Spring Home Improvement 2014

Thursday, March 27, 2014

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Page 2 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014

Spring is the season for decorating

Spring is the season of new beginnings, so is it any wonder that many Americans think about home improvement and brightening their decor when the weather warms? Simple updates can bring the cheerful perspective from the outside indoors and revive any room just in time for warmer weather.

Make your bathroom bloom

Relaxed modernity is ideal for a bathroom, and a serene palette is a great step to create this calming oasis.

Use the beach as your muse; pastels such as light blue and eggshell white will create an oceanfront vibe no matter where you live.

The finishing touches tie any room together, and the bathroom is no exception.

The right accent rug and towels will transform the look of your bath with minimal effort and deliver maximum style.

Updating your decorative

accents will complement your new spring color scheme, and leave the space feeling refreshed season after season.

Spring-ready sleeping chambers

Light hues are a great go-to for spring home decorating; utilize one of 2014’s hottest trends with a white-themed bedroom. Not only is white timeless and versatile, but it allows an array of interior design options. Add crisp white curtains to your windows to brighten the room, and for a chic addition, add a delicate white canopy to soften the atmosphere even more. For a hint of color, add in shades of muted teals — a top color for spring this year — on accessories throughout the room.

If your spring style calls for more color, add vibrant bursts throughout your boudoir. As the bed is the focal point of the master bedroom, make it the center of your attention as well. Fresh fabrics and linens

are essential for spring, so opt for a delicate coverlet in your favorite pattern. Also, incorporate decorative vases filled with fresh flowers throughout the space, allowing the fragrance of spring to accompany your fresh decor.

Spring-spruce the living room

To kick off spring with color and character, add an assortment of patterned throw pillows to your living room.

Mix and match fabrics and patterns — geometrics, florals and stripes pair well together.

It will give your living area visual texture and is the perfect way to perk up this room for the season. If you’re not in the mood for a complete room redo, use your existing color palette as inspiration; simply add in complementary shades to create a modern and harmonious look.

Looking to turn heads with a simple spring update?

Reposition your furniture.

Create a spring look in a bathroom by using bright colors.

First, determine the main furniture piece in the room, and place it in a position that welcomes guests so that it serves as the focal point.

Next, rearrange your other furnishings, photos and artwork for a whole new look that will take your visitors by surprise.

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Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Page 3

Time for design

Remember, the sketches don’t have to be final.

When DeNamur did this for the Wedge House kitchen, she said she realized the original kitchen was too small and that she wanted to make it larger.

So she drew out more designs, trying to imagine what the room would look like without a few of the walls.

“The most challenging thing was there wasn’t enough space,” she said.

2. Take your designs to a building supplier.

Tribune file photo

Dinah DeNamur and Jeff Fjelstad renovated the Wedge House, 73438 225th St., including the kitchen.

Homeowner is a pro at designing kitchens

By Sarah Stultz

sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

Albert Lea homeowner Dinah DeNamur knows a thing or two about designing kitchens.

As a woman who has redone four houses, she said when it came time to redesign the kitchen of the historic Wedge House just outside of Albert Lea, she was up for the

challenge.

The Wedge House, 73438 225th St., was built in 1880.

The Wedge family moved into the home in the 1930s, and several years ago — after it was renovated by DeNamur and partner Jeff Fjelstad — it became part of the Albert Lea Chapter of the American Association of University Women’s Historic Tour of Homes.

Though it was a long process to renovate the house, when it was completed, all the hard work paid off.

DeNamur said she and Fjelstad wanted to put some modern touches on the house, while also keeping the integrity of the historical home.

Here are some of DeNamur’s design tips for kitchens learned throughout the process:

1. Sketch out the design.

When designing a kitchen, start by sketching what you want the space to look like when it is completed. This will help get your creative juices flowing.

After drawing out the designs for the kitchen, DeNamur said, she took them to Freeborn Lumber for additional advice and supplies.

The company recommended a few changes in her designs and helped to point her in the next direction.

3. Plan for convenience.

If you’re an entertainer, plan your kitchen so you can entertain. Or, if you want to cook, plan your kitchen to make cooking easier, she said.

