Show pests you mean business—without paying for it

Any doctor will tell you that prevention is the best cure.  The same goes for keeping pests out of your house.

Human laziness is often one way that pests find their way in.  Even though you may be exhausted after that huge Thanksgiving dinner, don’t be lax in cleaning up afterwards.  The same goes for any other meal, and even snacks.  If food is left out, someone of the creepy-crawly variety will find out, and they’ll tell all their friends.  Other things that attract insects are standing water sources and garbage.  Also, eliminate hospitable pest living places, both inside your home and close to the house outside.  Don’t keep piles of wood near the home, and keep tree branches from touching the house. Read the rest of this entry »

Perfect painting the first time around

House painting can be a time-consuming but rewarding task.  If done right, it can completely change the way your house looks, and coincidentally also add value to your home.  You can find many sites online where professional painters and builders share their expertise, such as House Painting Guide and Ask the Builder.  Here are some of our favorite tips.

• Read the paint can label. The label will let you know what primers work best with the paint, as well as the drying time.  It will also tell you to only apply it to a clean surface, which leads to our second tip.  Reading the label will also let you check the ingredients.  Make sure that the paint contains urethane and acrylic resins.
• Clean thoroughly–by hand. While pressure washing may give the illusion of completely cleaning your home, it’s just that: an illusion.  There’s no substitute for hand-washing, even though it takes a little longer.  Another benefit: pressure washing runs the risk of injecting water into the walls and causing paint failure. Read the rest of this entry »

Making home remodeling easy: a step-by-step process

When people think of “home improvement,” most inevitably think of the television series first.  With the image of Tim Allen bumbling around in their heads, it’s no wonder that the idea of house renovation quickly becomes intimidating.  However, it doesn’t have to be if you follow these steps.

1. Run the numbers. Even if money won’t be an issue in your renovation, it’s still important to look at the project financially.  First, it will help you determine whether it makes sense to go through with the project, or whether it’s more effective to purchase a new home.  Secondly, it’ll make sure you at least have a pretty good idea of what you want to accomplish.
2. Visualize. This is a two-part process.  It starts with research—looking through magazines, stores, websites like LetsRenovate.com, and even friends’ homes—to see how the finished product should look.  Then, it’s your job to draw up plans.  Don’t worry, this isn’t a blueprint—just a guide for the contractor.  There are a variety of programs online you can use to help. Read the rest of this entry »

Make a lawn that the kids will want to stay off of

Lawn care for some is a blessing, for others a curse.  While you may love spending your fall evenings on the lawnmower, others may look at the darkening sky and tremble.  Luckily, we’ve compiled a group of lawn care tips for the coming season that’ll satisfy both groups.

• Know your grass type.  Knowing whether you have a cool- or warm-season grass will help you know what you have to do to take care of it.  Cool-season grasses include bluegrass, bentgrass, fescue, and ryegrass.  Warm-season grasses include Bermudagrass, Saint-Augustine grass, zoysiagrass, and buffalograss.
• Don’t forget fertilizing cool-season lawns.  Although it may seem counterintuitive, fertilizing cool-season grasses before the winter hits will help with the root growth that occurs at that time.  The best fertilizers will be those that are high in both nitrogen and potassium.  Don’t fertilize warm-season grass, as it could interfere with the hardening process these species undergo. Read the rest of this entry »

HGTV’s “Rate My Space” offered innovative interaction

Since 1994, HGTV has been drawing in viewers looking to improve their homes.  Many of their programs are worth checking out, from “Property Virgins” (focusing on first-time home buyers) to “Design Star” (where contestants compete for their own HGTV show).  One, however, offered viewers themselves a chance to participate: “Rate My Space” with Angelo Surmelis.  While there’s no word on an upcoming season, the show is still worth remembering, and the site is still active.

The process begins at HGTV’s “Rate My Space” website, where users can upload videos and pictures of their own living spaces.  Those images are then rated and commented on by the community.  Visitors can find whatever type of rooms they’re interested in with the easy search function, or by browsing one of the categories such as “Basements” or “Closets”.  High-rated spaces net their owners a feeling of pride and accomplishment. Read the rest of this entry »