#TDF Hits Town!

What a day July 5th turned out to be. Sun shining, happy crowds and smiling faces.

Enjoying the sun outside the store

 

 

 

Despite the road being closed most of the day to cars AND pedestrians (!) we enjoyed seeing the riders go by at the end of the street.

Waiting is half the fun

It makes us very proud to be Yorkshire!

Sowing or Re-Seeding Your Lawn

For a new lawn good preparation is essential for success.

Remove all weeds, surface stones and rubbish. If you have used weedkiller to clear the weeds please read the instructions carefully and allow time for any residue to clear.
Dig or rotovate the soil to a depth of 15 - 22cm.
Create a level, firm surface by 'close treading', heel to heel or by using a roller over the whole area. Rake until the surface soil is fine.

If possible leave the area to settle for a few weeks. Level any uneven areas and keep it weed free.
To give the lawn a good start a pre-sowing fertilizer can be raked in at the rate suggested on the product.

Seed should not be sown until 5-7 days after the application of fertilizer.

Sowing the seed
The best time to sow is when the soil is warming up after rain.
Shake the box before sowing to get rid of any clumps that may have formed in storage, then sow half the seed along the area and the other half across the area. This helps to get an even coverage.. You can use a hand spreader or wheeled spreader if you have a large area to cover. These should have settings on them so they can be used for fertilizer and grass seed.

Sow the seed at a rate of 35g per square metre.

Rake in the seed. If no rain falls within 1 week water thoroughly with a fine spray. Too strong a spray will disturb the seed and wash it into drifts.

The sown area should be kept moist until the seed is well established. Young grass should appear within 14 -21 days.

Weeds are likely to appear, clear them carefully until they can be killed off with mowing. 

Lawncare

If the weather is dry keep the soil moist with regular watering with a fine spray.

Keep off the lawn until the grass is 5 - 8 cm high.

The first cut can be done at this stage. It should be light cut, just 'topping' the grass. Subsequent cuts can then be gradually lowered to the recommended height for the type of lawn you have sown. For instance 'tough' lawn seed  height recommendation is no lower than 25mm.

A good fertilizer should be applied at least once a year, following the manufacterers instructions to avoid scorching and over feeding.

Rake off any dead leaves and debris during the winter months.

Patch Repair

It's easy to get bald patches either from wear and tear or by moss clearing.

Loosen the surface of the soil by firmly raking in a  criss-cross pattern.

level the soil and sow the seed as before. Sometimes it helps to incorporate seed with some compost to level things out and stop birds eating the seed.

Keep moist until the seed is established.

The best time to over-seed and help maintain and improve an established lawn in between September and early October. This allows good root establishment before winter.

Scarify with a scarifier or a lawn rake. Sow the seed at half the normal rate then lightly brush the lawn to ensure the seed is in contact with the soil.

Remember to choose the right seed for the lawn you want. Use tough lawn seed with ryegrass if you have family lawn where many a ball game is played. If you like a great looking lawn with stripes and never played on go for a 'Show' lawn seed with no ryegrass. There are also grass seeds for shady areas and for lawns that can cope with the occasional football match.

SHOW: chewings fescue, creeping red fescue and browntop bentgrass. Low Wear.

BETTER: Fine leafed ryegrass, chewings fescue and creeping red fescue. Good Wear.

TOUGH: Ryegrass and fescues. Good For Play Areas and Paths.

SHADY: Fescues, meadow grasses and bents. Good drought tolerance.

PATCH: Look for the relevant grass seed in the small patch repair packets.

With thanks to 'Mr Fothergill'.

Le Grand Depart Hits Ilkley

We at Mortens Hardware Store are preparing for what is anticipated to be a weekend that the likes of Yorkshire, and Ilkley in particular, has never seen before. Visitors from all over the world are expected to be in the tens of thousands. There are yellow bikes of every size to be spotted all along the route, yellow jerseys and flags are everywhere and people seem to be getting into the Tour De France mood. World Cup? You wouldn't think it was happening.

 Some shops have decided to close for the Saturday but not Mortens. We'll be here in our yellow tee shirts with a shop full of bargains. We hope to see you here in Ilkley and Addingham. According to Radio 5 Addingham is the only village in the history of the Tour De France to have the race go through it twice! Go Yorkshire!

Safe and Successful Barbeque Cooking

Most of us enjoy a barbeque - getting outside and cooking on hot coals with the aroma of lighter fluid drifting on the air. The smell of summer! We've put together a basic guide for safe and successful cooking on a BBQ - whether at home or out-and-about.

Position your BBQ away from foliage etc and away from strong draughts. There is nothing worse than being a guest downwind of a smoky BBQ! The Chef's comfort must be considered too - he  (why is it mostly a he?) wants to cook with the smoke and flames blowing away from him, not into his face.

Use good quality charcoal/ briquettes that have been stored well and are dry. That half open sack in the back of the garden shed may not be a good idea if you want guaranteed lighting.

Clean your BBQ - get rid of the old ash from your last session. Open the dampers/vents.

Spray your piled coals with lighter fluid - or use something like Flamers ( a natural fire lighter made of wood shavings) if you don't like the smell of chemicals. There are also firelighters you can use - use enough and be patient.

Again be patient. The BBQ is ready when it has changed from a red glow in the middle to grey/ white all over. This should take about 30 minutes so you should warn your guests how long it will be before they can eat - they may have arrived hungry.

If you didn't clean your grill after the last session use a wire brush to get rid of the worst then put on the heat and let the BBQ do the rest. Your tools too should be clean but that goes without saying. Have oven gloves or an oven cloth ready to use to save the chef's fingers.
A discreet bucket of cold water close to the BBQ is a good idea ready to use and avert potential burns and other mishaps.

