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Who Else Wants Picturesque Hardscaping?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

A beautiful landscape doesn’t have to be green all over

In drought-prone areas like San Antonio, there’s a new landscape design trend brewing: hardscaping. This increasingly popular choice offers a wide range of opportunities for homeowners who want to lessen their landscape maintenance chores, lower their water bills and reduce their environmental impact without sacrificing the beauty or charm that property owners everywhere crave. Hardscaping is a cost-effective choice for virtually every homeowner in central Texas.

Benefits of Hardscaping

The benefits of hardscaping vary by region, but some of the most important include:

•    Stable, supportive surfaces for chairs and other lawn furniture
•    The ability to install permanent design elements that add value to your property
•    Options to integrate traditional landscape elements like annuals and shrubs into hardscape elements like terraces and planters
•    No need to mow or trim
•    Less water use than grass or shrubbery

Common Paving Options

There are plenty of hardscaping options at … Read Full Post »

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7 Travel Tips That Outsmart Bed Bugs

. Posted by in , • Austin

The last souvenir you want to bring home from your travels is a suitcase full of bed bugs. Unfortunately, these little guys love to travel, and they have no problem getting through security without a boarding pass. Bed bugs are small, flat, brown parasitic insects with six legs and no wings. As connoisseurs of human blood, they will gleefully hide in bed sheets and wait until you fall asleep before turning you into an all-night buffet.

Bed Bugs Have Perfected the Art of Free Travel

Bed bugs are usually brought into hotels by guests. When you place your suitcase on the bed or floor, they crawl inside and hide. Because they are tiny, they may go unnoticed by hotel staff until someone complains. People enter and leave hotels and resorts constantly, so there’s no way to completely prevent bed bugs from coming in. The presence of bed bugs doesn’t indicate poor sanitation—they’re … Read Full Post »

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Insect Art Will Make Your Eyes Bug Out

. Posted by in • San Antonio

Taking pests and turning them into something beautiful

When most people think of having insects in their home, their first instinct is to call a pest control company to take care of the problem. However, there are some artists who would take a pest infestation as an opportunity to create their next line of work. As odd as it may seem to some people, there’s actually a market for a wide variety of artistic creations that are made with the bodies of deceased insects.

What Type of Items Are These Artists Creating?

Insects are used to make everything from jewelry to wall collages. In some cases, the bodies of these pests are altered with paint or the addition of new components. For example, artist Mike Libby makes up to $1,000 per piece with his steampunk inspired robo-insects. Libby has worked with bees, spiders, praying mantises, and many other insects, and the final result … Read Full Post »

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Are Your Pipes Feeling Their Age?

. Posted by in • San Antonio

And how do you know when it’s time to update your plumbing system?

Even if you don’t have a commercial plumbing system that sees dozens of uses per day, your home’s plumbing will eventually wear out. You may notice small leaks, problems with your water pressure and constant fluctuations in temperature. If you wait too long to make necessary repairs, you could face a high repair bill and other unpleasant consequences, including property damage. These are some of the clearest benefits of making a timely plumbing upgrade:

More Efficiency

If you have an older plumbing system that hasn’t been upgraded in some time, it’s probably not as efficient as a modern system. In turn, this can lead to higher water bills and unnecessary water waste, a potentially serious issue in our drought-prone neck of the woods. Despite their upfront cost, low-flow toilets, showerheads and sink fixtures tend to pay for themselves over time.

Avoiding … Read Full Post »

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Chikungunya Virus Found in Texas

. Posted by in , • San Antonio

Can Proper Pest Control Stop the Spread of Chikungunya?

Chikungunya is a potentially deadly disease that can only be transmitted by mosquitoes. According to the CDC, there are no viable medications or vaccines to treat or prevent this illness. In other words, it’s critical for everyone to be aware of this problem so that they can protect themselves and their family. Although Chikungunya has typically been found in Europe, Asia, Africa and in the Pacific and Indian oceans, it has recently made its way to America.

What Has Happened so Far in Texas?

From July 7 – August 14, 2014, the state of Texas went from confirming one human case of Chikungunya to having 10 patients diagnosed with this disease. During this time period, one mosquito has tested positive for chikungunya, and it’s still unknown if this was the result of biting an infected person or gaining entry to the U.S. by becoming … Read Full Post »

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Is Your Toilet Running Up Your Water Bill?

