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Feel the Berm: Earthworks Make Austin Yards Stand Out.

. Posted by in • Austin
berming austin landscaping earthworks

Positive drainage can help you protect and maintain your home’s foundation. Good builders always construct homes to have “positive” drainage. This term is civil engineering speak for: “Water flows away from the base of the house, and not towards it.”

But over time, negative drainage conditions lead to serious potential damage to the foundation of your home. Negative drainage occurs if for example, a house is missing rain gutters, or if the soil expands and contracts with moisture or temperature changes, or if there has been a general lack of maintenance over time.

Berms may be the solutions to foundation problems.

Berms are little man-made mounds with slopes that adorn the landscape. Adding a strategically located and constructed berm is one of the things you can do to prevent water from pooling near your foundation. This helps prevent expensive foundation damage, flooded crawl spaces, mold proliferation and other fun adventures in homeownership that … Read Full Post »

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The Coolest Pools in Austin, TX

. Posted by in • Austin

Spring is upon us! With such pleasant weather, it’s hard to imagine the sweltering temperatures heading our way in the next several months. Get prepared for the heat ahead of time by scoping out the best public pools Austin has to offer. Austin also has some beautiful hotel pools as well, for those times when you just need an escape, in or out of town.

For the most current opening and closing dates, fees, hours, and locations check the City of Austin’s website.

North: Northwest Hills, Allendale, Shoal Creek

Beverly S. Sheffield Northwest Municipal Pool is located in the park of the same name, near the intersection of Burnet Road and Greenlawn Parkway. It is a large pool with lanes for lap swimming, a more shallow open swimming area, and a wading pool for the little ones. There are shaded picnic tables in the pool area, as well as a playground, picnic tables … Read Full Post »

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Don’t Be Fooled: Plumbers Without Licenses Aren’t Plumbers

. Posted by in • Austin
Texas law requires plumbers to be licensed

Don’t waste your money.

So, you called Joe the “Plumber” whose number you found in your mailbox one day. Maybe he worked out, maybe he didn’t. But hey! At least, he offered you a taillight warranty! (That means the warranty expired the moment his taillights disappeared down the road.)

The city of Austin has few regulations in place that protect homeowners from shady workers without licenses. Often, a contractor without a license will do the bare minimum work required, if they even finish the job at all. If their work proves to be insufficient, you’ll never reach them on their phone or hear from them again.

When you hire an unlicensed worker, you take full responsibility for anything that goes wrong. You are liable for any injuries or damages to you, your home, or to the so-called “plumber,” who often isn’t licensed because they haven’t gone through proper training.

Texas requires that plumbers have a … Read Full Post »

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DIY Lawncare: How to Properly Lay Sod

. Posted by in • Austin
diy lawncare

The grass can be greener, after all.

Do you dream of a soft, lush lawn, where you can relax with your family on sunny days? Are you wondering how to make that dream a reality? Laying sod is your best option. Sod gives you instant visual gratification, but it is costly and requires work and resources to make sure it grows successfully. We put together a list of tips to help ensure the sod you lay turns into a beautiful lawn.

1. Select a sod appropriate for the area.

There are a handful of grasses that perform best in our Central Texas climate – St. Augustine, Zoysia, Buffalo, and Bermuda. These grasses require varying levels of water and maintenance, and they have distinct differences. St. Augustine performs well in shady areas. Zoysia grass is quite hardy but takes some time to establish. Buffalo grass requires the least work, but it is not the … Read Full Post »

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Zilker Kite Festival By The Numbers

. Posted by in • Austin
kite fest austin

The Annual Kite Festival is Sunday, March 6th, 2016!

ABC is so proud to sponsor and facilitate Austin’s world-renowned Zilker Kite Festival. We come together with the festival’s many other sponsors to bring this event to the city every year. Take a look back to the Kite Festival’s history by the numbers and join us Sunday, March 6th for day-long family-friendly activities for FREE! And learn more by visiting the Kite Festival Website.

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Our 5 Favorite Landscape Supply Stores in Austin

. Posted by in , • Austin
ABC has a full service landscape design and lawn services team

Are you thinking of starting a vegetable garden, but don’t know where to begin?