If this is a planned BBQ then the food etc will be already prepared. Keep it out of the sun and as cool as possible. To be truly safe maybe keep it in the kitchen until the BBQ is ready. Cover salads etc with cling film until people are ready to tuck in. Give the chef plenty of room to cook, a table specifically for this purpose is a must with plates ready for cooked food. 

Soak your bamboo skewers in water a good 30 minutes before putting on the grill to cook or else your kebabs will just be little piles of cooked food.

If you're out-and-about you'll probably be using a disposable BBQ or a portable Lotus Go-Anywhere-Grill if you're keen. Be safe - choose your spot carefully away from bushes and long grass. If you are a true boy scout you could peel back a slice of turf and replace it when you've finished - and nobody will know you've been there.  Dispose of the used BBQ sensibly - make sure it's cold and put it in a bin. Don't abandon it. Treat nature with respect .

Most important of all is to make sure the food is cooked. Especially with chicken if cooking it on the bone. Any sign of pink and it goes back on the grill or gets thrown in the bin, same for sausages Don't spoil a great BBQ by taking a risk.

Keep your garden tidy by keeping a glass bin and a rubbish bin within reach. Most guys drink beer straight from the bottle and you don't want to go out days later and find some empties in the flower bed or crown caps on the lawn!

If you've kids around get out the garden games. A putter and plastic golf balls (or proper golf balls if the grown-ups want to show off their prowess at getting a hole-in-one) for golf practice. Got an old tent  in the attic? Get the kids to put it up for their own den. Football may not be conducive to undisturbed eating.

Use plastic glasses and disposable plates. Saves the washing up.

 

Cleaning Windows - A few Tried and Tested Ways

We all know it's so much easier to pay a wondow cleaner but for those who love cleaning windows here are a few tips and tricks gathered from the Staff at Mortens.

Mrs T from Cookware swears there is no better way than to use a Skrim Cloth, good old fashioned Stardrops mixed with a bit of ammonia for a streak free finish. She's been using this method for years.

We must add a reminder to always check the labels because certain cleaning products should not be mixed!

Ms J from Housewares, one who always likes to save money, says never throw away old towels and face cloths because these plus simple water will clean and shine windows, mirrors and car windscreens. One wet, one dry. Just make sure the towels are clean to start with and do not have fabric conditioner on them. Old towels are good for polishing car bodywork after shampooing too.

She also says the use of old newspapers scrunched up works too. The printers ink is the trick in getting a streak free shine.

More recommendations will be added soon: Let us know yours if you would like them published on our Blog.

Dealing With Damp - A Check List

Some of the signs of damp:
1. Patches on the wall
2. Peeling wallpaper or paint
3. Musty smell
4. Black mould
5. Clothes in wardrobes appear to have mildew

Dealing with damp:

First and foremost - FIND THE CAUSE. If the patch is on an outside wall the usual culprit is either the roof or the gutters so check both. Something as simple as replacing a slipped slate will save you money in the future. Gutters should be cleaned out annually - and it needn't cost you a lot to have it done. Ask your window cleaner. Check that the gutters and downpipes drain correctly.

If it's under a window check around the frame for any broken or missing brickwork/ flashing.
The cause of damp patches on interior walls and ceilings can, most of the time, be traced to leaking shower trays, toilets or baths. You may have to get a plumber out to check if you don't feel confident enough to tackle the job yourself.

Once the cause is fixed you may have to wait for the patch to dry out to deal with it. You can do a small repair job or redecorate!

Clean the area behind the wallpaper and treat with 'dampseal' then reattach the wallpaper. For painted surfaces clean and apply 'damp seal' or any paint that will seal the area and allow for repainting.
If you've caught the interior leak in time you may get away without the need for re-plastering and just treat with 'damp seal' and repaint. If you need to re-plaster treat it as any new plaster.

The musty smell, once the cause is dealt with, should eventually disappear by ventilating and warming the room. In the meantime you could try Kontrol products that contain the scent of lavender. These products will help reduce the damage done to clothes in a cold wardrobe that is up against a north facing outside wall. Also good for cupboards etc. We have had experience of this in a house that is supposed to have cavity wall insulation and it only happens in one corner of the room so if you have cavity insulation, and this happens, it may mean getting it checked too.

It is vital you deal with black mould, as many people are susceptible to the spores, causing breathing and chest problems. First of all VENTILATION, this also goes for condensation as well. Open a window. Fit an air brick or extractor fan. Get the air moving in the room and check to see if you can warm the room a little better. Low and steady may be better than hot in bursts. It does sound crazy to suggest opening a window and increasing the heat but it's not necessarily at the same time!

Clean away the mould with diluted bleach or any product suitable for the task and throw away any cloths etc used. Allow to dry then keep your eye on the area to see if it returns. Retreat when/if necessary.

So remember:
FIND THE CAUSE AND FIX
VENTILATE
CHECK YOUR INSULATION

Ladderlimb - And the Dragon's Dismissed It!

Morten Hardware have started stocking the ingenious device for those working up ladders - the Ladderlimb. It's such a simple idea, fitting in the side of the rungs on aluminium ladders so it can be used on either side. Remember the times you have been up the ladder with a paint can or a bucket and had to hold on to the ladder with just one hand? With this clever accessory you just hook on the paint can or bucket - or anything else you need to use such as a tool bag - which leaves your hands free for safer working. Watch this YouTube video and see how practical and useful the LadderLimb is.
This is definitely one the Dragon's let slip through their fingers.