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DIY – Homesteader Depot

Homesteader Depot

Category: DIY

  • How to Bring an Old Bathtub Back to Life

    How to Bring an Old Bathtub Back to Life

    Do you have an old porcelain bathtub in your bathroom that’s in need of some TLC? Rather than replace it with a modern tub, which is more than likely made of cheaper materials and smaller to boot, you can refinish that old tub. The process does require some elbow work, and you may need to use another bathroom (or another tub, at least) while the restoration job is in process, but it is entirely possible to do this yourself. Think of how much less work this entails when compared to a full bathroom remodel. You won’t even damage the tile surrounding the tub if you follow these instructions properly.

    Start By Cleaning the Tub Thoroughly

    This is the worst of it. The process is all downhill from here. You’ll need to clean that tub thoroughly before you can repair it and reglaze it. This is where the “elbow grease” comment from above comes into play because it needs to be sparkling clean before you can move on to the next step. Open the window and turn on your bathroom fan. Put on your eye protection and don your gloves. Then, start by removing the caulk from around the tub. A putty knife should do the job properly. Then, chip out all of the soap scum, mold, and whatever else is lurking around and in the tub. Finish off the cleaning job with some heavy-duty cleaning solution (Barkeeps Friend works nicely) and a scouring brush or pad. Coat the entire tub with the cleaning solution and then scrub it thoroughly before rinsing. Let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.

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    Repair Your Tub

    Once your bathtub is clean and dry, it’s time to repair it. You can use Bondo (yes, the stuff that they use on cars), as well as a glaze designed for repairing porcelain. Place some sheets of paper in the bottom of the tub in order to catch any debris. You don’t want any dried bits of glaze or Bondo going down the drain. Take your putty knife and carefully layer your repair material into any chips, cracks, or weakened sections of the porcelain. Allow it to dry thoroughly, and then go over it with a fine-grit sandpaper. This will smooth all of the repaired sections, leaving you with a comfortable tub once again. You may need to repeat these steps if necessary until your tub is full of smooth surfaces. Remove the paper from the bottom of the tub and then coat the tub with a lacquer thinner. This will prevent the final glaze from going on too thickly. Wait until the thinner dries completely before moving on to the next step.

    Reglaze Your Tub

    Now the fun begins. Start by reading the directions of your reglazing product and mixing it up accordingly. There are several different products on the market that are designed specifically for this purpose, so choose whichever one that you think will work best, or what’s available to you. Use masking tape to cover the edges of the tub where it meets the floor and the tile on the walls. Cover your faucet and any metal bits (like the drain) in order to protect them. Then, out on your protective equipment, including a respirator, and start applying your new glaze. Use a foam roller in order to leave thin, light coats over the entire tub. Once the tub is covered, wait several days for the glaze to dry thoroughly, and then recaulk your restored bathtub. It’s ready for use once again, and all that it took was a little bit of work and some handy products.

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  • How to Avoid a Skunk Problem Before It Happens

    How to Avoid a Skunk Problem Before It Happens

    You’ll smell your neighborhood skunk before you see it. No matter how hard they try not to, these critters give off a pungent odor. Although skunks do just want to be left alone, they can cause a number of issues around your home, particularly if you have pets that spend time outdoors. The last thing that you want is for your beloved dog or outdoor cat to get sprayed by a skunk. Plus, the closer that it gets to winter, the more likely a skunk is to look for a fairly warm place where they can hide out once the temperatures fall. Skunks are likely to end up in your basement or inside of your foundation if you aren’t careful! Here’s what you can do to ward off these invaders.

    Put Motion Sensor Lights Around Your Property

    Skunks don’t like light. They are nocturnal creatures, so the best way to deter them is to make them think that it’s daytime. If you can, set up motion sensor lights all around your home and throughout your property. There are some that use only solar power, so you won’t have to worry about hardwiring them to your grid, although standard electricity-using ones work just as well. No matter which kind you’ve chosen, place them in dark corners and wherever the skunks tend to roam on your property in order to scare them off.

    Harvest All of Your Fruits and Vegetables

    Your garden appeals to skunks. They’re consistently in search of things to eat, which makes your plants resemble a meal. Before you winterize your garden for the year, go through and pick all of the fruits and vegetables that are still out there. If you leave anything behind, the skunks will find it and then stick around, hoping for more.