“You build a kitchen for convenience — to make cooking fun,” she said. “You also need to make it efficient for entertaining.”

A kitchen can become more efficient simply by having appliances put in places that are easily accessible.

4. Choose countertops while keeping daytime and nighttime

light in mind.

“That makes a difference,” DeNamur said. “You want it to look enlightening for guests to walk into at all times.”

Countertops look different at different times of the day.

5. Make sure there’s enough cabinet space.

Family kitchens should have at least 30 cabinets and doors or else there won’t be enough storage space for all of the dishes and other items kept on the shelves, DeNamur said.

If the kitchen doesn’t have a separate pantry closet, it might be necessary to have even more.

6. Consider having an island.

Having an island in a kitchen gives many benefits, especially if you do a lot of entertaining, she said.

With an island, serving buffet-style becomes an easy way to entertain guests, who can walk around and choose their food from the island’s countertops.

DeNamur’s island in the Wedge House has a flat cooktop on it to also cater to entertaining.

7. Plan to have plenty of electrical outlets.

That way, if you host a party there will be plenty of room for crockpots or other appliances that need to be plugged in.

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Page 4 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014

Reaching new heights: Steps to selecting a roof contractor Purchasing a new roof is one of the most important — and biggest — investments you can make in your home. That’s why it’s crucial to have a knowledgeable professional on hand to guide you through each step of the process. In fact, choosing the right contractor is just as important as choosing the right roofing components. Remember the three “Rs” to help ensure you have the best person for the job.

1. Research local contractor options.

A great contractor for your roof replacement project will be dedicated to outstanding craftsmanship and possess a high level of professionalism. Ask for referrals from friends and family or check out reviews on consumer rating sites. As a general rule, any contractor you consider should be in good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Make sure to verify that he or she carries all required state and local licensing. As with any other professional service, it’s also a good idea to “shop around” and obtain multiple quotes before making a commitment.

2. Review any proposals thoroughly.

After a prospective contractor does a thorough inspection of your current roof, he or she should provide a written proposal and cost estimate for your roof replacement project.

Review the proposal closely and inquire about such details as projected start and completion dates, expectations for payment and adherence to local building codes. The proposal also should clearly outline the scope of work for the job — including all products to be specified. In addition, this is an ideal time to ensure that the contractor will commit to supervising the job during each phase of the work, inspect it thoroughly when finished and leave your yard in the same shape it was found.

3. Request a comprehensive warranty.

Consider selecting a contractor who provides additional warranty coverage for excellent protection. Some of these system warranties also include contractor workmanship coverage. Make sure your contractor takes the time to explain all available warranties so that you thoroughly understand the

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Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Page 5

What I do to prepare my garden?

By Tom Theesfeld

Need advice on your garden? Tom Theesfeld is the guy to see.

As spring approaches, thoughts begin to enter my mind of nice, red, juicy tomatoes, great-tasting cucumbers and all the other vegetables I will ask my garden to produce for me.

So how will I get my garden ready to give it the best chance to produce those great vegetables for me? Well, if the weather permits me the time to do exactly what I want to do, I start by cleaning up any debris that I do not want to till under. This would include sticks, rocks, and nonorganic material such as plastic bags and other garbage that may have blown into the garden over the winter.

Then I’ll check to see if the soil is dry enough. A good test is to grab a handful of soil. If I can make a ball, it is too wet. It should fall apart. Once it is dry enough, I give the garden a good tilling to get a nice loose soil and break up all the hard clumps. Then I’ll decide what soil amendments to add. Some options are manure, compost, any other organic material or a

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synthetic fertilizer such as 10-10-10.

I’ll spread one or more of these items on top of my garden space.

Then I’ll step back and plan where to plant each of the vegetables I have in mind.

After that I will till in the soil amendments making sure I till deeper in the areas I am going to plant things that will be deeper such as potatoes.

That way the fertilizer is down where the vegetable can use it right away and produce the quality crop I am looking for.

Now the garden is ready to be planted. Some people let it set for a week or 10 days to see what weeds come up right away and get rid of them before planting. This may not be practical if the only time you have to plant is right away, which tends to be the way it works for me. After planting, all that is left to do is sit back and wait for that great tasting produce.

