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Whether you call it landscaping fabric, weed block or weed barrier fabric, ask any landscaper or gardener how they feel about its use and they’ll probably have a strong opinion.

Landscape fabric is often promoted as the solution to the bane of every gardener’s existence – weeds. Not only does it supposedly block unwanted weed growth, but best of all, you don’t have to worry about weeding for what seems like years.

Unfortunately, and like with many advertised products, this isn’t exactly true.

Landscaping fabric definitely has its pros and cons when it comes to its use.

Pros of Landscape Fabric

Some of the benefits of using landscaping fabric include:

• Keeps inorganic mulches like rocks from sinking into the soil.

• Prevents weed seeds covered by fabric from sprouting.

• Reduces the need for herbicidal weed control.

• Works well on slopes where erosion is a problem.

• Helps the soil retain moisture.

Cons of Landscape Fabric

Some of the cons of using landscaping fabric include:

• Over time, decomposing particles of mulch and soil clog the perforations in the cloth, which keep adequate amounts of water and air from reaching the plant roots leading to the plant’s decline.

• Earthworms, which aerate the soil, don’t develop, leading to compacted and unhealthy soil.

• The fabric acts as a barrier to organic materials biodegrading in the soil, which lead to an unhealthier soil structure.

• Weeds can still grow in the mulch used to cover the fabric.

• Landscape fabric is time-consuming to install, especially around existing plantings.

Is Landscape Fabric the Right Choice for Your Project?

If used properly and in the best situations, landscaping fabric does have its benefits, but it does have its drawbacks.

Although it might work for a time in reducing weeds in an area, the unwanted growth eventually rears its ugly head despite the weed barrier.

Over time, you also end up with soil that isn’t as healthy, which can affect your plants and their health.

Something else worth noting: Landscape fabric won’t last forever.

Landscaping fabric generally works as a weed barrier for a year or less before its usefulness starts declining.

In fact, and according to the University of Florida, its long-term use can negatively affect soil and plant health and is best used where ornamental plants aren’t growing like pathways or around mailboxes.

If you travel to the mountains or snowy areas regularly, sooner or later you’re going to have to use tire chains. Start by getting the right set for your vehicle at your local Les Schwab.

Quick-fit chains are not your grandpa’s tire chains. They are MUCH simpler to put on and take off. Here are a video, step-by-step instructions, and driving safety tips for installing quick-fit tire chains on your vehicle.

When you need chains, driving conditions are nasty. Snow is coming down, passing traffic is spraying slush, dirty water is dripping off your wheel wells, the road is slick, and it may be dark. Don’t make this the first time you put on your chains.

1. Practice installing your new chains once BEFORE you travel. Take advantage of a dry garage or driveway to make sure your winter tire chains are the right size and you’re comfortable putting them on. If needed, the professionals at Les Schwab Tire Centers can help.

2. Put together a simple winter road trip safety kit with warm gloves, waterproof layers, and other items to make your winter driving more safe and comfortable. In the winter, always carry this emergency kit and tire chains in your vehicle.

Once you’re comfortable installing your chains, you’re ready to hit the snow.

1. Be Safe. If you’re on the road, pull off as far as possible onto a safe shoulder. Flip on your hazard lights. Put on your waterproof layers, hat, headlamp, and gloves from your winter road trip kit.

2. Identify the Correct Tires. If your vehicle is front-wheel drive, the chains go on the front. If it’s rear-wheel drive, chains go on the back. If it’s all-wheel drive, please check your owner’s manual. If you’re not sure, you can ask the experts at Les Schwab for help.

3. Pull Out Chains & Instructions. With your vehicle parked, open the bag and pull out your instructions and your first chain. Each bag comes with two chains. The plastic instruction mat that comes with your chains can be used as a barrier between you and the snow to keep you dry. Untangle Your Chains. Holding them from the plastic-covered cable, make sure everything is straight and the chains are not looped over one another. Hold up your chains so the yellow end is in your left hand and the blue end is in your right.

The mechanical seal is used in a pump, mixer and other mechanical engineering scenarios to contain the fluid within a vessel where a shaft rotates through a stationary (or rotating) housing.

Why is mechanical seal important in this situation? It is because the rotating shaft has to move in a wet environment, but there should not be the leakage of pressurized fluid. Hence, the role of a seal is quite critical.

Does it mean the seal stops the leakage completely? Well, on the practical grounds yes because there is no ‘visible leakage’.

There is a little leakage as the fluid vapors get released into the atmosphere from the faces of the seal, though. Since the quantity is hardly quantifiable, the seals are considered leak proof.