    Enclose Your Trash Cans and Compost Bins

    Like other outdoor critters, skunks will eat your trash. This isn’t as nice as it sounds, because the last thing that you need is a skunk hanging out where you and your children deposit your bags of garbage. In order to keep skunks away, place your trash cans in an enclosed area, like inside of a porch or in a fenced-in overhang near the garage. Make sure that each can closes securely as well. In addition, do what you need to in order to close off your compost bins as well, because skunks will get in there and eat the decaying food waste.

    Eliminate Hiding Places

    Skunks hide during the day. They prefer to live in isolated, dark places, such as piles of firewood, the foundation of your home, under porches, and more. In order to prevent them from ending up on your property, make sure that they can’t get into any of these locations. Seal off the underside of your porch, make sure that your firewood isn’t a hospitably hiding place, and most importantly, walk around your home look for potential openings, and then seal them off as well. Skunks won’t stick around if they have no place to live.

    Keep Predators Around

    Skunks will spray when they feel threatened by a dog, but the mere presence of one may be enough to keep them at bay. After all, skunks don’t want to have to deal with a predatory encounter. They’ll steer clear of your yard when they hear your pooch barking in the distance. As long as you follow all of the other advice here, you’ll never have to worry about a skunk surprising your dog, because there won’t be any reason for them to stick around and make themselves at home.

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  • What is a Homestead Dog?

    What is a Homestead Dog?

    Dogs are great companions. Homestead dogs are more than that. They serve many functions around the farm, from taking care of predators to herding your cows. A homestead dog really does do it all and then some. Once you have one, you’ll wonder why you didn’t get a homestead dog sooner. In fact, the only better than one homestead dog is two of them. The more help that you have around the farm, the better, right?

    Choose the Right Breed

    It all starts with picking the right breed. A homestead dog can be a rescue mutt. After all, it all lies in the amount of training that you provide so that you can teach your pup to do the right things and be a big help around the homestead. With that said, you’ll want to look for the following breeds, or some combination thereof (if you’re going with a general mutt or rescue):

    German Shepherd – There’s a reason why German Shepherds are police and rescue dogs – they are tenacious, very smart, and have serious protection instincts.

    Labrador Retriever – Labs are easy to train, large enough to scare off people and keep cattle in line, and are great hunting partners.

    Collie – Lassie was a Collie, so it’s hard to overlook the brains that are the main characteristic of this breed.

    Any outdoor-loving, medium to large size dog will work. If you’re a big fan of watching dog shows on television, then focus on the hunting and herding groups. Those dogs possess all of the qualities that will make a good homestead dog.

    They Herd Your Livestock

    The classic “dogs herding your cows and cattle” image really is true. These animals will keep all of your others in line, especially if you choose a breed with natural herding instincts. (Those without can be trained, don’t worry.) You want your homestead dog to keep an eye on your livestock and understand exactly where the boundaries are so that your cattle don’t end up on someone else’s land or getting lost someplace.

    They Provide Protection

    Dogs are great at providing protection. If you allow yours in the house, they’ll bark at everyone who knocks on the door. This is a good thing, particularly if you live in the middle of nowhere and are wary of strangers lurking around who are up to something. Even when you’re not in the house – as long as you’re anywhere on the property – your dog will watch out for you and your family. It’s their job to take care of you in every way that they possibly can. You won’t have to worry much when your homestead dog is around.

    They Hunt for Small Prey

    Not only will your dog help with your livestock and protect your family, but they’ll also hunt for small prey. Those squirrels, rabbits, and foxes never stood a chance with your homestead dog around. The second something worth chasing pops up on their radar, the dog will take off after it. In the end, they’ll have chased it off or killed it, depending on whether or not they could reach the critter.

    They Provide Companionship

    Above all else, a homestead dog is a loyal companion. They will remain by your side, no matter what, keeping an eye on you and everyone else in your home. Your homestead dog will miss you so much when you’re away that they’ll great you the second you get home. They are lovable friends whose company you’ll enjoy. It’s hard to describe the bond between a homestead dog and their human, but believe us, it exists!

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  • 4 Ways to Solve Your Ant Problems

    4 Ways to Solve Your Ant Problems

    Ants are complicated. On the one hand, you want some of them in your garden, because they go after other insects. They protect their territory unless you’re an aphid. They’ll help aphids, which can be bad because those insects have the power to wipe out an entire garden. One of the other hand, you really don’t want them to harm your plants. Whole colonies will set up shop near the root systems of your plants, harming them in the process. Thankfully, you can get rid of ants in your garden using a number of different methods, none of which require harmful insecticides.