 

It can be an overwhelming process for someone new to gardening. The first things to know are what materials you need and where to go to get them. These 5 gardening supply stores in Austin will provide you with everything you need to start your vegetable garden.

The Natural Gardener (southwest)

Built on the site of an old farmstead, the Natural Gardener is not just any gardening and landscaping store – it’s a destination. Owner John Dromgoole has been a major force in Austin for bringing environmentally sustainable gardening practices to Austin, even going so far as starting his own product line. In addition to being able to purchase all the materials you need for your vegetable garden, take advantage of the numerous amenities and services available. Peruse the teaching gardens, attend a free class, say hello to the … Read Full Post »

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Rodent Tales of Terror: Austin Edition

. Posted by in • Austin
rodents can enter your home through your AC unit.

One advantage of being in the home services industry for so many years is that there isn’t a problem too large for our wildlife specialists to handle.

The quaint charm of central Austin and surrounding towns’ historic neighborhoods is magnetic. But older homes have weak, pier-and-beam foundations that have deteriorated over the years, creating the perfect entry points for rodents. Whether the issue is rats, mice, raccoons, or nutria, our team knows where to look to find the point of entry.

Because our guys have been in the business so long, they have some pretty terrifying stories to tell of rodents wreaking havoc on homes in Austin.

Tails of Terror from the Field in Austin

One thing we know is a big misconception is that rodent problems are related to economic status. This simply isn’t true. The bigger the house, the more space for rodents to hide. And the more damage they can do.

One … Read Full Post »

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Top Bed Bug Myths DEBUNKED

. Posted by in • Austin
bed bugs can infest any home in Texas

Pesticide-resistant bed bugs are invading homes across Texas

After being all but eradicated after World War II, the past 20 years has seen a bed bugs comeback in the United States. According to Brooke Borel, who wrote the book Infested: How the Bed Bug Infiltrated Our Bedroom and Took Over the World, the combination of a new species of bed bug and an increase in domestic and international travel has meant that bed bugs now have a ticket for the ride — right into your home!

There are a lot of misconceptions about bed bugs. We are setting the record straight and debunking the biggest bed bug myths out there.

Myth: You can’t see bed bugs.

Bed bugs are very small, with a tendency to hide in crevices, so they can be difficult to detect. But if you look closely, especially with a flashlight, you can often spot them. Another telltale sign of an infestation … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Really Like Cheese?

. Posted by in • Austin
Rats have become the most common pest in San Antonio

So, you have a mouse in your home, and you try to trap it with an old-fashioned (but still effective) mouse trap baited with cheese. It fails.

You just wasted a delicious piece of cheese, and the mouse trap didn’t yield any results. What went wrong?

 

What Do Mice Really like to Eat?

You may remember cartoons like Tom and Jerry from your childhood. The cat-and-mouse story is a very recognizable motif in media and especially in children’s cartoons and comics. The story usually goes like this: A curious cat spots a sly mouse on the hunt for a shiny, orange triangle of cheese, and a chase ensues. The cheese is the grand prize at the end of the story, and the mouse always manages to win this prize.

But do mice really like to eat cheese? If so, why did your mouse bait fail to bring the rodent out from hiding? And if … Read Full Post »

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6 Tips to Lower Your Austin Energy Bill

. Posted by in • Austin
Is your Austin Energy Bill to high?

Wondering Why your Austin Energy Bill is so High in the Winter?

Our customers have been fielding us with lots of questions about their Austin Energy bills over the last few months, and we are just as concerned as they are. Across the board, it seems as though our customers’ utilities are getting more expensive. KXAN investigated reports of abnormally high water bills back in the fall of 2015. Now that it’s winter, we’re getting calls about higher-than-average winter utility bills. And we think we know why.

Because Austin doesn’t reach freezing temps very often, most homeowners don’t think their heaters need as much attention as their air conditioners. But if your winter bills are sky-high, an old heater is the likely culprit.

You shouldn’t have to waste a penny to keep your family comfortable. Here are a few tips for general energy-monitoring and winter-specific ideas to lower those energy bills.

1. Take Advantage … Read Full Post »

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