and getting the roof looking good again without causing any damage, is to proceed with caution and harness the power of your pressure washer but use a nozzle that allows you to get a “soft wash”.

   A garden hose doesn’t have enough pressure to shift the debris, but at the same time you don’t want to use the full power of your pressure washer and use a nozzle that projects a concentrated powerful spray of water in too small a radius. You can change the bar of your pressure washer by using nozzles that have a larger orifice, so look for the kits that allow you to do this.

   Using the right nozzle and taking a patient approach to cleaning your roof will often be the answer. Now you know another great application for using your pressure washer to keep your home looking in top shape.

   Finlay Jordan is a home maintenance professional and he has contributed towards putting this handy advice together. Always on call, he often blogs about common maintenance issues and questions from his clients to help other homeowners care for their houses.

   Now, let's hope for a spell of sunshine this Autumn, so we can get outside and get jetwashing!!

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   This post is in collaboration with Karcher.

2. Country Kids : Being brave

   Posted on 6:56am Saturday 11th Oct 2014

   We had a birthday party last week and it wasn't fuelled with sweets and soft play but instead we went to a farm party and the only thing it was fuelled by was the sweet scent of manure!

   The tween decided not to come (she had her own party at the same farm some 6 years ago, so it was clearly old news to her) but the little one relished in being able to feed all the animals herself.

   

   She wasn't quite so struck on holding some of the chicks.

   

   But was quite happy to stroke them in the basket (although we were asked to "stroke, not strangle the chicks" .... they must have known she was coming!)

   

   And while she obviously missed her big sister, she made efforts to be brave. I think she may just be an adventurer after all!

   

    

   

3. Giraffes can't dance .... or swim!

   Posted on 6:03am Wednesday 8th Oct 2014

   This week we read a new book.

   

   Giraffe's can't dance by Giles Andreae (who incidentally also wrote Purple Ronnie) and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees is a fabulous rhyming tale of Gerald the giraffe, who would sorely love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance . . . or can they?

   Poor Gerald the giraffe feels very clumsy until he meets a friendly cricket, who teaches him that we may all be different but "Sometimes all we need is a different song to dance to". This is a lovely story that celebrates the richness of differences and the possibilities created by a more personal approach. It also has something valuable to say about the impact of our own expectations of ourselves and others.

   Giraffes have featured heavily in our activities in the last week, as we have also had Jeffery the Giraffe from nursery to entertain. Now I am acutely aware that he is a stuffed animal and he has no clue that he needs entertaining but there is an expectation to complete a diary of his adventures over the week that he is with us. So reading a book about giraffes was fun .... as was taking Jeffery swimming!

   Knowing what works at swimming, is as much as knowing what song to dance to. There is little point forcing the little one to attempt things that she is not ready for but to encourage her to develop the skills she is showing naturally.

   Her confidence, like Gerald's in the book, is really starting to grow and thanks to our amazing Water Babies teachers, she really can swim.

   

   Unlike Jeffery .... no amount of swimming lessons are going to help him.

   I just hope that the little one learns the most important lesson, in that even though we may all be different, we all are able to achieve our dreams when we find the 'music that we love!' 
   

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4. New Season : New Projects : New Lifestyle

   Posted on 6:26am Monday 6th Oct 2014

   As the seasons are changing, there will be undoubtedly be more time spent indoors and the jobs that might have been "ignored" over the summer, now suddenly seem much more evident in the house. Just under 15 years ago I bought my first house, although in hindsight we bought half a house as we always had a grand design in mind for the property and doubled the size of it within 18 months. It was a mammoth project and not one that I would be inclined to repeat in a hurry but having lived in our current home for 5 years, I do have a niggling desire to create something new with our living space.

   Kitchen Island

   I have always coveted a centre island in the kitchen. I think it is a focal point and as most of our parties always end up in the kitchen, it is great for socialising too. Everyone can get round the island, stand or sit and relax. Unfortunately for me, I am not entirely sure that our kitchen would take the island that I would really like ...... or the bank balance for the kitchen of my dreams. 

   Bedroom

   Our bedroom is the one room that has not been decorated in the last 4 years and I need a fresh new look. Thankfully we have painted walls, so creating a new palette of colours shouldn't be an issue. We always seem to have a little person crawling into bed with us in the early hours of the morning so a bigger queen size bed would be perfect and in order to maximise the reduced space, we could look at building drawers into the angled wall space.

   

   Landing Light

   Our landing is a relatively big space but it is so dark without the lights on and even though I have recently changed the lighting, it is still not filled with the natural light I would like, so when a friend of mine recently started her own building project, I loved the VELUX sun tunnels  she used to maximise the natural light in her new bathroom. I was amazed to learn that the tunnel between the roof and the diffuser is 35cm in diameter and takes up minimal space in the loft, which is good for me because I have more storage boxes in the loft than insulation!

   

    

   Sometimes just a few changes can make a massive difference but if all of these things don't satisfy my lifestyle demands, I suppose in the New Year we could always look for a new house, although you know what they say? New house, new baby ...... but shhhh, just don't mention that to the Man on the Lilypad!