    Get Some Nematodes

    Nematodes are tiny microscopic worms. They sound like the opposite of what you want to put in your garden in order to deal with an ant infestation, but they really will do the trick. Nematodes like to eat ants. They’ll seek out those creatures and kill as many as them as they can. In the meantime, ants, who don’t want to have to deal with any predators at all, will up and move their colony to a new location in order to get away from the nematodes. Your ant problem will be solved.

    Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth Around Your Plants

    Diatomaceous earth is a fine powder made up of the exoskeletons of sea creatures. It works well in gardens to get rid of insects, slugs, flies, and other pests. There are several ways in which they do this. The diatomaceous earth will either dry out the insects and kill them in that manner, or the insects will move elsewhere because they don’t like to walk to land on it. (Although it looks powdery, it’s actually crunchy and crumbly under their little feet.) Even better, diatomaceous earth won’t harm your garden – just the insects that are on it.

    Use Boiling Water

    This is the simplest method of them all. A cup or two of boiling water will kill ants. You first need to follow them to see where their nests are and then find the entrances to those nests. Once you have them located, pour the water into every entrance. There are usually more than one. The water will kill the ants, but it may take some time and repeated attempts at killing them. After all, the ants who are outside of the nest at the time of application won’t die, but they will go back there eventually. You’ll have to get them then.

    Mix a Little Boric Acid and Sugar Together

    If you really want to get rid of your ants, then you’ll need to bring out the “big guns.” This involves the use of boric acid and sugar. The sugar appeals to the ants because they enjoy eating things that are sweet. The boric acid mixed into it (combine the two until they form a paste and then apply it to the entrance of the ant nest) will kill any ants who eat it. Eventually, it will take them all out. Just be carefully when handling the boric acid.

    Combine Dish Soap with Olive Oil and Water

    You’d be surprised at just how effective this technique is. You’ll need a quart of water, a half teaspoon of liquid dish soap, and one and a half teaspoons of olive oil (although canola oil will work.) Mix everything together and place it in a spray bottle. Spray it on the ants and then pour some of the mixtures into their nest. The mixture harms the ant’s exoskeleton, killing them fairly quickly through suffocation. You won’t have to watch them die to know that it worked.

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  • Preventing Tomato Worms

    Preventing Tomato Worms

    Is your garden plagued with hornworms or tobacco worms? Also known as tomato worms, these pests can destroy your plants, as they’ll eat the leaves, stems, and even the fruit, leaving pretty much nothing behind. If you enjoy fresh tomatoes – as well as the pleasant experience of growing them – this is a problem. You need to take care of these pests as soon as possible.

    Till Your Soil Well

    Since tomato worms are the progeny of moths (and they turn into moths over the course of a few months), they appear at the same time every single year. Moths lay their eggs on the ground, those eggs hatch in the spring, and before you know it, you have tomato worms eating your crops. The best thing to do is to till your soil up extremely well before planting season begins. This kills the eggs, either burying them deep underground or destroying them before they ever have a chance to hatch. Plus, well-tilled soil leads to some great tomato plants, as it brings all of the nutrients up to the surface. Your plants will thank you.

    Know the Signs

    If you’ve tilled your soil, but are still worried about a tomato worm infestation, then you need to keep an eye on your plants. The main signs to look for include giant holes in the leaves, as well as plants that have leaves one day and very few the next. These worms grow to be about four inches long, and have small horns on their heads (hence their official name – hornworms.) They are the same green shade as the leaves, making them tough to see. With that said, they do become active at night, so you’ll see them crawling around.

    Pick Them Off of Your Plants

    Although it’s not ideal, you can pick hornworms off of your plants. Just put on some gloves, head out to your garden at dusk, nighttime, or during the waking hours, and individually remove them from the plant. You might want to put on some magnifying glasses to help you see them, and you’ll need some sort of portable light. Although it will take some time to remove all of these little guys off of your plants, doing so doesn’t really harm the worms – that is, unless you squish them. Feel free to rehome them to the other side of your house, away from your tomato plants.

    Spray Them with a Hose

    If picking the hornworms off doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, then spray them off with a hose. Many of them cling to the undersides of the leaves or on the stems. Although they are somewhat stubborn and will hang on tight, you can indeed remove them by spraying their hiding spots with a hose. Just don’t use too strong a spray, or your plants may become damaged. If you do this right, then you won’t have to go with the non-organic “nuclear” option: a non-systemic insecticide.

