5 ways to give your home and lawn the spring refresh they need

 

With winter finally a distant memory, it’s time to get ready for spring. Prepare your home and lawn for guests and barbecues to come with a few simple DIY tips for inside and outside the house.

 

When it comes to weed control, driveway repairs, home maintenance projects and more, these tips can help you accomplish more around your home so you'll have plenty of time to enjoy the results all summer long.

 

 


 

* Weed control: The first green plants to pop up in your yard always seem to be weeds, and they constantly find their way between the cracks in patios and pathways. Instead of eliminating weeds with harsh chemicals, which could be harmful to children or pets, or bending down to pull them by hand, you can burn away pesky weeds using a BernzOmatic JT850 Lawn and Garden Torch. It is specially designed for outdoor use with a 36-inch extended-reach handle. The flame instantly destroys unwanted weeds, and the handle helps keep you from bending or crouching. Be sure to sweep the area before using the torch to remove any loose materials that might catch fire.

 

* Garage maintenance: Not only is spring a time to reorganize and clean out the garage, but the garage itself deserves a deep clean. After housing your car all winter long, oil spots and stains on the garage floor have likely formed. Use oven cleaner for old stains, or sprinkle a heavy layer of cat litter on the stains, and use your foot to press in, leaving on until the stain disappears. With spring rains and humidity high, keep rust out of your toolbox and off your tools with charcoal. A few bricks in your toolbox will soak in any moisture, keeping things dry and ready to use all season long.

 

* Prep your driveway: Cold temperatures, ice and snow do a number on blacktop asphalt driveways during the winter. Improve your home's curb appeal by repairing minor or semi-deep cracks. Fill the cracks with rubberized sealant and melt the sealant with the Lawn and Garden Torch. Holding the torch just a few inches away liquefies the sealant to make a waterproof repair.

 

* Paint stripping: Sometimes winter weather can leave your home looking a bit haggard, especially if exterior paint is peeling away. Try the BernzOmatic TS4000 Trigger-Start Torch to strip old paint off outside surfaces such as gutters. The torch features a trigger on/off switch for easy lighting and better control. Before you get started, make sure the paint is not lead based and that surrounding material, such as old wood, isn’t flammable. Use the torch to heat the paint until it begins to bubble. Once cooled, take a scraper and peel off the paint. Wear a protective mask when conducting this job on the outside of your house.

 

* Furniture refresh: Spring is all about rejuvenation. Give your weather-worn picnic table or wooden patio furniture a makeover using a torch to give new life to old wood. The Trigger Start Torch can be used to bring out the wood grain, adding rustic charm and character to your wooden patio furniture. Sand the wood first to remove all traces of stain. Then run the flame of the torch over the wood. It burns the wood and brings out the grain in a dramatic way that will give your patio a delightful style for the summer season.

 

For more information about BernzOmatic products, visit www.BernzOmatic.com.