Oh, yeah, and weeding and watering but that is what children and grandchildren are for, right? OK, maybe not, but you can’t blame me for trying.

Happy gardening!

Tom Theesfeld is the garden center manager at the Albert Lea Seed House.

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Page 6 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014

Top spring improvement ideas

(BPT) — Spring is in the air, which means it’s time to refresh your indoor spaces to reflect the energy and optimism of the season. The top home decor trends of spring 2014 take a fresh approach to traditional design elements to create an aesthetic that is fresh and full of life. Best yet, the trends are easily accessible, so anyone can update their space with a few simple tips.

appearance to flooring.

Not only stylish, carpet is healthy, too. People with allergies or other sensitivities can choose carpet as a way to improve indoor air quality. A recent study supports previous findings that carpet, when effectively cleaned, traps allergens and other particles, resulting in less dust, dander and airborne contaminants escaping into the air.

Carpet

Color

More homeowners are seeking the beauty, comfort and safety that carpet provides, making it a top flooring trend for spring and beyond.

What types of carpet are popular?

“New soft fibers,” says Vickie Gilstrap, director of design services for The Dixie Group, a U.S. carpet manufacturer.

“Consumers went away from wall-to-wall carpet, as hard surface flooring gained in popularity. Then, people began to miss the softness and warmth of carpet. Carpet absorbs sound, making homes quieter, and traps dust at the base of the carpet fibers so that dust doesn’t circulate in the room air. The soft fibers give us a reason to put carpet down again.”

She is also seeing increased interest in mixed-media carpet styles — with hi-lustre and low-lustre yarns used in the same carpet. Additionally, patterns are being featured on top of texture, giving a multi-dimensional

Thoughtful use of color in home design is a top trend for 2014.

“Colors are getting warmer,” notes Gilstrap. “Taupe is the bridge color taking us from gray to browner tones.

Warm pinks are returning, as well as warmer greens like moss and olive — even apple.”

Keep in mind adding personality to a space through use of warm color doesn’t necessarily require a complete interior overhaul. Consider incorporating spring colors using accent pieces.

It’s easy to switch up pillows, throws or artwork without investing a lot of time or money. Plus it’s a fun way to update the personality of your favorite spaces every season.

Texture and pattern

This spring, more homeowners are using textures and patterns to make a visual statement through design.

Strategic use of texture and patterns can highlight certain interior spaces, manipulate

the light within the room and influence scale. Blending both adds visual interest and helps homeowners create a unique space to call their own.

“Layering of pattern and texture — in floors, walls, upholstery, window treatments — gives a more individualized feel,” said Gilstrap. Scared of mixing patterns and textures?

She suggests placing patterns on stairs or in hallways. If big and bold patterns aren’t your taste, consider sticking to small, neutral patterns that can be a subtle way to add visual interest and design complexity to interior spaces.

Lighting

Lighting plays an important two-pronged role: it makes a space functional and also helps define its design aesthetic. Adjusting the task lighting within a room can instantly make the space more livable and highlight the design motif. Another easy lighting update is purchasing new lamps or simply adding new shades to existing lamps — a great way to refresh a space with minimal cost.

Keep in mind, when selecting fixtures, there’s no longer a need to avoid gold tones.

“Gold is coming back — we are seeing more gold and copper

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and less silver,” says Gilstrap.

Want to really redefine your home’s lighting? Ornamental lighting is big this year with designers thinking outside the box when it comes to how and where these fixtures can be used. For example, dramatic chandeliers are no longer reserved for formal spaces such as the dining room or foyer. This spring, you can add a touch of elegance to any space by adding a stylish chandelier, plus it doesn’t take up much design real estate space. Bedrooms, basements and bars are just a few unique areas where chandeliers can be featured.

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Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Page 7

For natural dyes, look to the yard, kitchen as best sources

By Associated Press Transforming weeds, kitchen scraps and other natural elements into a rainbow of textile dyes is a concept as old as civilization itself, with dye vats dating to as early as 2000 BC. Now, these homemade pigments — some long abandoned in favor of more startling chemical dyes — are being rediscovered in kitchens and studios around the world.