    Use Insecticide

    Although this should be your last resort, insecticides do work well. There are types made to deal with hornworms that won’t harm any other insects. Make sure to read the label to ensure that you’re purchasing the right kind. In addition, choose a non-systemic insecticide. This type stays on the leaves of the plants and doesn’t soak into the fruit or stems. It only harms the insects that it intends to. Everything else stays safe. Insecticides aren’t ideal, but if you don’t want to spend hours upon hours picking tomato worms off of your plants, you may not have much of a choice. Sometimes you have to make do.

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  • 8 Ways Chickens Can Benefit Your Homestead

    8 Ways Chickens Can Benefit Your Homestead

    Do you have chickens on your homestead?

    Whether you’re wondering if you should get some, are already an experienced chicken owner, or are just wondering exactly why you chose to raise chickens in the first place, this is for you. Chickens provide several important benefits to your homestead. While their feed and coops may be a bit costly and their care sometimes intricate, what matters is that these feathered friends serve more than one purpose. They really do “earn their keep” as the saying goes.

    Here’s how:

    1) They Eat Insects

    You never have to worry about insects invading your garden and chewing on your crops when you have chickens around. Leave your chickens loose so that they have a good-sized fenced-in area to wander. Place your garden within that space, and your chickens will go after all of the insects that they can find. Your garden will be great, and you’ll have happy chickens, as they have space to wander and a little bit of freedom.

    2) They Produce Manure

    Did you know that you can compost chicken waste? Their droppings make great manure, but they are too acidic to place in the garden straight from the coop. Instead, mix up some compost, using the right amount of additional elements, and add some chicken poop to the mix. It provides the right ratio of nitrogen to everything else, making your manure and compost much more effective. Your garden will benefit from what chickens leave behind.

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    3) You Can Eat Their Eggs

    Although you should allow some eggs to hatch and turn into other chickens, making your flock self-perpetuating, you can also eat the non-fertilized eggs. They are much fresher than the ones found in the grocery store, and since you know what kind of life those chickens have had, you’ll feel proud of what your birds have produced. There’s nothing quite like an egg from your own flock of chickens.

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    4) Butchering Your Chickens Provides Meat

    Your chickens are also a source of meat. While you might feel bad about butchering your chickens once they’ve stopped laying eggs, you do need to keep your flock in good shape. This means that you shouldn’t have too many older birds and too few younger ones. Allow some fertilized eggs to hatch, and butcher those older hens.

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    5) They’ll Till Up Your Garden

    Have you ever seen chickens out in the yard? They like to scratch at the ground with their feet. This actually tills up the soil. You won’t need a tiller when you have a batch of chickens who can do the work for you. Just keep them in the area where you’ll be planting your vegetables.

    6) They Are Quite Entertaining

    Anyone who claims that chickens are boring has obviously never been around them. These birds have some interesting personalities. You’ll be able to differentiate one chicken from another just by watching them.

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    7) They Teach Your Kids Responsibility

    Teach your children how to care for chickens and instill some responsibility in them at the same time with some backyard chickens. They can be in charge of gathering eggs, feeding and watering the birds and handling all of their general care.

    8) They’ll Eat Kitchen Scraps

    Although you will have to supplement their diets with chicken feed, they do eat plenty of kitchen scraps as well. Just make sure that what you’re feeding them is chicken friendly and that you have the right nutrient ratios represented. Those chickens will make do with what you give them and help you dispose of things that might have otherwise gone into the trash or the compost bin.

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  • How to Grow the Perfect Cucumbers

    How to Grow the Perfect Cucumbers

    Cucumbers are the perfect vegetable even though scientifically, they’re considered to be a fruit. No matter what you classify them as what matters is that they are extremely tasty and rather versatile. They taste great on salad, can be eaten alone, and are used in dozens of recipes. In addition, there’s nothing quite like a cucumber that you grew yourself, in your backyard garden. Although the kind grown outdoors tend to have spines and bumps on them, making them not-so-pretty to look at, they taste good. In order to produce a garden full of tasty cucumbers, you need to know what to do.

    Start Them as Seeds

    Cucumbers survive the act of transplantation well, so they can be started as seeds in small pots or in larger seedling containers. You can either put them outdoors or in a greenhouse, depending on the overall air temperatures. If it’s too cold, the seeds won’t sprout. It has to be a consistent 68 degrees Fahrenheit in order for them to grow properly. If you have the luxury of growing your seedlings indoors, under a grow light, then this won’t be an issue. The best thing is that cucumber plants grow fairly quickly, so if you have a shorter growing season, they will still bear fruit.

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    Thin Your Seedlings

    Once your seedlings start to grow, you’ll need to thin them. There should be only one per small pot or section of your seedling container. Choose whichever one looks the strongest and remove the others to give it plenty of space to grow.

