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Articles from Douglas Hoover | Selfgrowth.com
- Why Build a Koi Pond with Concrete? - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2011 from Douglas HooverMany pond builders have started out in the water garden industry by building ponds the easy way, by using a rubber liner, biofalls, and a sump pump. Many of these landscapers were not informed of what to expect in terms of durability and the longevity of these building materials. Unfortunately, ...
Views: 2517 - Concrete Ponds and Freezing Climates - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2011 from Douglas HooverThe pond liner advocates have maligned concrete constructed ponds and waterfalls for years by making spurious claims that concrete will crack and not hold up over time or in cold freezing climates. This article will expose this fallacy for what it really is and explain the facts about the ...
Views: 4151(1 vote) - Fountain Water Level Controller - by Submitted on Apr 19, 2011 from Douglas HooverYou ask, what is a fountain water level controller? It is a device that controls the level of water in a fountain. If you own a fountain or are thinking of getting one in the future or have a friend or family member who owns one, you need to read this article. There are over ten million ...
Views: 3969 - Fountains May Not Be Forever - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2011 from Douglas HooverAfter retiring from 30 years of designing and building well over two thousand waterfalls and fountains I have come to the conclusion that fountains are not everything that they seem or appear to be. Yes, most are elegant, charming, ornate, tranquil, appealing, relaxing, soothing, stress ...
Views: 1428(2 votes) - What is Solar Food Dehydration? - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverRaisins are undoubtedly the most common examples of dehydrated food sold and consumed around the world. Other common popular dried fruits are figs, dates, prunes, apricots, bananas, papaya, mango and the crispy, savory banana chips. Even though these foods change appearance in their texture and ...
Views: 1377 - Starvation or Powdered Eggs - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Douglas HooverBought any powdered eggs or dehydrated milk lately? Why not? These would be two very useful items on a survivalist’s grocery list, followed by canned meats, flour, wheat, rice, beans, canned cheese and butter, etc. If the answer is no, you are not prepared for survival in an emergency. And if ...
Views: 1247 - How Prepared Are You? - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2011 from Douglas HooverDisasters always seem to be happening everywhere else but in our own neighborhood. After a while, we actually start to believe it will never happen here and in my lifetime. Case in point, have you prepared for a natural or man-made disaster or at least even thought about it? Through this ...
Views: 1548 - Solar Dehydrator or Solar Oven? - by Submitted on Apr 10, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhich is more versatile, a solar dehydrator or a solar oven? Many solar ovens are sold with the promise that, besides cooking food by the energy of the sun, you can also dehydrate food. I have owned two solar Sun Ovens for almost two years and have cooked every kind of food that I ever cooked in ...
Views: 1506 - Is It God's Will For Us to Get Sick? - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2011 from Douglas HooverOnce we understand where sickness comes from, we can understand why we are able to get rid of it! God's word clearly reveals that both death and sickness originated with sin and are being spread by Satan. Romans 5:12-21 When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought ...
Views: 1688 - Solar Oven Cooking & Food Dehydration-DIY Solar Oven Dehydrator Kit - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Douglas HooverMy wife and I have been living full time in a 40-foot motor home for over three years after we sold our house and donated everything to Disabled American Veterans. It has been a ride on the wild side, and part of that ride has been parking, and not always in a camp ground or RV park. If I am ...
Views: 2772(3 votes) - Pond Design: Digitally Design Masterpieces - Virtual Water Features Part I - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Douglas HooverOne of the most challenging aspects of designing ponds and waterfalls is trying to convey my ideas to my client. Coming up with award-winning pond designs or implementing them using adequate skills and experience is not a problem. My challenge is getting my client to see what I see. Drawing and ...
Views: 1589 - Pond Liners - 7 Reasons Why I Don't Use Them - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Douglas Hoover1. Liners will eventually leak. Manufacturers have varying warranties, ranging from 15 to 30 years, with a 75-year life expectancy. In reality, it will definitely last as long as the guarantee claims as long as you leave it in the box, and store it in your garage. Once you place it in the ...
Views: 1702 - Ponds & Waterfalls - Water Living - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Douglas HooverWe can't live without it. Water is the very source of life That is why we are so strongly attracted to it. Maybe because we cannot live more than a few days without water, we want to have it close by. Most people would like to live next to it, whether in the form of a stream, river, lake or ...
Views: 1451(1 vote) - Koi Pond and Waterfall Builders - What You Need to Know - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Douglas HooverBefore installing a water feature you need to ask yourself several important questions first: What is your budget? How much can you spend on the entire project? You could spend $3,000 on a water feature and find out you still need an additional $1,000-1,500 for plants and amenities, such as a ...
Views: 1527 - Koi Pond - Liners vs. Professional Construction - by Submitted on Feb 19, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhy is there so much talk about pond liners? Which ones are UV protected, or stronger, or last longer? I am by no means an expert on liner technology, nor have I ever used them in my 26 years of designing and building waterfalls. If you're a "liner guy" disciple, I'm sure you're thinking, "Oh ...
