Article: Another common source for humidity in a basement is external water, which can come from precipitation or groundwater. Gutters are designed to collect precipitation and move the water away from your house, but they have to be free of debris to work properly.Clean your gutters every spring and fall to remove leaves, dirt, pinecones, and other matter that could clog the spouts. When gutters become clogged, water builds up inside and drips over the edges. The water then collects around the base of your house, and may seep in through the foundation. Sump pumps, which are found in the basement or bottom floor of the house, should be inspected annually. Check that the pump is in good working order, that the pump is upright, and that it's properly pumping water away from the house. A sump pump system collects water from around the foundation of the house, drains it into a sump pit, and then pumps the water away from the house. In order to perform this task, the sump system has to be properly cleaned and maintained. Not all houses have sump pumps. If you're not sure, check your basement for the sump pit, which is a large reservoir dug into the floor to collect water. Some basements just have a dirt floor, and water vapor can easily enter the basement through the soil. To prevent this from happening, cover the floor with sheets of 6-millimeter plastic. Overlap the seams of the plastic to prevent moisture from getting through, and attach the plastic to the walls with tape or staples. Holes, cracks, and other openings in the foundation are easy ways for moisture to enter your basement. Small holes can be repaired with a polyurethane masonry caulk, but you should use hydraulic cement to fix larger holes. Typically, you can address a small crack in the foundation as long as it's vertical. Call in a professional if the crack is horizontal, diagonal, or growing, or if you want it assessed by an expert. The foundation is the structure on which your house is built, so it's always best to consult an expert if you're unsure of a problem. Most foundation material is porous, including concrete and stone. This means water can seep into your basement through the foundation. There are several products you can apply to your basement walls to make them waterproof, and they can be applied like paint. Look for masonry waterproof coatings like Xypex or Drylok.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Keep your gutters clean. Maintain your sump pump. Cover dirt basement floors with a plastic barrier. Fix holes or leaks in the foundation. Coat the walls with a waterproof material.

Problem: Article: Use a tape measure to get the width and length of your balcony. These dimensions will help you determine whether something will fit when you're shopping for outdoor furniture. If your balcony is somewhat square, instead of long and skinny, you may have enough room for a small table and a couple of chairs. Bistro sets are often designed for small spaces and have a small footprint. Look for one with chairs that fit all the way under the table when not in use, or a set that folds up for easy storage. A round table will allow for more people to gather around it than a square table would. This allows people enough space to pull out a chair and move freely behind the chairs as well. You can have less clearance as long as you're comfortable squeezing into a tight spot between your chair and the table. If your balcony is more in the long-and-skinny category, a bench is a good way to add seating without eating up all the space. Look for a bench that has a storage compartment under the seat so that you can stow cushions, pillows, or any other balcony accessories. If you don't want to buy a bench, you can make one out of a couple of wooden crates laid down next to each other. If there's no room for a bistro set on your balcony, then pick out one outdoor chair and put a small side table next to it. This will allow you to sip coffee or tea, or even have a snack outside. Add cushions to make it a comfortable place to read a book. Choose a folding chair to save space and make it easier to transfer inside and out. Your balcony furniture has to withstand your climate, whether that's hot and dry, wet and humid, or cold and snowy. Look for metal, teak, cedar, and all-weather wicker in your furniture. These can stand up to a variety of weather conditions with little maintenance.
Summary: Measure your space. Shop for bistro sets. Aim for 3 feet (1 m) of clearance all around the edge of a table. Add a bench. Pair a chair with a side table. Shop for weather-resistant materials.

Pour 4 parts of water into a saucepan on your stove and set the burner on high. As the water warms, add in 1 part of white sugar. Bring the water to a low boil, and let it boil for 23 minutes so the water and sugar blend. Then, let the water cool for 30 minutes, and pour it into your feeder. The size of the carafe varies from one hummingbird feeder to another. Only make enough nectar to fill the carafe of your feeder(s). If you make extra, you can store it in the refrigerator. The nectar will only keep for about 1 week, though. Never use honey or artificial sweeteners in your nectar, and never give hummingbirds commercial foods that contain red dye. Due to the high sugar content of the nectar, the feeders get dirty quickly. To clean them, mix white vinegar and warm water at a ratio of 1:4. Dump out the old, dirty water, and pour in about 12 litre (0.13USgal) of the vinegar solution. Place the lid back on the feeder and shake it vigorously to clean out the feeder. If the inside of the feeder is especially dirty, drop 1220 grains of rice in along with the vinegar mixture. The rice will scrape stains or moldy patches out from the carafe. Once it's clean, rinse the feeder out 23 times with warm water to remove all traces of the vinegar mixture. If any vinegar is left inside, birds will stop drinking from the feeder. Then, refill the feeder with another batch of sugar water for the birds to eat. Hang the feeder again, and watch as more of the beautiful birds come by to drink! Ants are a problem for all hummingbird feeders, but get especially bad with suction-cup feeders, since ants have easy access to them. Prevent ants from accessing your feeders by filling up the feeders' ant moat with water. The ant moat is a 34in (7.610.2cm) wide trough that goes around the feeder. When ants attempt to get to the sweet nectar, they'll fall and drown in the moat. At least once a week, scoop the ant bodies out of the ant moat and dispose of them. Most saucer and J-hook feeders have ant moats. Suction-cup feeders often don't, since the moat would be unable to wrap all the way around the feeder. If you're concerned about ants and wasps getting into the nectar and bothering the hummingbirds, purchase a bee guard that can be attached to the feeder. Most hardware stores sell bee guards. Never fill the moat with oil. Small birds will drink from the moat from time to time, and the oil could harm them. If you don't take preventative steps, you'll soon find that your feeder is full of drowned ants and that the birds are no longer drinking from it.
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One-sentence summary --
Fill the hummingbird feeder with nectar made from sugar and water. Clean the feeder with vinegar and warm water once a week. Rinse the carafe with warm water and refill the feeder. Keep ants away by filling the feeder's ant moat with water.