• The seals do not damage pump sleeve or shaft.

• Due to inboard springs that get adjusted as the seal faces wear, it is not required to do daily maintenance.

• Mechanical seals cause less power consumption than gland packing because of the lightly loaded faces.

• In mechanical seals, the lubricant doesn’t get washed out. Therefore, bearing contamination gets avoided in normal operational conditions.

• Plant equipment remains corrosion free.

• Relatively less maintenance and cleaning are required. It makes mechanical seals cost-effective.

• Oil seals prevent accumulation of dirt in the machine.

This modern Tensionless Relax Dryer is widely used for open and tubular width knit fabrics. This is provided to ensure advanced output with its easy to operate features and high durability. It comes with a fabrics infeed section having different features such as turbine-worm gear box, infeed box, axis roller, pneumatic tension device, etc. The overfeeding roller motility is designed to move frequently and reliably with its easy to operate features. This comes with the overfeeding motion that is precisely controlled by inverter.

Diamond saw blades are made with teeth that have been coated in a strong carbon grit mixture. These saw blades are designed to cut through materials that would wear away normal blades, including stone, clay, concrete and similar substances. Diamond blades are usually designed for these tough materials. Trying to cut wood with a diamond saw might not lead to good results.

Diamond Saw Damage

Diamond saws are designed to be the most durable blades for the most difficult saw projects. You will not need to worry about damaging the diamond saw blade itself. These blades are made to withstand stone materials. The soft fibers of wood boards will not hurt the blade itself. The danger is in how the diamond blade treats the wood itself.

General Purpose of Diamond Blades

General purpose dry diamond saw blades can be used for several materials, but reconsider before using them to cut wood. The harsh grit of the diamond blade can cut tile and masonry with straight lines. When applied to wood, however, the blades might create a rough cut, ripping apart fibers, or might make it too easy to create crooked cuts. In most cases, it is better to use a traditional steel blade for wood.

Wood Cutting Blades

Carbide-tipped saw blades are designed especially for wood. These are similar to diamond saw blades, but are designed with teeth and coatings that will make it easier to cut wood, especially hardwoods. If you do want to use a diamond saw blade, ensure that you use a carbide version that is specifically designed for wood.

Exceptions

Some exceptions exist to using diamond blades on boards. For example, fiber cement board comes in planks and might resemble wood, but it is actually made from cementitious materials. Do not assume that the board shape means it is made of wood. Diamond saws work well when cutting fiber cement and similar materials for construction products.

Concrete—most of us have a love-hate relationship with it. Love it when we need a permanent, heavy-duty, weather-resistant surface. Hate it when we gotta repair, replace or cut the stuff.

The prospect of cutting concrete can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Most of the battle can be won by simply selecting the right tools. Try a concrete saw. Following is a rundown of common concrete-cutting tasks—from dinky to monster-sized—and the best tools and techniques for handling them.

Blades made of corundum may be cheap, but on a per-cut basis, they’re more expensive than diamond-tipped blades. If you rent a diamond circular saw blade, many rental centers will measure its perimeter before and after and charge you by the 1/1,000th inch used.

You can make small rough cuts using a cold chisel and sledgehammer (Photos 2 and 3), but the better choice is a circular saw with a special blade.

Dry-cutting diamond blades most often have a serrated or toothed rim (Photo 1) to help cool the blade and eject waste. They work best when you make a series of gradually deeper cuts to avoid overheating the blade. The downside to dry-cutting masonry is the tornado of fine dust it creates. If you cut concrete indoors, seal off the area with plastic and duct tape. Seal all duct openings as well.

Wet-cutting diamond blades can have either teeth or a smooth, continuous perimeter. Water not only helps cool and lubricate the blade but also keeps the dust down. These cut the fastest and cleanest, but they require a special saw that can both distribute water and be safely used around it. As a make-do option, you can plug your saw into a GFCI-protected extension cord and have a helper carefully direct a small stream of water just in front of your saw as it cuts.

1. Good for the brain

Walnuts contain important phytochemicals, as well as high amounts of polyunsaturated fats that offer potential benefits for both brain health and function. Omega-3 fatty acids play a part by helping reduce oxidative stress in the brain but also by helping to improve brain signalling and neurogenesis, which is how new neurons are formed.

As well as high levels of beneficial fats, other important nutrients such as vitamin E, folate and the protective phytochemical, ellagic acid, are all found in walnuts, and contribute to its neuroprotective and memory enhancing properties.

Discover the 10 foods that can boost your brainpower.

