Preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday is turning out to be a bit different. Gone this year is the uncle who throws crumbs of food and bits of trash in the fireplace. Or the kids that like to poke the fireplace logs sending sparks in every direction. This year, we get to create our own scene. Once you and your family have finished the delicious meal, now it’s time to make the rounds of Internet calls. Whether you use Zoom, Facebook, Skype or any other system, one thing is for sure…you need a warm, inviting, good-looking background. The fireplace is the perfect go-to background, especially when you can see and hear the crackling of the fire. Put a little extra time in decorating around the fireplace, and of course, include the cookies and pumpkin pie. To ensure chaos isn’t erupting behind you, make sure your fireplace and chimney is ready to go. Begin with a Chimney & Fireplace Inspection By getting a chimney inspection you’ll help to ensure smoke goes up and out of the house, debris is not blocking it and any animals are safely living outside of your chimney. You certainly don’t want your online guests to think you smoked the turkey in the fireplace. Chimney backup or a Smokey fireplace is usually caused by an insufficient draft in the flue. However, there are lots of other reasons for smoke backup including the partially open dampers, too small of a flue or a dirty chimney. This is one situation that’s best left to a certified technician to identify and repair. Debris knows how to make its way into the chimney. Leaves, twigs, paper, plastic, and anything else flying around on windy days, has this special radar, and when it finds a chimney, it’ll try to make its way in. If the chimney doesn’t have a chimney cap, or if it was blown off or shifted from the high winds, debris found a new home! Animals are wonderful to watch outside. We’ve watched a couple of the squirrels in our yard go from a lean body to a very plump size, all in preparation for winter. What comes next is a cozy place to sleep. The chimney is a perfect. It’s warm and protects the animals from the outdoor elements. If there isn’t a chimney cap or if the cap is loose or moved in a way to squeeze in…perfect! What is a 14 Point Inspection? A 14 point chimney inspection for your fireplace tells us a story about the events that occurred over the past year’s freeze and thaw cycle. It reveals to us any wear and tear, the frequency of use and the age of the chimney. This is great information to have in order to stay on top of any necessary chimney repairs and know the current conditions of worthiness for use. Since the chimney is high on the roof, we take pictures of your chimney to show you the current condition. If any repairs are needed, you can see it for yourself. You have a little time before the ‘live’ internet chat on Thanksgiving Day. As part of your preparations, get your chimney swept and inspected today. Call 877-244-6349.

cyperus papyrus
Inspiration for an asian backyard landscaping in Orange County.

Once the endless winter has finally subsided, it is time to start thinking about your spring tree care! Once the last of the snow and ice has finally melted away, your trees and garden will be released once again. It is finally time to prepare for your spring tree care. If you want to maximize your tree’s new growth, you are going to want to follow Five Star Tree Services spring checklist! You can also start planning for new trees as well. We are going to give you all the information you need to know in order to properly take care of your trees this spring. Inspect Your Trees When all the ice and snow has left your trees, this is a good time to inspect for any damage done from the harsh winter. There aren’t any leaves that will get in your way, making it easier to see anything amiss, like damage or diseases. If you hire an arborist to do this initial spring inspection, you can guarantee that they will analyze every tree on your property very carefully to make sure they can provide you with the most accurate report. This report will make you aware of any and all tree problems on your property. The arborist will also go over all possible ways that you can fix these problems and explain them to you. Preemptive Pruning In order to properly prepare your trees for their spring growth, you will need to prune them. A trained arborist will be able to identify dead branches and cut them off. They will also deal with damaged branches, weak branches, and any unsafe branches and make sure they remove them before they become a problem or hazard. We recommend that you prune or hire an arborist to prune your trees in the early spring. If you wait and prune your trees after their spring growth, they are more likely to be attacked by pests and diseases. When done properly, your spring pruning is going to have a major positive impact on the overall health of your trees. Cleanup the Gardens Part of your spring cleaning is not limited to your home. You also need to clean your gardens too! This is an important part of your checklist routine. When all the snow and ice melt away and exposes your gardens and lawn once again, it is important to clean up your yard from any and all fallen leaves, branches, and anything else that isn’t supposed to be there. Once you do this, the sunlight will be able to get to the ground and will aid in penetrating and warming up the ground faster below the surface. Developing tree roots will have a positive effect from the sunlight. Which results in better tree growth in the spring. Fertilization of Your Trees After the winter has subsided, it usually takes most of the nutrients out of the soil. Which is why you should be taking advantage of fertilizing your trees in the spring. It is important to feed your trees in order to provide them with the adequate nutrients they need in order for them to be healthy and grow during the spring. When trees are properly fertilized, this helps them fight off diseases and pests. Add Some Mulch There are many marvelous benefits to mulching in the spring. This improves the soil quality that’s around your tree. It also helps to keep the soil fertilized and moist. Mulch is also a fantastic way to prohibit weeds from developing and growing in your gardens. This is very important for newly planted and young trees. We recommend that you add 2-4 inches of mulch around each tree in the early spring. Plant Some New Trees! There are many reasons why people plant trees. One major reason is to combat deforestation and provide more oxygen. If you are looking for other reasons to plant some trees, consider planting shade trees. These trees allow you to take shelter under them in the summer from the glaring sun. But did you know that they can also benefit you by maximizing your energy savings during the winter? Making it so that you can actually increase the overall value of your home when you plant new trees. How Five Star Tree Services Can Help When you are looking to add more magnificent trees to your yard, you need to make sure they are planted properly. One of the first important steps is to pick the right placement for your new tree. You also need to consider what trees are right for your property. Without any experience planting trees, we highly recommend that you contact your local Toronto Tree Planting Services for assistance! Our team is highly knowledgeable and will be able to help you with anything you require for your trees, both new and pre-existing. Make sure to contact Five Star Tree Service for all your tree needs. Contact us at (416) 990-3355 or go to our website to learn more!

