How to Create a Hanging Bird Basin

Now that the new siding installation in your Park Slope home is complete, you’ll be spending more time outside, and you may want to recruit some birds to spend some time in your yard, too. Follow A Real Advantage Construction Inc.’s tips for creating a hanging bird basin for your yard.

1. Head to a local flea market and pick up a washbasin set (make sure the basin has a wide lip).

2. Cut a length of 18-gauge copper wire to equal the circumference of the bowl, plus 4 inches. Then, thread 2 inches of wire though a lead sleeve and loop it back through the sleeve. Pinch with needle-nose pliers to secure it.

3. Thread 8 sleeves onto this “ring” wire from the other end. Space them into pairs evenly and secure. Cut 4 pieces of the 18-gauge wire and loop one end of each hanging wire between each pair of lead sleeves. Secure the loop after slipping the sleeve onto the hanging wire.

4. Thread another sleeve onto the ring wire and form the ring wire into a circle by looping one end through the original loop and threading it through the last sleeve. Secure it and insert the basin. After twisting the hanging wires together a few inches from the top, form a hook and place a small rock in the basin to help small bird wade in the water.

Enjoy!

Craving Shade?

If your yard devoid of shade? As affordable commercial contractors in Queens and surrounding areas, we can help you create a shady area with a canopy. And not only does a canopy provide shade, it also turns an empty area on your patio into a “place” to read, socialize, and dine. Another positive aspect of a canopy is that it is easy to take down when the outdoor season comes to an end.

First, pick up the following supplies: an inexpensive canvas drop cloth, a grommet hook, plastic tent pegs, a stout clothesline or venetian-blind cord, a wooden pole with a dowel pin (a bamboo pole with a dowel will also work well), and adjustable aluminum tent poles.

Then, you can either attach the canopy to a wall or fence or create a free-standing canopy using four poles. Either way, remember to cut openings to allow wind to circulate through the canopy, and when you’re not using the canopy, take it down so it won’t fade.

Enjoy your canopy and check back for more tips from A Real Advantage Construction in Staten Island, NY and surrounding areas.

Have a Staycation This Summer

If funds are tight and you are having a staycation rather than an exotic vacation this summer, we have some tips for making the most of your time at home. Our suggestion? Camp in your own backyard! As new roof contractors in Bath Beach and other areas, we know a lot about taking care of your home, and the best ways to take advantage of it—like having a vacation.

If you have kids, or are a big kid at heart, you’ll love pitching a tent in your own backyard. Plus, you’ll have access to an indoor bathroom.

First, gather your camping essentials—a compass, a trail guide and binoculars—to take a look at your backyard with a camper’s eye. Bring out a cooler filled with ice packs, bottles water, milk and fresh fruit (for breakfast the next day). When the cooler is closed, it can double as a table top during meal times.

Place a small charcoal grill in a clear space and surround it with large stones. Pour a bucket of pebbles below to stabilize the grill (and catch any sparks). Grill hot dogs for dinner! Bring along some cards and simple games that can be played under the stars (with the help of a camping light, of course). Use the flashlight to identify constellations as well.

Hit the hay in your tent after enjoying some s’mores and instead of heading inside the next morning, enjoy breakfast outdoors to cap off your staycation in style! Stay tuned for more tips from your rain gutter experts in Bellerose Harbor and beyond.

{Photo Credit: thegarlands}

Cleaning Outdoor Furniture

Ah, summertime! Now that everyone’s favorite season is in full swing, you’re likely spending a lot of time outdoors, which means you will want to make sure your outdoor furniture is spic and span. As affordable licensed building contractors in the Bronx and elsewhere, we know a thing or two about home maintenance, so we hope these tips help!


• Plastic Furniture: Make a mixture of water and a mild dishwashing detergent. Wipe your plastic furniture down with a clean cloth that is dampened with the solution. Hose it down to rinse the solution off.

• Wrought-Iron Furniture: Follow the same instructions for plastic furniture.

• Aluminum Furniture: Follow the same instructions for plastic and wrought-iron furniture. If there are scuff marks, use a soft cloth moistened with water and a small amount of Soft Scrub to remove them and then rinse with a hose.

• Wicker Furniture: Dampen a soft scrub brush with water and a mild oil-based soap. Hose the furniture down afterward and hose down every few weeks to maintain.

• Teak Furniture: Follow the same instructions for wicker furniture.

Check back for more tips and tricks from A Real Advantage Inc., Manhattan, NY.

{Photo Credit: ColorHome}

Backyard Makeover

As affordable housing contractors in the Bronx and other New York areas, we can help you give your backyard a makeover so it is prepped for your next summer party.


• There is bound to be a time when all of your flowers and plants aren’t in season, and there is any easy remedy for this. Pop into your local garden center (or even the grocery store) and pick up hanging plastic baskets of noncascading perrennials or annuals in full bloom (bonus points if they are brightly colored). Some good options are geraniums, scaevolas and daisies. Remove the hangers and burrow them (in their baskets) among those plants not in bloom. Then you can move them around to fill in barren spots!

• A water garden is an easy way to create a calming, luxurious space in your backyard. All you have to do is full a metal washtub with floating candles or aquatic plants (low-maintenance water lettuce works well). Voila!

• If your backyard space is lacking privacy, use potted plants to create a living screen. Tall varieties like ornamental grasses and flowering plants like begonia work well.

Stay tuned for more home maintenance and decorating tips all summer long! A Real Advantage Construction wants to help your Staten Island, NY pace be the best that it can be!