“There’s been a huge rise in interest over the last two or three years,” said Sasha Duerr, author of “The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes” (Timber Press, 2011), who teaches natural dye techniques and has founded the Permacouture Institute, which promotes sustainable textiles. “There’s a lot we have to revisit and learn.”

Yoshiko Wada, who has produced films about natural dyes and led dye tours to France, India and Japan, said much of the appeal is that “the process slows us down and reconnects us to the environment.”

At a time when focus is returning to locally produced goods, these sustainable natural colors reflect their surroundings. The soft welcoming blues of painted shutters in the south of France are from indigo. The golden yellows of Provence are of ochre. And from the American desert Southwest, those dazzling reds and fuchsias are made from cochineal, a parasite that lives on cactus.

“I try to stay open and think of colors when I look around me. I collect lots of different things, like Osage orange, pecans and walnuts, onions and pomegranates,” said Maura Ambrose, who makes hand-stitched quilts of naturally dyed fabrics in her Folk Fibers studio in Austin, Texas.

Onion skins (yellows), walnut hulls (browns), avocado peels and pits (pale pink), marigolds (yellows), sumac leaves (brown), mushrooms and lichens (with their rainbow of possibilities), cochineal (fuchsias and reds) and madder root (oranges and reds) are traditional favorites. Coffee grounds and old tea bags also are great for shades of tan and brown.

Nettle yields greenish tints.

“We always think of nettle as this awful thing that stings and hurts,” said Sonia Uyterhoeven, gardener for public education at the New York Botanical Garden. “But if you chop it up and soak it, you get lovely yellows and greens. Just make sure to harvest it using thick gloves.”

Even succulent plants can be used to make dyes, said Duerr, who recommended aloe for pinks and yellows and jade plants for purples and black.

Wild fennel, abundant in northern California, yields fluorescent yellows “so bright they hurt your eyes” if harvested while in bloom.

“It’s like making tea. You boil the plant and then simmer,” she said.

And like cooking, the results depend as much on the chef as on the recipe.

“The beauty of it is that you can take something from the back of your closet and give it new life using just the waste from your dinner.”

Any plants containing sufficient tannins can be used to achieve colorfast fabrics without additives, known as mordants. But there are also natural mordants, such as rhubarb, sumac, pomegranate rinds, lemon juice or vinegar, according to Uyterhoeven.

With a mordant, sumac fruit yields red pigment and indigo yields its classic shades of blue. Cream of tartar can be used to brighten colors, and salt to intensify them.

“Just about anything you feel comfortable around, like blackberries or elderberries, should be fine, but there are some plants that should be avoided,” she warned.

Lily of the Valley is toxic and could harm the water supply if you dump it down the drain, she said, and although Native Americans traditionally used bloodroot for natural dyes, “it’s not a large plant, so if you start using it for dye you’re depleting the population.”

The beautiful purple berries on pokeweed plants, although tempting, are poisonous and should also be avoided, Uyterhoeven said.

To be safe, designate a pot specifically for dyeing projects, and use gloves to protect your skin. If you’re dyeing in the kitchen, work in the sink and avoid surfaces used for preparing foods. Although natural-dyeing books from the 60s, 70s and 80s are plentiful, experts warn that books from that period often recommend using toxic substances like chrome, copper or even lead as mordants.

“You just don’t want to be inhaling that kind of thing,” said Duerr.

As a rule, leaves should be chopped, the more finely the more colorful the pigment; berries should be mashed with a potato masher; and bark and roots can be shredded or ground.

Wrapping the natural materials in muslin or putting them in some old pantyhose makes projects neater

and easier.

If boiling berries, sometimes the longer they are boiled, the lighter the pigment, so for darker shades either add more berries or let the water cool slowly.

But onion skins are the classic home dyeing project for beginners.

“We do onion skins with kids here at the botanic garden. The yellow color is fantastic,” said Uyterhoeven.

“People can go to farmers’ markets or grocery stores and get loads of onion skins, because people usually just throw them out.”

