What is the best thing to cover plants with during a freeze?

Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp. You can also invert baskets, coolers or any container with a solid bottom over plants. Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air.

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How do you build a hurricane proof shed?

How to Build a Hurricane Proof Storage Shed Build a hurricane-proof foundation. Secure floor frame to the foundation. Build strong walls. Install...

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The size of your shed determines the size of the skids you need. Pressure treated lumber is recommended and should last longer and support the...

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Are shed plans easy to follow?

These are! They guide you every step of the way to complete your dream shed.

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Know The Limits

In order to understand what steps to take when freeze warnings threaten, you need to know the point at which treasured greenery fades to frost-burned brown. The general rule of thumb is that most plants freeze when temperatures remain at 28°F for five hours. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. Seedlings, with their tender new leaves, often give up the ghost when temperatures dip to 32-33°F. Tropical plants have differing low-temperature thresholds. Some keel over when temps fall to 40°F; others crumble at 35°F. Other plants are just hardy by nature and can withstand temperatures as low as 18-20°F. To find the threshold for your plants, search garden books and online resources.

Quick Fixes For Frost Warnings

Pick It Up – The easiest cold-protection scheme is to move plants out of harm's way. This works with seedlings in flats and potted plants. Moving plants under a deck, into a garage or shed, or onto a porch with a roof often offers ample protection. Count On Water – Water soil just before sundown to raise overnight air temperature around plants as the water evaporates. Fill gallon jugs or buckets with water and place them in the sun during the day. At night, move them near endangered plants. The water will moderate air temperatures; if it freezes, it will release heat. For greatest effect, paint a few water-holding containers black to maximize daytime heating. Keep Air Moving – Cold, still air does the most damage to plants. Stir a breeze all night with an electric fan to keep frost from forming on plants. Remember to protect electrical connections from moisture. Cover Plants – Protect plants from all but the hardest freeze (28°F for five hours) by covering them with sheets, towels, blankets, cardboard or a tarp. You can also invert baskets, coolers or any container with a solid bottom over plants. Cover plants before dark to trap warmer air. Ideally, coverings shouldn't touch foliage. Anchor fabric coverings if windy conditions threaten. In the morning, remove coverings when temperatures rise and frost dissipates. Heat from the sun can build beneath solid coverings, and plants can die from high temperatures. Break Out Blankets – Keep gardening blankets, often called row covers, on hand. These covers are made from synthetic fibers or plastic in varying thicknesses. Lay row covers directly on plants, or create a tunnel by suspending them over a bed using stakes. Turn On Lights – An incandescent light bulb generates sufficient heat to raise nearby air temperature enough to protect a plant from the deep freeze. Bulbs must be close to plants (within 2-3 feet) for this technique to work. (Fluorescent bulbs don't generate enough heat for this chore.) Protect Individual Plants – Install hot caps – rigid plastic containers with venting holes – over individual seedlings at planting time. Hot caps act like cloches (mini greenhouses), but venting holes eliminate the daily chore of placing and removing the covering. Create the equivalent of a hot cap using plastic two-liter bottles or gallon jugs with bottoms cut off and lids removed (but saved). Replace lids at night when cold temperatures swoop through. A twist on the hot cap idea is a Wall O'Water tepee, which encircles individual plants with a sleeve of water-filled tubes. The water absorbs the sun's heat during the day. At night, as the water slowly freezes, it releases the stored radiant heat of the sun, keeping air inside the tepee frost-free.

Is it cheaper to buy or build your own shed?

If you've been wondering is it cheaper to build your own shed, you'll discover that yes, it is less expensive to build your own shed than to...

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Depending on the region and type of use, a shed may also be called a shack, outhouse, or "outbuilding".

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What should I fix first in an old house?

Our Answer. You are absolutely on the right path by tackling the roof and gutters first. There's no sense in working on other areas until the home is protected from water damage. I'd also suggest checking all window and door flashing (as well as on the roof) to make sure it's moving water away from the house.

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Old House Repairs: What should I fix first?

I would like to start with the roof and eliminate some water intrusion. My wife and I cannot agree. The house is about 110 years old and does need a lot of work. Where to start?

When planning to start on an old house what would be the first thing to do? The roof and gutters or the inside?

Our Answer

You are absolutely on the right path by tackling the roof and gutters first. There’s no sense in working on other areas until the home is protected from water damage. I’d also suggest checking all window and door flashing (as well as on the roof) to make sure it’s moving water away from the house. And how water drains away from the home is just as important. Downspouts need to extend 10 feet from the home. Because this is a tripping hazard and can be unsightly, bury them underground, and use PVC pipe, which is sturdier and less prone to clogging than the typical black corrugated piping. Once the house is dry and protected, I’d suggest moving on to windows and doors to help with energy efficiency. This will also give you a controlled environment while tackling the rest of your indoor projects.