Year: 2018

Selecting a licensed and insured fence contractor is an important step to ensure that your fence is correctly installed. Find a contractor that will provide a quality job. Conduct research and check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Below are some tips to aid your process while seeking a reputable fence installation contractor.

 

Check the fence contractor’s license and references. Don’t be defrauded, avoid fly-by-night and fake contractors. Don’t be fooled by the first contractor to pop up on a web search. The same goes for slick advertising campaigns. Avoid high-pressure sales tactics, which should be a big red flag to you. Stay away from fence contractors who use pressure tactics to obtain a contract from you. Perform a thorough and effective search and carefully check out all references. Conduct complete background checks.

 

Many people are swindled by disreputable companies. Obtain a written estimate from each contractor interviewed. Do not do business with a fence contractor that refuses to provide a written estimate. Check their knowledge. Make sure they know what they are doing. Check their track record to see whether they stick with their original estimate. Note their reputation for sticking to their timelines. Do they have a good reputation for finishing the contract on time? Ensure they are honest with their business reputation, skill level, fence contracting knowledge, and ability. Ask the contractor about what they would recommend for fence materials. Check out what type of warranty or guarantees are offered for the job.  I used a fence company in San Antonio, TX once, and the warranty that came with the fence saved me big time when the gate they installed began having problems.

 

Obtain several estimates and interview several companies before choosing a fence contractor.  Make sure the company is reputable before signing a legal contract.  The fence contractor should have a legitimate business address that can be checked.

 

Check on their advertising to ensure it links to their business address. Ensure that the contractor pulls the necessary building permits and is aware of local codes. Check out the financial details involved with the fence installation contract. Ask questions about the contract. Who pays for the materials and delivery? What type of payment or financing is available for the contract? Avoid anything that does not seem right to you.

 

For your part and responsibility, check with your local planning and zoning department and obtain a plat map. Use the plat map to obtain the correct property boundaries so the fence will be properly placed on your property. Before interviewing prospective candidates, make sure you know what type of fence that you want to have installed. Set a budget and stick with it. Do your own research and learn about fence materials, hardware, and fence installation contracts. The more knowledge you have the better prepared you will be to avoid contract fraud. Set a project timeline and make sure the contractor can adhere to it. Check the weather before the project begins. Make sure the contractor is aware of weather conditions. Have a communication plan, and ask for timely updates about the installation progress and timeline. Make sure all parties involved adhere to the stipulations of the contract.

Several methods can be used for ridding your home of pesky mice. Some are natural methods and others involve using chemicals. Prevention tips involve the proper storage of food and garbage.   Keep the food in tightly sealed storage containers and clean up all spills. Keep indoor and exterior refuse containers closed. Place outdoor garbage receptacles away from your home. Seal all cracks and openings around pipes within the interior and exterior walls. Mice can squeeze through small openings in a foundation. They can enter through a chimney cap. Make sure your home’s chimney is covered with a cap and mesh wire to keep them out. Some people use mothballs outside of the home because they have a strong odor and they are poisonous. Use steel wool, copper scouring pads, or green kitchen scrub pads to fill in around pipes and holes. The mice cannot chew through the steel wool or scouring pads. It dulls their teeth and deters them from entry. Use caulk to tightly seal around pipes and add it to the steel wool. To deter mice from squeezing under a door, add door sweeps to all exterior doors. Add weather stripping to all exterior doors and windows to repel mice and other pests. Remember pests can fit into small spaces and cracks. Mice can squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 inch wide.

 

Natural home remedies include using peppermint oil, mint leaves, or mint plants. Put mint oil on cotton balls and place them near entry points. Mice do not like the strong odor of onions. The problem with using this natural method is that onions will rot within a few days causing another odorous problem. In addition, onions are toxic for some animals such as cats and dogs.

 

Predators, i.e., cats, barn owls, or other natural predators will scare away or eat mice. Using instant potatoes is a natural method. The mice eat the instant potato flakes which swell their bellies eventually leading to death. Keep the instant potato flakes away from family pets. Another natural method involves using a mixture containing Plaster of Paris and cocoa powder (chocolate milk powder or cocoa baking powder). Make sure the mixture is dry and place it near entrance points. The mice eat the mixture, seek water, and die. Keep the mixture away from children and family pets. Of course, every farm needs a few barn cats. Farmers claim success by placing trays of used kitty litter near entry points. The mice smell the cat’s urine and run away.

 

St. Louis Pest Control

 

Other methods for eradicating mice involve using baited spring-loaded mouse traps. Use cheese or peanut butter as bait. Using poisonous pellets or baited commercial traps will kill mice. Purchasing baited mouse house traps is an effective method. Glue board traps work but some people consider them to be inhumane. Many homeowners prefer the use of humane traps to capture and release mice. Electronic traps are considered to be a humane method. Some homeowners hire exterminators to rid their home of mice.