Month: October 2023

Traditional decks may require more maintenance than their composite counterparts, including regular staining and resealing. Consumers should consider upfront material cost as well as accumulated maintenance costs when choosing their decking materials.

With a surf club 4km from the front door and kilometres of untrammelled beach nearby, this family cabin north of Auckland honours life’s simple pleasures.

Cost

Several factors contribute to the overall cost of a deck or patio. These factors include size, material and installation design. Your local deck and patio contractor can survey your home and property to provide a detailed plan that suits your needs. He or she can recommend sizes and construction materials that meet climate and regional requirements.

Wood is one of the most common deck materials. However, the type of wood you choose can impact upfront and accumulated costs. For example, pressure treated wood is less expensive than other types of wood, but it may require more frequent sanding and staining to maintain its appearance.

Redwood is one of the most expensive woods for a deck, but it is durable and requires yearly maintenance to prevent cracking or warping. In contrast, bamboo is a more affordable option and doesn’t need to be stained or sealed. Composites are also more expensive than wood, but they’re long-lasting and low-maintenance.

Materials

Wood is a popular choice for decking because it’s relatively inexpensive, feels good under bare feet and can last up to 15 years. But it requires regular staining and sanding to prevent rot, mildew and insect infestation. It can also splinter and warp.

If you prefer a more natural look, consider cedar or redwood. These species adapt to changes in moisture, making them less likely to warp or crack. However, they’re also more expensive than other types of wood.

Manufactured materials like composite and vinyl tend to cost more upfront than natural wood, but they’re long-lasting and require less maintenance. They’re available in a range of colors, and some even come with built-in UV protection.

Design

If you’re considering a deck or patio, it’s best to consult a professional contractor to get tailored advice on regional factors. They’ll also help you choose the best materials for your needs and budget.

Ipe is a beautiful natural hardwood that resists rot, mildew, and insects, but it’s also one of the most expensive decking materials. It’s often sourced illegally from old-growth forests in South America, and the Rainforest Relief organization discourages its use.

Composite decking is a low-maintenance option that blends wood fibers with recycled plastic material. It’s durable, fade-resistant, and available in a range of colors. It’s important to compare prices between different composite products and thicknesses. Thicker boards require more joists, which increases the overall cost of installation. You should also consider the type of decking Waipu you want and any supplemental structures, such as benches or privacy fencing. The complexity of your design will also influence labor costs. For example, multi-level decks and intricate patterns require more work than simple, straightforward designs.

Maintenance

A good deck contractor or designer can survey your property to recommend the ideal layout and construction materials for your backyard living space. They can also suggest extra features like outdoor kitchens, fire pits and more. Your choice of furniture, throw pillows and other decor can play a huge role in the overall aesthetic. They can complement the color scheme of your garden or backyard and add a splash of personality to your space.

Wood decking is natural, affordable and feels good under bare feet. However, it needs annual cleaning to prevent rot and splinters. It is recommended to use a non-metal stiff brush and warm water mixed with mild dish soap to scrub away built-up dirt and mildew.

Composite decking is a low-maintenance alternative to wood that looks and feels like real wood but resists rot and insect damage. It comes in a variety of natural-looking hues and grain patterns. It is a good choice for homes in humid climates, but it still requires occasional scrubbing to remove mildew and mold.

Honey is a natural sweetener. It is made by bees from the flowers of plants.

Foraging bees visit flower blossoms to suck the nectar into their long tongues and store it in their honey stomachs. When their honey stomachs are full (100 flowers yields a teaspoon of nectar), they return to the hive.

How it’s made

Honey starts as flower nectar, which contains sugars and scent chemicals produced by flowers to attract insect pollinators. Each droplet of nectar is sucked up by a bee through its long, straw-like tongue called a proboscis and stored in the first chamber of its stomach, where an enzyme named invertase breaks down the complex sugars into simple ones like glucose and fructose.

After the nectar has been reprocessed by the bee and stored, each cell of honey is capped with a layer of beeswax to keep it from spoiling or absorbing water from outside. This process is critical, because without it, bees would lose their ability to store and use honey.

When it’s time to harvest, beekeepers brush the bees off the frames of honeycomb and remove the wax caps (also known as cappings) using an uncapping knife – an electric machine used for large batches or a cold serrated knife dipped in water for small batches. They then place the frames into an extractor to spin them, separating honey from the honeycomb cells.

Harvesting

Once the honey comb is fully capped and the nectar flow season has ended, the time has come to harvest your honey. This can be done in a variety of ways; one popular method is to use a capping scratcher, electric uncapping knife or cold knife to remove the wax cap from each frame so the honey can drip out.

Another option is to spin the honey in a centrifuge honey spinner/extractor. These machines range from hand-cranked, room-sized models to large, industrial sized machines that are capable of spinning thousands of frames at once.

Before you start extracting, make sure all your equipment is sterilised and you have a good supply of clean honey bottles ready to fill. Also keep in mind that harvesting can be messy, so you may want to choose a clean room to work in. Make sure to label your jars and keep track of how much you are harvesting so you know when it’s time to put the rest away for next year.

Processing

A honey factory might not look like much from the outside, but it’s a bustling hive on the inside. There are many ways to process honey, but the main goal is to remove the bee pollen and other contaminates. This can be done using pressure-driven membrane processes (UF and MF), or conventional thermal processing.

Before the honey is extracted, it’s usually smoked to pacify the bees and keep them from returning to their hives with empty frames. This is also used to help prevent yeast activity.

Honey has a high viscosity, but it’s often heated and evaporated to reduce this. Heating can cause the honey to crystallize and reduce its quality.

Microwave and ultrasound heating of honey have been proposed as alternative methods to conventional thermal processing for the production of higher-quality honey. Bath and Singh [23] found that microwave heating of two types of honey increased the formation of HMF and browning, but only at higher power levels.

Storage

Honey lasts a long time due to its low water content, acidity, and a special enzyme that suppresses bacteria growth. If stored correctly, it can last decades. However, over time, honey can experience natural changes like crystallization or color darkening. This doesn’t mean it’s spoiling, but it’s no longer as tasty or clear as it was when first bottled.

To prevent these natural changes, store your honey in a cool, dry place. The ideal storage temperature is between 50degF and 70degF. Avoid storing honey in areas that are hot or have windows as exposure to light can impact its quality over time.

It’s also important to store your honey in glass or food-grade plastic containers. Metal containers should be avoided as they introduce unwanted moisture that could lead to fermentation or spoilage. When transferring your honey to new containers, be sure they are clean and free of any moisture by running them through a warm cycle in the dishwasher or by scrubbing them with a damp rag.