2. Mood-boosting

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for the development and function of the central nervous system. Promising research and clinical evidence indicate omega-3 fatty acids could well play a role in certain mood disorders.

Although, a study specifically evaluating the effect of walnuts reported mixed findings, the inclusion of walnuts in the diet of non-depressed, young healthy males did appear to improve mood.

3. Heart healthy

The Journal of Nutrition reports that consumption of walnuts may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and that walnut oil provides more favourable benefits to endothelial function, which is the lining of the inside of our blood and lymphatic vessels. There has also been research into whole walnuts, and how they can improve cholesterol levels and markers for inflammation, which is also connected to a reduced risk of heart disease.

A study by the British Journal of Nutrition found that those who consumed nuts more than four times a week reduced their risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 37 per cent.

4. May support weight loss

There has been some evidence to demonstrate that consuming walnuts in the place of other foods does not cause weight gain, even though they are energy rich, offering a great snack alternative for those looking to manage their weight.

5. Support a healthy digestive system

A recent animal study has shown consuming walnuts can enrich the gut microbiota, the community of beneficial microbes which live in our intestines, and in particular increase strains of beneficial probiotic bacteria. This has been repeated in humans with reports of increases in beneficial strains and especially those which produce butyrate, a by-product which supports the health of the gut.

IIn past decades, stick welders did not have much information about gases with regards to welding. This whole concept changed with the invention of TIG and MIG welding machines and their constant rise in usage. Gas is now considered a common commodity in most welding workshops. But how much does welding gas cost? If you’re just setting up shop, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll break down where to get welding gas and the costs associated with it.

Welding gases can be outsourced from various vendors depending on your location and the type of gas you require. Most vendors provide the option of free delivery for local orders and charge a few bucks for regional deliveries.

Welders use welding gases for several reasons, with the main one being shielding the arc from impurities such as dust. Gases are also used to heat metals during welding and to keep the welds clean.

Inert gases are known for not causing any changes to the materials. They also remain in the same state during welding. This ability makes welding more comfortable without weakening or distorting the welds. Reactive gases are the opposite of inert gases. They react by changing their states and causing changes to the materials. This property makes these gases ideal for enhancing the fusion of metals.

You might have noticed that most bars and pubs use a CO2 tank cylinder, where the drink is to be served. CO2 tank cylinders are used to pressurize the beer draft system. CO2 tank cylinder which is used for brewing, are mostly made from aluminum. They also come in steel tank is a variety is sizes.

The quality of a CO2 tank cylinder should be really good. It all depends on what type of tank you have because it will surely affect the taste of your drink. Once you get the idea of how to use your cylinder properly, you can easily make new beverages with lots of bubbles, and you can also design plans for your beverages, keeping safety in mind of course.

Well here is the perfect answer to your question. CO2 gas forced into this cylinder, the more it’s forced, and the more inner molecules get close to each other. The molecules inside the cylinder get so close that crowding of gas happens and the movement of the molecules become very slow. When the molecules slow down, they lose heat energy and hence get cold.

When the temperature reaches 880 psi (pounds per square inch), the molecules release enough heat energy to get cold enough to turn into liquid. When these liquids go through some temperature changes, like an increase in temperature, the volume of the liquids expands. In the liquid state, CO2 can be stored in it a lot more than in the gas state. In short, you get to store a huge amount of CO2 in the tank cylinder.

Pressure plays a huge role in this cylinder. It’s all about the pressure; it is the key thing to note. To provide a push for your draft beer system, the pressure has to be nearly 880 psi. Initially, at this pressure, only CO2 is stored inside the tank cylinder, but once you open the lid of the tank, some of the CO2 is released in the form of vapors and turns back to its previous state that is gas. This gas is then allowed to flow into the gas side of your draft beer system.

Unlike growlers, CO2 tanks don’t have a good system of insulation. They have to be handled with a lot of care. A sudden temperature increase can expand the liquid inside it; hence, it can make the tank so hot that it can burn your fingers. So safety measures should be taken properly. This can be done by having a CO2 regulator; the regulator controls the high pressure of the gas to a manageable and prevents the tank from heating up drastically.

Most people turn door handles every day and never even give a second thought to the parts of a door handle until they need or choose to replace part or all of the handle. If you're going to DIY your door hardware, it can be useful to know more about door handle components first. The parts of a door handle include knobs/levers, latch mechanisms, strike plates, boxes and cylinder locks.

The most obviously noticeable part of the door handle is the knob or lever that actually allows the door to open. Knobs are generally round, although they may come in other shapes, and they open the door by turning, whereas levers (also called lever handles) open the door by pushing down. While it's pretty hard to install a door handle in the wrong direction, it's important to pay attention to the direction of a lever when installing one.