First, peel the papery red or yellow skins from lots of onions, ideally enough to fill your biggest pot. Aluminum pots make for a brighter color dye, but any pot will work. Cover the skins with water and bring to a boil.

Then simmer for at least an hour.

Next, in a separate pot, soak the natural fabric or yarn you’d like to dye in hot water for at least 15 minutes.

Wet fabric absorbs dye much better than dry fabric does. For tie-dyed fabrics, just fold and then wrap rubber bands around the still-dry fabric first.

Strain the onionskins from the big dye pot and discard them, then bring

the pigmented water to a boil again, and place your wet fabric or yarn in the pot. Simmer for at least an hour, stirring as needed to keep the fabric submerged. Let the fabric cool in the dye bath or, better yet, soak for a night or two.

Rinse the fabric in cool running water until the water runs clear. Hang dry, and savor the moment along with the earthy hue.

All dyed fabrics should be washed before being used in any craft.

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Page 8 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014

It is tree season ...

By Albert Lea Tribune Whether it is for shade, wind protection or aesthetics, adding a new tree to your yard can serve many different purposes. While a new tree needs to be taken care of in order to grow to its full potential, it can be a valuable asset to your home for years to come.

In southern Minnesota maple trees are probably the most popular. Oak, locust and ornamental trees like hydrangeas and lilacs are, too.

Autumn — before the ground freezes — is a great time to plant trees and bushes, said Cherie Seuser, owner of Southern Minnesota Landscaping in Albert Lea. The ground has a lot of moisture for the trees to get a start, and they will be already in the ground when the spring rains come.

“It depends how your house is situated where you want to put a tree,” said Darnaell Reindl who has worked at the Albert Lea Seed House for two years and been dispensing knowledge about trees for 28 years. “But you want to see where the sun hits your home. That’s probably where you want the tree to provide the shade you want.”

The Albert Lea Seed House and Southern Minnesota Landscaping sell many different kinds of potted trees, but the cost varies depending on the type of tree and its development. A lot of times people are drawn to a certain tree because of the color the leaves turn during the fall.

Selecting the kind of tree which is right for you is not strictly based on the look of the tree, although that plays a significant factor in the decision. A more important variable is the type of soil the tree will be planted in.

“If you are dealing with looser soils

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I would probably go with one of the maples, the faster growing maples,” Reindl said. “A heavier soil does not allow trees like pin oaks to grow as fast and they can get sunscald, or cracking, and we have seen a lot of that this year.”

When it comes to planting a tree the best times are either the spring or the fall.

“The warm heat of the summer in the fall is a good time because the ground is still warm and the roots will spread out,” Reindl said.

Both a young tree and a more fully grown tree will grow when you plant them in your yard, but the older, more developed tree will take a little longer for its root system to spread out in the new ground.

Ideally, the temperature of the soil should be between 40 and 55 degrees six inches beneath the soil surface to allow the new tree the best conditions to grow. The temperature can be below that and the tree will still grow regardless of whether or not the leaves are on the tree or if it is dormant.

“Planting is an important thing and when you are making the hole you want to make sure it is a little bigger around than the pot, but you want to make it the same level as the pot. You don’t want to plant it too deep,” Reindl said. “There are lots of problems for trees that are planted too deep.”

After planting is complete, watering is the most important thing that can be done for the new tree while adding anything else to the soil may actually end up hurting the tree in the long run.

“A tree needs to learn to grow in the soil it has available to it,” Reindl said.

“If the tree has peat moss or something else in the soil it would want to grow in that area and push out the

Tribune file photo

Ideal temperature of the soil for young trees should be between 40 and 50 degrees. roots in that area.

“Water is important when you

plant. Water it the day you plant it, water it the day after you plant it to get the air pockets out and once a week if we don’t get an inch of rain a week.”

Fertilization should occur after the last chance of frost in the spring, while wrapping your trees in the fall can help avoid sunscald and keeps animals like rabbits from damaging them. Pruning trees when they are young is also key as it will help them keep their structure as they grow over the years.

There are plenty of decisions that must be made when picking the right tree for you, but when it is done right they prove to be a joyful companion to any home for years to come.

Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Page 9

Design: Have fun with designing and take notes from books, magazines Continued from Page 3 There’s nothing worse than not having enough outlets for all of your appliances during a time of entertaining.

8. Remember the extras.

For people who can afford it and who have the space, it never hurts to splurge a little.

Having things like a double oven, a garbage disposal and a veggie sink do add on to the cost of the kitchen, but in the end, they’re worth it, DeNamur said.

“You can never have too much oven

space,” she said.

A double oven can accommodate for a family with several children or for entertaining purposes as well.

And a garbage disposal and a veggie sink make cooking easier.

9. Don’t forget the style of the rest of the house.

While redesigning the kitchen in the Wedge House, DeNamur said it was also important for her to make the kitchen unified with the other rooms in the home.

This meant looking for kitchen

cabinets that would match the wood found in the rest of the house, along with making sure the kitchen had the same overall feel as the other rooms.

“There are fancier kitchens, but this is what we could come up with for a vintage-style house,” she said.

She also kept some of the original style in the home by keeping the authentic light fixtures over the dining room table.

When she was finished redesigning

the room, the kitchen was a cohesive part of the rest of the house.

10. Have fun with designing and learn from other designers.

As someone who’s interested in design, DeNamur said she loves to look at the work of other designers in books and magazines.

Not only is this fun, but it can also help spark ideas for future designing.

Top tips for new home buyers BUENA PARK, Calif. (MCT) With two daughters and a baby on the way, Carlos and Cinthya Jijon decided last year to buy a house for about the same monthly cost as a bigger apartment. But they couldn’t find a home.

Supply was tight. And investors armed with fistfuls of cash outbid them every time.

Today, however, the Jijons are unpacking, settling into a one-story house in Buena Park, Calif. The auto parts deliveryman and the nurse made the transition from renters to first-time homebuyers.

The market is tough for first-timers such as the Jijons.

Statistics show that the number of first-time buyers is falling. A California Association of Realtors survey showed, for example, that about half as many first-timers bought houses in 2013 as in 2009.

But the Jijons persevered, taking an eight-hour homebuying course, learning about cash assistance programs, and getting loads of practical advice.

They beat the odds.

With the spring homebuying season now in full swing (March through June are the year’s four busiest months), here are tips for first-time homebuyers:

1. Determine what you can afford.

The first step is to meet with a lender, review your finances and find out how much you can afford to spend on a home and how much you have for your down payment.

“If they only qualify for a $300,000 house, they shouldn’t be wasting their time looking at a $500,000 house,” said Maritza Reyna, education manager for the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Orange County, Calif.

Experts warn also not to shop for the most expensive home you qualify for, unless you truly can live with the payment that comes with it.

“Banks stretch,” said Robert Ortola, an Orange County agent with Keller Williams Newport Estates and a speaker in an eight-hour Homebuyer Education course offered by the CCCS. “It doesn’t matter how much the banker will tell you you can afford,” Ortola said. “Are you comfortable with those mortgage payments?

Are you going to be house-rich and life-poor?”

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2. Take a class, read a book.

One of the most common mistakes novices make, according to former loan processor and author Carolyn Warren, is to blab to an agent that this is their first time and that they really need his or her guidance. It’s like wearing a sign: “Charge me more.”

“You’re saying to them upfront, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m uneducated,” said Warren, author of “Homebuyer Beware” and another book on mortgage rip-offs.

It’s better to do your research first, she said.

“Read a good book or two,” she said.

3. Shop for a mortgage.

Don’t use whatever lender your agent recommends without doing some independent shopping.

Another classic mistake: calling 10 lenders and asking for their interest rates. A lender can’t be held to those quotes, so “it’s just going to lead you to the smoothest-talking liar,” Warren said.

It’s better to look up mortgage rates online, then call three or four lenders and mortgage brokers and ask them for a written list showing their fees.

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Page 10 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014

Home maintenance questions and answers with the pros Q: We live in an older house with popcorn ceilings. I don’t like them and they are filthy in some places. Is there any way to improve this without a costly removal of the popcorn?

