Have you ever tried to build a small chicken coop? If you have, you will know that there is more to it than meets the eye.
Unless you are super handy and just formulate plans in your head, it is really hard to start hammering away and buying parts when you are not 100% sure about what you are going to need and how much. This is where I burnt my fingers. The thing is, constructing anything without a proper plan is simply setting yourself up for failure.
It took about 3 weeks before I hit check mate, and I had to decide whether to cut my losses and stop the project all together, or go and find some proper designs I would be able to work with which won't frustrate me to the brink of insanity. And so the quest began...it was not easy one I assure you. The main problem I was faced with, was that the majority of instructions and guides were written for experience carpenters or diy experts - my limited knowledge and understanding of the industry simply was not sufficient to comprehend all the terms, tools and requirements.
I decided to set down some criteria which I know I would be able to work with:
1) Simple, day by day instructions
2) Simple adjustable designs to suit all yard spaces and sizes
3) No specialised tools required
4) Parts and materials which are easily available
5) Logical and practical results in terms of egg collection
6) Easily accessable support if I get stuck
With these requirements in mind, I set off to see who could meet these demands. I will have you know, it was not simple. All the different guides and authors met some of the requirements but not all of them.
After a long and tiring search, I did find a design program that met my needs...and then some. In fact, some of the additional information it gave me, I only realised later, I would not have been able to succeed without. If you are contemplating building a small chicken coop, make sure you research the different options available and make sure that which ever plan or design you go with, is one that is workable for you. The secret of success is in the plan!
If you want to save yourself a lot of time and money, make sure you check out Gary Goldman's blog called designachickencoop.com, and chicken coop pictures to give you ideas and more than 50 designs and other money saver tips.
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July 11 2010 | Home Improvement | No Comments »
Many people like the notion of having a pool in their backyard. If you do too, you should understand that it takes either a lot of work or a lot of money to install. Then there is the incessant maintenance of the pool and its water. If you are concerned that you will lose all of your garden, there is no need, because you can design your pool so that there is a fair bit of vegetation incorporated into it. In fact, there are many designs you can use when landscaping for a pool.
When landscaping for a pool, you need to have a design to work to. You can either have a tailor-made plan drawn up for your backyard, you could make your own plan or you could use one out of a magazine. There is no reason why you can not create your own design. The best way to begin would be to get some concepts from landscaping magazines or other household periodicals.
The best way of going about landscaping for a pool is to draw the precise size and shape of your backyard on a piece of graph paper to scale. Plot in any immovable objects such as downpipes, a shed or septic tank. If that constrains the size of your pool too much, you can have these objects moved if necessary. Nothing is impossible, but it does add to the cost. Once you have sufficient space, you are all set to start planning.
Copy and modify drawings from periodicals by all means, but if you feel that you are not up to it, have the drawing made for you. A local architect can do it, or phone the local technical college and ask one of the lecturers or students to do it for you. It is not as expensive as you might think. If you have the design done for you, make sure that you have thought about what you want and make sure that the drawer knows about it.
If you want lots of flowers, it is best to have raised flower beds. This will stop your flowers from spreading too far and will allow you more control. The flowers will have to be quite resilient and resistant to chemicals such as chlorine. The atmosphere will be more humid around the pool as well.
You will need some sheltered area for when it is very hot. Trees are a good idea, but they can take a very long time to grow. Palms look fantastic by a pool, but some species can take five years to grow high enough. You could check out the possibilities of planting semi-mature trees or look for faster-growing varieties. In the meanwhile, you could construct a grass-roofed lean-to or some umbrellas.
Lighting is also an important consideration. The pool should be floodlit at night to prevent people falling in it at night, but not only for that reason, it looks good as well. Accent lighting on the plants and trees really brings atmosphere to the pool and these lights can be solar powered so that you can move them around should you want to.
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on quite a few topics, but is at present concerned with outdoor accent lighting. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.
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July 10 2010 | Home Improvement | No Comments »