Bug out: Do you walk around your garden saying “What is that?” Find out at the Washington State University Snohomish County Extension class on bugs and blights Wednesday at the extension office. The two-hour class will be offered at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
You’ll learn identification techniques for insects and invasive weeds as well as ways to manage them.
The cost for this two-hour workshop is $20 ($10 for master gardeners). The extension service offers various classes Wednesdays through December. It’s $65 for a series of four ($35 for master gardeners).
The county extension office is at McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett. Call 425-338-2400 to register or go online to www.snohomish.wsu.edu.
Fast fixes: We all know it’s a little tougher to sell a house these days, and desperate home sellers are looking for any little advantage. They’re paying hundreds of dollars to have a staging company come into their home to make it look like someone lives there. They’re repainting entire walls only to find out that no one else likes the new color.
Here’s a fast and relatively inexpensive list that any homeowner can follow:
Install a new “eco-performance” showerhead. These sleek-looking, high-quality, high-performance heads add an inviting look to your shower. The big surprise is that they use 30 percent less water than a standard showerhead, while delivering a strong spray. Seeing is believing, so turn it on.
Add gutter extensions to your downspouts. They really do help keep a basement dry. By diverting the water about 4 feet from your foundation, most of the water runs off into the property grading instead of back into your basement. A dry basement can increase a home’s value by 10 percent to 15 percent.
Install insulating pipe sleeves. Presplit and preglued insulating pipe sleeves can be installed on just about any exposed hot- or cold-water line. They save energy on hot-water lines and cut down on pipe sweating for cold ones.
Install plastic wall anchors in exposed picture-frame holes. Plastic-anchor kits allow you to insert the anchor into the drywall hole, giving it an instant finished look with more strength. When the photo or painting is removed the potential buyers see the professional finished look of the anchor.
Add a transition seat to your toilet. It consists of three layers: the lid, a child seat then the standard adult seat. The complete seat is raised when the adult seat is in the up position.
Ed Del Grande
HGTVPro.com
Scripps-Howard News service
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