Views: 3820 - Ponds & Waterfalls - Layout & Excavation - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverFirst of all: know what you want. If you need some ideas, visit the library or your local book store and browse through landscape books, garden and pond magazines. You can also search the web and read and study as much as possible. Layout is the most important phase of the entire project. I ...
Views: 1474 - Koi Pond or Pondless Waterfall - Where Do I Begin? - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas Hoover1. Have you thought about A Water Feature?-- Is it true that a water feature will add equity to my home? What about a swimming pool? Doesn't a pond require a lot of upkeep? What is the average cost? Do I need a building permit? Do I have to have fish? ...we travel a lot! According to the ...
Views: 1461 - Koi Pond - Which Pump to Use - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhen I started in the waterfall and pond design & construction business in January of 1982, I was asking the same question. I had a slight advantage over most when it came to answering the question, "Which pump do I use?" I came out of the energy conservation field, so I was already savvy ...
Views: 1153 - Solar Ovens - Which One? - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverMany people have discovered that solar cooking and baking is more than just a science project or cleaver novelty. Cooking with the sun can be fun, but it can also saves money while decreasing your carbon footprint. Sun ovens use the free unlimited energy of the sun to cook or bake. rather than ...
Views: 942 - Solar Ovens - Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Healthy - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverOur environment can have as much impact on our health as food and water. Smoking three to four packs of cigarettes a day can totally negate the healthful benefits of a steady diet consisting of organic vegetables, meats, fish, grains and dairy products. There are not enough vitamins, minerals, ...
Views: 984 - Survival Kit - Everyone Should Own One - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhat is a survival kit? It is simply a kit that contains necessary items to help you survive. Primarily food and water would be at the top of the list. You can survive five to six days without food, a flashlight or toilet paper, but try to survive without water. In a natural or man-made ...
Views: 1604(1 vote) - The Best Solar Sun Oven - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverIf you have not heard of solar or sun cooking and baking, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Cooking with the sun has been around for quite some time. The first documented research and successful results of solar cooking or baking was in 1767 by a French-Swiss physicist, Horace de Saussure. ...
Views: 968 - Solar Ovens - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhat is a solar oven? It is an oven that uses the sun's energy to cook, bake, steam or broil all types of food, from pies, bread, cakes and cookies to barbeque, roasting an 18 pound turkey or pot-roast. Anything that can be cooked or baked in a conventional oven can be cooked or baked by the ...
Views: 1212 - Solar Ovens - Saving Lives - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverHalf the world's population is dependent upon a wood, coal, bark, charcoal, grass or even dried dung for fuel for cooking their daily meals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). They also report, as a consequence, that we are now losing a staggering 28,000 acres per day in countries ...
Views: 1201 - What Is A Solar Oven? - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverI saw my first solar oven a year ago. My first reaction was amazement and general disbelief that a box with attached shiny reflectors could capture enough sunshine to develop a cooking temperature of 350 degrees inside the 19 inch square box and maintain it all day long by simply shifting its ...
Views: 859 - Pond Construction -Liners vs. Concrete - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverMany people are still searching the internet for information on how to build a waterfall or koi pond. Unfortunately, there is very little information regarding professional construction. There are thousands of websites involved in marketing pond products to uninformed and unsuspecting ...
Views: 1632(1 vote) - Automatic Pool Water Levelers - by Submitted on Apr 22, 2011 from Douglas HooverIf you are looking for a reliable automatic pool water leveler, I will save you some time and money by sharing a few facts about water levelers. Right out of the gate: Stay away from any auto fill device that hooks up to a garden hose! They are constructed mostly of plastic parts that can and ...
Views: 2537 - Water Leveler Devices - Water Level Controllers - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhether you sell pond or pool equipment or are in the market for a water leveler for maintaining the level of water in your pool, pond, fountain, hot tub or water garden, here are some important facts that could eventually save you both time and money. There are well over 130 mechanical water ...
Views: 949 - Choosing the Right Pond or Pool Water Leveler - by Submitted on Feb 16, 2011 from Douglas HooverWhen choosing an automatic pond or pool water leveler, you should first realize that there are over 130 water leveling devices on the market today to pick from. There are five very important features to look for. 1. Most of the mechanical water levelers will eventually stick or jam in the ...
Views: 907 - Tropical Paradise - In Your Back Yard? - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2011 from Douglas HooverIf they could afford it, most people would love a vacation in the Hawaiian Islands or the Caribbean. Those who have been fortunate enough to do so wished they could stay. More homeowners are now spending money on home improvement that they may have saved towards expensive vacations or purchasing ...
Views: 941 - Three Reasons Why You Should Not Use a Water Leveler on Your Koi Pond - by Submitted on Feb 04, 2011 from Douglas Hoover1. There are well over 130 mechanical water levelers available today, and none of them can be guaranteed not to stick in the closed position. The most common of these are the cheap plastic ball valve usually found in toilet tanks, which are notorious for warping and jamming. There is a ...
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