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Put an end to high bills with professional help to stop this annoying and expensive problem

Is your toilet running? This might sound like a corny take on an old joke, but a toilet that runs when it hasn’t been flushed can be a big problem when it comes to your water bills.

The Phantom Flush

The noise you hear when your toilet suddenly starts running out of nowhere isn’t a flush. It’s actually the sound of water filling up the tank or bowl without stopping. This is a pretty good indication that there’s something wrong with the internal workings of your toilet and that you need to take a look before it starts costing you money. To determine if you are in fact dealing with a leak, place a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait a little while. If the color winds up in the bowl, a … Read Full Post »

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ABC Austin Featured on Time Warner Cable News

. Posted by in • Austin

 

The Importance of Keeping an Eye Out for Leaks in Austin

Master Plumber Mike Yazalina and Arborist Scott Martin are members of ABC Home & Commercial Services’ Austin plumbing team, and they were recently featured in an article and video for Time Warner News. The duo discussed some of the dangers that can be caused by leaky pipes, including unexpected tree root growth in undesirable areas.

How Do Leaks Impact Tree Roots?

When most people think of a leaky pipe, their primary concern is the many problems that water damage can cause within their home. However, it’s important to remember that not all of the piping that provides your house with water is positioned in a manner that would cause it to leak indoors. Instead, these leaks can go into the soil underneath and around your home, and this is a recipe for disaster if you have trees on your property.

Tree roots seek … Read Full Post »

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3 Functional Landscaping Tips

. Posted by in • Austin

Let your Austin landscape do the work

Whether you’re a dedicated gardener or weekend warrior, taking care of the home landscape means getting your hands dirty. Why not add some smart function to all that lawn care? Here are three tips that can save on cooling costs, control the water bill and keep your yard on level ground.

1. Enjoy the Shade

Trees and shrubs around the house are a beautiful part of the landscape, but they’re also great energy savers because they lower surrounding temperatures by as much as 9 degrees. Tall shades like red maples and cedar elms can save up to 30% on cooling costs. Shrubs do their part to beat the summer heat by shading exterior walls and windows. Esperanza, Texas sage and cenizo are just a few examples of shrubs that thrive around Austin homes, and each one brings a unique look to the yard.

2. Grow More With … Read Full Post »

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Moisture, Mites and Mold: What Factors Influence Indoor Air Quality?

. Posted by in • Austin

Factors affecting home air quality and comfort

•    Temperature is a huge factor in home comfort. Drafts can result in creepy hot or cold spots that seem to come from nowhere. Temperature fluctuations can affect your sleep quality and cause headaches, sweating, shivering and bad moods. A poorly functioning air conditioner may not be able to keep up with the demands of hot Texas summers, so Austin residents are at significant risk of heat-related misery and higher-than-average energy bills.

•    Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. Most people are comfortable with a relative humidity level of about 45%. When humidity is high, the air seems hotter and heavier. If it drops too low, symptoms like dry eyes and itchy skin appear. Extremely dry air results in high static electricity levels while excessive humidity encourages mold growth, which can lead to bad smells, structural damage and health problems.

•    Ventilation is … Read Full Post »

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Tame the Fight Between Tree Roots and Sewer Lines

. Posted by in • Bryan-College Station

Protecting against a fight for the ages

It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but an epic struggle between tree roots on your property and your home’s sewer line is an alarmingly real possibility. Since tree roots care about seeking moisture and out-spreading the competition, they’re inclined to overtake anything in their path, including manmade objects like sewer lines. This can have serious ramifications for your plumbing system. Fortunately, it can be prevented in many cases.

Why Do Tree Roots Affect Sewer Lines?

Although sewer pipes are made from tough, supposedly impenetrable materials, tree roots can work their way inside them over the course of many months or years. Tree roots seek and grow through sewer lines for several reasons:

•    Sewer lines may be obstructing their natural growth pattern
•    The root may identify the line as a root from a competing tree
•    Sewer lines contain essential nutrients, including water, minerals and … Read Full Post »

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