While not the most important of door knob parts, a rosette is the plate behind the door handle or lever. While the rosettes in most homes are simple metal pieces, they can be elegantly detailed, and some door handles, particularly those with vintage designs, don't have a rosette at all.

The Latch Mechanism

Perhaps the most important of all door handle parts is the latch mechanism. This is the spring-loaded piece that protrudes past the door, keeping the door closed. While most latch mechanisms use a retracting tubular latch mechanism that goes in when the handle is turned, some doors, like closets, use a ball latch. A ball latch doesn't retract when the handle is turned but instead is simply pushed open or closed in order to catch it on the specially indented strike plate.

The latch itself is generally fitted to the door with a mortise plate, which provides additional security and makes installation more easy so the latch is properly situated in the door in order to catch on the door frame when the door is closed. Additionally, the mortise plate makes the latch mechanism look much more attractive than simply having a floating latch stick out the side of the door.

When the door is pushed closed, the strike plate is the metal piece that the latch is pushed into on the door jam. The box is the hole where the latch fits in, which may or may not be fitted with a strike plate.

Ball latches require a special, shallow strike plate, but most retracting tubular latches don't require a strike plate because they will still retract and go into the box when pushed against a door frame. That being said, strike plates make the door function more smoothly, look more attractive and protect the door frame from damage caused by repeatedly being pressed on by the latch.

A beef animal selected for slaughter should be healthy and in thrifty condition. Keep the animal off feed 24 hours before slaughter, but provide free access to water.

Do not run or excite the animal prior to slaughter because this may cause poor bleeding and give the carcass a bloody appearance.

The weather, especially expected temperatures the few days following slaughter, is extremely important. Night temperatures should be 32°F or lower for the carcass to chill properly without refrigeration.

The meat will spoil if improperly chilled and stored during warm weather. Also, during extremely cold weather, the meat should be protected from freezing by covering it with a clean cover.

Slaughter should be done in a dry, clean, dust-free area. A well-drained grassy area is recommended.

Take precautions during slaughter, chilling, and processing to keep the carcass and cuts clean and free from contamination. Use clean equipment, keep hands clean, wear clean clothing, and keep work and storage areas clean.

The carcass can be chilled without refrigeration by hanging it in a dry, clean building. Freedom from odors or contamination is essential.

Most meat spoilage and off-odors and flavors can be attributed to one or more of the following causes:

1. Improper chilling of the carcass. The internal temperature of the round and other thick parts should be lowered to 40-45°F within 24 hours after slaughter.

2. Adsorption of off-odors. When the carcass is chilled and aged in an area with any odor (manure, gasoline, paint, musty odor, etc) the carcass will absorb it.

3. Poor sanitation during slaughter, chilling, and processing. This contamination with microorganisms causes off-odors, off-flavors, and spoilage.

4. Improper freezing and storage of frozen meat. Packaged meat should be quick-frozen and stored at 0° to 5°F. Home freezers are for storage of products already frozen, not for quick-freezing large quantities of meat. Small quantities, preferably less than 25 pounds, can be satisfactorily frozen at home by placing meat in the freezer with at least one inch of space between each package.

The minimum required items of equipment for home slaughtering are as follows.

• Stunning device such as 22 caliber rifle.

• Block and tackle, chain hoist, or tractor equipped with hydraulic lift.

• Beef spreader (singletree equipped with hooks on both ends and a ring in the center will do).

• 24- or 28-inch meat saw.

• 6-inch sharp skinning knife, 6-inch boning knife, and 8-inch butcher knife.

• 10- or 12-inch steel bucket to hold water for washing hands.

• Ample clean water and clean hand towels.

Covering a yarn can also be in order to hide something. This is most often the case when covering fine wires. The yarn that is wrapped around gives the looks whereas the core (the fine wire) still provides the functionality (like conductivity).

Single covered yarns are yarns where a second yarn is wrapped around a core yarn.

The second layer of wrapping mainly serves to compensate the twist direction of the first layer.

A non-elastic multilfilament yarn can for example be intermingled with an elasthane yarn that is in the core. This construction can be of help in certain embroidery applications.

In the example of Elasthane, a non elastic yarn gets wrapped around a twisted elasthane yarn. The elasthane is thus fully covered by the non elastic yarn which leads the yarn as a whole to have the look as well as the haptics of the non elastic yarn. However, the perks of elasthane are still to be noticed when wearing a fabric that is made out of such a core spun yarn by a much higher wear comfort for example.