This is an example of a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

The ground floor volumes wrapped in an elongated hand-fired brick, emphasizing the horizontality of the architecture that lays solidly on the land. (Photography by: Matthew Millman)

Zito Landscape Design South Florida
Inspiration for a large tropical partial sun side yard gravel formal garden in Miami for summer.

Photo: Kristin Laing © 2018 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic patio remodel in Austin

Example of a large transitional backyard concrete paver and rectangular natural pool house design in Cedar Rapids

Photo by Jay Sifford.

This section of the front yard was excavated and filled in with drainage rocks to create a Rain Garden. This is situated in a spot that captures storm-water flow coming down the hillside and provides a basin to store rainwater that normally would have run straight off the slope. Blue River Rocks cover the area and create an illusion of water when wet.

Photo of a small modern full sun rooftop landscaping in Tokyo for fall.

Photo by Jay Sifford
Design ideas for an eclectic landscaping in Charlotte.

Inspiration for a mid-sized tropical full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in Hawaii for summer.

Hosta, Hackonechloa macra 'Aureola' and cimicifuga in shade
This is an example of a traditional landscaping in New York.

Photo by Jay Sifford.
Inspiration for an eclectic home design remodel in Charlotte

SEALIGHT STUDIOS KAUAI
Design ideas for a tropical landscaping in Hawaii.

Mike and Anne of Barrington Hills desperately needed to update and renovate both their kid’s hall bath and guest bath, and in their 1980’s home each project presented a different set of unique challenges to overcome. When they set out to identify the right remodeling company to partner with, it was important to find a company that could help them to visualize design solutions for the bath renovations. When they came across Advance Design Studio’s website, they were immediately drawn to the solution-oriented remodeling process and the family friendly company. They say they chose Advance Design because of the integrated approach of “Common Sense Remodeling”, making the design, project management and construction all happen in one place. When they met with Project Designer Michelle Lecinski, they knew they chose the right company. “Michelle’s excellent work on the initial designs made it easy to proceed with Advance Design Studio,” Mike said. Like most homeowners anticipating a big renovation project, they had some healthy fears; with two bathrooms being remodeled at the same time they worried about timeframes and staying within budget. With the help of Michelle, and the “Common Sense” guidelines, they were confident that Advance Design would stay true, orchestrating all the moving parts to stay within both the estimated timeline and budget. The guest bath offered the biggest design challenge. A dormer obstruction made the already cramped shower awkward to access. Mike and Anne also wanted the shower size to be expanded, making it more accommodating. Working with Advance’s construction expert DJ Yurik, Michelle relocated the shower concealing the original dormer and creating a larger, more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing guest shower. The unsightly and not at all user-friendly closet was removed and replaced with elegant White Maple Dura Supreme cabinetry with much improved function featuring dual tall linen cabinets, a special makeup area and two sinks, providing a dual vanity which was extremely important for better guest use. The Fossil Brown quartz countertop is in pleasing contrast to the white cabinetry, and coordinates nicely with the mocha porcelain tile gracing the shower for an accent. The decorative glazed turquoise tile backsplash, tile border, and bottle niche adds a taste of marine green to the room, while marble-looking porcelain tile makes guests feel they are staying in a 5-star hotel. Polished nickel Kohler plumbing fixtures were chosen to add a touch of sophistication. This renovated guest bath is comfortable and elegant, and Anne and Mike’s house guests may never want to leave! “The end result was updated and restyled bathrooms that the client will enjoy and increase the value of their home,” Designer Michelle said. The children’s hall bath had its own set of challenges. The current placement of the sink was not conducive to the best use of the existing space, nor did it allow for any visual interest, something Advance’s designers always work to achieve even within the tight confines of a small bath. Advance removed the linen closet and used the gain in wall space to create a dramatic focal point on the vanity wall. They also took additional space that wasn’t being used for new Storm Gray Dura Supreme tall built-in linen cabinets, creating functional storage space that the former bath lacked. A customized glass splash panel was created for the bath, and the high ceilings with skylights were accented with a custom-made track lighting fixture featuring industrial pipe and cage materials. Authentic cement encaustic tile was used wall to wall surrounding the vanity to create a dramatic and interesting back drop for the new elegant and stately furniture-like double sink wall. Hand-made encaustic tile originated in Western Europe beginning in the 1850’s and reminded Mike and Anne of tile they had seen and loved from their travels overseas. Today, encaustic tile has made a re-appearance in today’s modern bath design with its wide array of appealing patterns and artistic use of color. Oil rubbed bronze Kohler fixtures echo the black accents in the beautiful tile pattern and reflect the matte black of the unique lighting detail. Easy to maintain Blanca Arabescato Quartz countertops add practicality and natural beauty and compliments the warm wood porcelain tile floors. This handsome bath has generated praise from friends and family even before it’s complete unveiling as photos of the space leaked out on social media! It’s not only completely functional to use, but especially pretty to look at. “Advance Design Studio did a terrific job for us. We really appreciated how easy it was to work with them on a complex project of the complete remodeling of two bathrooms. They very capably handled all the details from design, to project management, to construction. It is a great group of people to work with and we would welcome the opportunity to work with them again anytime,” Mike said.

Mimosa 'hot chocolate' has beautifully bright green new grown to contrast with deep purple mature leaves.
Inspiration for a large mediterranean drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard stone landscaping in Portland.