— Regina A: Popcorn ceilings in older homes are an especially knotty problem because they might contain asbestos.

Your first step should be to have the popcorn on your ceilings tested for this hazardous material, which can cause serious health problems if particles get into the air and are breathed.

Popcorn is most likely to contain asbestos if it was installed before about 1978.

Use a spray bottle of water to wet several areas on the ceilings and scrape off small samples. Place the samples in plastic sandwich bags and send them to a local laboratory (check your yellow pages for labs) or to an online lab. You can find on-line testing labs by using a search engine and the words Labs to Test for Asbestos. If your ceilings contain asbestos, dealing with them is a job for trained professionals and could be quite expensive.

Popcorn that is asbestos free can be removed by do-it-yourself methods.

Removal is a messy job but is almost a necessity if you plan to sell the house. Many potential buyers these days are aware of the potential dangers of popcorn ceilings and won’t buy a house with them.

Many real-estate agents recommend removal of the popcorn if you intend to sell. If you plan to remain in the house and take your chances with the ceilings, their appearance can be improved by painting.

Painting is a tricky job because most popcorn is water based, and latex paint applied directly to it can cause the popcorn to loosen and fall off. If you want to paint, first apply a coat of oil-based primer. The primer is best applied with a sprayer, but sometimes a roller can be used witha light touch. Once the ceiling is primed, it can be painted with any good latex ceiling paint.

Another strategy that avoids removal, and which I like better than painting, is to cover the ceilings and popcorn with a new layer of drywall.

Drywall installation should be done by an experienced tradesperson; drywall sheets are very heavy and hoisting them to a ceiling takes special equipment. Using drywall does have some special problems, such as extending light fixtures. Suspended ceilings are another option for hiding the popcorn, but not a real solution.

Q: I have an older wood deck that is dirty and stained. There are a lot of plants around it that I don’t want to damage. How can I clean the deck without harming my plants?

—Walter A: There are a number of deck cleaners that are claimed to be safe for plants, but it pays to be cautious anyway.

A good strategy, before starting cleaning, is to soak the plants thoroughly with a spray of water from a hose.

Cover the wet plants with plastic sheeting, then go ahead with the deck cleaning. When you have finished cleaning, remove the plastic and rinse the plants again thoroughly.

If the deck is built of pressure-treated wood,

and you have or can rent a pressure washer, you should be able to clean the deck without using any chemicals at all _ just the pressure of the water stream. Treated wood can stand fairly high-pressure streams of water without damage, but this is not so with softer woods like cedar and redwood.

With any deck, you should test a high-pressure stream of water in an inconspicuous place before using it on the more visible parts of the structure. You can also check for plant-safe deck cleaners at home centers in your area and on the Internet.

A bottle of gasoline stabilizer should be standard equipment for those who use gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment for home care, especially if the equipment is sometimes left idle for long periods and when it is ready for storage.

The product helps keep carburetors from gumming up and causing hard starting or start-up failures.

Q: My brother renovated my secondfloor bathroom, which included a new tub, faucets, shower and a diverter. Now, every time I do a load of wash, when the first-floor washer is filling up, a lot of water comes out of my shower faucet.

A: I am assuming your brother is not a professional plumber, just a nice guy who was trying to help his sister and save her the services, and thus the expense, of a professional.

But you may well need a plumber to unravel this mess.

I’ve talked to enough of plumbers over the years to have a couple ideas you should have

followed up on, at least.

If water were coming up through the shower drain as the washer drained, the cause might be a partial clog in the house’s main drain. Wastewater, in this case, would be getting forced back into the shower area by the blockage.

Your problem is not wastewater backup, but some sort of crossed supply-line connection that carries water to both shower and washer, instead of one at a time.

Have your brother check the supply-line connections first. Then call a plumber.

Q: Our bathroom sink has a sewerlike odor coming out of it.

The only things that go down the drain are soap, water, shaving cream, beard from shaving, toothpaste and a small amount of hair.

I removed the drain pipe, and there is a black, slimy, gelatinous substance coating on the inside of the pipe.

It wasn’t enough to clog the pipe, but that is the substance that’s smelling.