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    Plant Them Outside

    Once the weather warms up for good, it’s time to move your cucumber plants outdoors. They do grow well in containers and grow bags, as long as those pots are large enough. Choose ones that hold at least seven gallons of soil, and note that you’ll need one of them for each plant. Fill the pots with potting soil (which has properties that promote drainage and prevent root rot) and then plant your cucumber seedlings in them. If you’re placing your cucumbers in the ground, choose a location that gets plenty of sunlight.

    Since cucumber plants turn into vines, they’ll need room to grow. Now is the time to put a trellis or cucumber frame behind them. As the plants start to vine out, encourage them to grow up the trellis or frame. However, if you’re growing them in pots on a porch, you won’t need these extra accessories, as the cucumbers can be “coerced” into growing over the porch rails.

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    Watering and Care

    Cucumber plants are prone to powdery leaf mildew, so keep an eye on those leaves. Make sure that the soil is kept moist, particularly once they start to grow fruit. Fertilize your cucumber plants at least once per season, or more often if you’re growing them in a pot or grow bag. The nutrients in that soil will vanish fairly quickly, so you’ll need to fertilize them at least once a month. If you see signs of powdery leaf mildew or other problems, make sure to deal with them quickly, as you don’t want your plants to get damaged. Other than this, cucumbers are fairly easy to care for. They’ll produce plenty of slightly spiny fruits throughout the growing season.

    Picking Your Cucumbers

    Remember to keep an eye on your cucumber plants. Once your cucumbers have reached a length of around five to six inches (or larger or smaller depending on the variety) and are nice and green, a clip from the plant. This will encourage the plant to keep growing, producing even more cucumbers for you to enjoy.

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  • How to Correct Nitrogen Deficiency in Your Soil

    How to Correct Nitrogen Deficiency in Your Soil

    Did you know that your plants need nitrogen? Obviously, they need four other things as well: soil, air, sunlight, and water, but they also need plenty of nitrogen. This element is found in the air, as well as the soil. The nitrogen in the air doesn’t really help plants at all. In order for them to absorb it, the element must be in their soil. It occurs there naturally, but over time, especially if you use containers or grow bags for your plants, the nitrogen will begin to get used up. The end results are plants that don’t really thrive. They’ll begin to turn yellow and wilt. Thankfully, you can correct this deficiency.

    Know The Signs

    When your plants need more nitrogen, they’ll let you know. They’ll stop growing. Their leaves will begin to wilt and turn yellow. They just won’t look healthy anymore. Although all of those could be signs of other problems, such as not watering, overwatering, or keeping them in containers that are too small, if the plant is otherwise healthy and being taken care of properly, then the main problem is a lack of nitrogen. The sooner you add this element to the soil, the faster your plant will spring back to health.

    Test Your Soil

    Another thing that you can – and should – do is test your soil. There are soil testing kits that are commercially available. Some just involve scooping some soil into a tester and following the instructions. They’ll tell you the results right away. However, if you want something a bit a more accurate, you can purchase a kit, scoop up some soil from around your plants, and then send it out to be tested. There’s usually a self-addressed stamped envelope in those kits. It will take a few weeks, but you’ll get the results either emailed to mailed to you. These types of tests are best done early in the growing season. If you wait until your plants are in danger to do them, then it might be too late by the time the results come in.

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    Add More Nitrogen Naturally

    There are several ways to add nitrogen to your soil without having to resort to the use of chemical fertilizers. For example, you could add some old coffee grounds to the soil. They contain plenty of nitrogen. Although it will take some time for them to produce as much nitrogen as your plants need, it will work. You just have to be patient. In some cases, these slow-release methods are preferred to the quick ones.

    Adding compost to the soil is another option. Compost contains plenty of nitrogen. Like coffee grounds, its effects take time, but it does work, especially if it contains manure. (Yes, it’s a bit smelly, but your plants will really like it.) In addition to those two methods, you can also plant crops like peas and beans that will add nitrogen to the soil. They just naturally provide this element as they grow.

    Use Fertilizer

    Standard (read: chemical) fertilizers tend to have some sort of nitrogen in them. Look for initials NPK on the package, and pay close attention to that first number. It’s the one that tells you just how much nitrogen is present. Balanced fertilizers will help the health of your plants, but those with a large amount of nitrogen in them will provide the right kind of benefits much faster. With that said, the nitrogen will leach away quickly and you’ll end up having to use more sooner rather than later. No matter what, your plants will improve.