What is the black stuff, and how do we get rid of it and the smell?

A: That odor is from exactly what you have been sending down the

sink, adhered to the trap by the grease created by soap and skin oil.

It happens to everyone, and to every sink.

Some people pour a mixture of baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice into the drain to clear that decomposing mess from the inside of the pipe and make it smell fresh.

You might want to periodically clear the hair and soap that sticks to it out of the drain to reduce the opportunity for goo to build up.

Q: How do you remove dried-on hair spray from painted bathroom cabinets? I use a squirt spray occasionally, but in the sunlight I’ve noticed glistening spots, especially on the cabinets behind me. I’ve tried warm water and dish soap with no luck.

A: Hair spray spots must be a vexing problem, judging from how often I’m asked about them. It’s been a few years since I’ve

addressed the issue, so it’s time to revisit it.

Hair spray is difficult because the various formulas manufacturers use don’t all respond to the same cleaning methods. You may have to try a few cleaners until you hit upon one that removes your particular brand.

These are the suggested cleaners I’ve gathered from chemists, cleaning experts and my own experience: • A citrus-based solvent such as Goo Gone.

• Ammonia and water.

• Mineral spirits.

• Rubbing alcohol.

• A microfiber cleaning cloth, wet with plain water and wrung out.

• More hair spray.

I know that sounds wacky, but if you know what brand of hair spray caused the buildup, you can repeatedly douse the area with the same product to try to soften the dried-on stuff. Wipe off the surface immediately after each application.

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Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Page 11

“This Old House” master carpenter gives his tips and tricks ARLINGTON, Mass. (MCT) Norm Abram has been master carpenter on the TV show “This Old House” since it began 35 years ago.

Counting his other show, “The New Yankee Workshop,” he has worked on hundreds of projects.

He takes time out of this busy schedule to visit home shows, where anything’s better than the question he gets most often: How do I get my house on “This Old House”?

Abram can tell those questioners about site visits that cast members sometimes make for “Ask This Old House” segments. But the show’s producers only take on two house renovations per season, and they’re nearly always within easy driving distance of the show’s Boston headquarters.

Abram, a Rhode Island native and second-generation carpenter, was doing renovation and construction in Massachusetts when he was discovered in 1979 by Russell Morash, creator of “This Old House.” On the now-discontinued “The New Yankee Workshop,” he showed viewers how to make furniture and continues to work closely with contractor Tom Silva on “This Old House.”

This season, the crew has been renovating an 1872 Italianate-style house in Arlington, Mass. On a recent episode, they built a whimsical period railing for the front porch. Its keyhole design was one of four submitted by architect David Whitney, who based them upon railings on other houses in the neighborhood and pattern books. Abram and Silva chose this one because it was neither too simple nor overly ornate, he said in a phone interview.

“We said, ‘That’s simple. This house needs a little bit more. That’s a little too much.’”

The balustrade project allowed the carpenter and contractor to show TV viewers how to make templates and techniques using a router and hole saw. And he got to remind viewers of the importance of priming all sides of outdoor woodwork.

“You have to treat the ends before nailing it together. That’s the first place you’ll have problems,” he said.

Abram said he had received many favorable comments about the balustrade. “To me, it’s all about the details.”

Although he grew up in a 1950s ranch-style house that his father built, Abram said, he has always gravitated

Norm Abram speaks with a couple on the show “This Old House.” vaulted ceiling with two 4 by 4 (foot) toward the Colonial style. For himself and his wife, he built a two-story skylights. It makes it so much brightColonial with lots of period details er,” he said, adding that the skylights and one thoroughly modern feature are not visible from the front.

— skylights.

Still stumped on what to ask him?

“Upstairs hallways in Colonials are Try the other railing project for the Arlington house. Homeowner Heather generally very dark. So I created a

Submitted

Faulds was concerned that her house’s low second-floor railing was a danger to her two children.

“We found a clever way of raising the rail 6 or 7 inches” while keeping the original balustrade intact, Abram said proudly.

Page 12 • SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT • Albert Lea Tribune • Thursday, March 27, 2014

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