Spring Home Improvement Thursday, March 29, 2018
Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
• Thursday, March 29, 2018
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ways to use your lawn to improve curb appeal
Returns on home improvement projects vary. In its annual Cost vs. Value Report, Remodeling magazine notes the projects that yield the best returns on investment in a given year. But a host of factors, including the type of market (buyers’ or sellers’) and the region where the home is being sold, ultimately combine to determine if homeowners’ investments in home improvement projects will provide the returns they were hoping for. Various projects, including tending to lawns and gardens, can improve curb appeal. An added benefit to focusing on landscaping to improve curb appeal is it promotes spending time outdoors in spring and summer. In addition, many lawn- and garden-related home improvement projects need not require professional expertise. 1. Maintain a lush green lawn. Lawns that fall into disrepair may not give buyers a correct impression about how homeowners maintained their homes. Lawns with multiple dead spots and grass that appears more brown than green may lead many buyers to assume that the home’s interior was equally ill-cared for. Maintaining lush green lawns is not as difficult as it may seem. Applying fertilizer and aerating at the appropriate times of year (this varies by region) can promote strong roots and healthy soil, making it easier for grass to survive harsh conditions like drought. 2. Address brown patch. Even well-maintained lawns can fall victims to brown spots. According to the lawn care professionals at TruGreen, lawns in regions with hot temperatures and high humidity can be infected with brown patch, a com-
SPRING
Inspiration “Meeting ting yyour growin growing needss since 1925.”
mon lawn disease that is caused by fungus, which can produce circular areas of brown, dead grass surrounded by narrow, dark rings. Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences notes that removing dew that collects on grass leaves each morning, which can be accomplished by mowing or dragging a water hose across affected areas, can be an effective way to reduce brown patch.
3. Confine dogs to certain areas. Dog owners may want to let their pets roam free in their yards. But homeowners about to put their properties up for sale may want to confine their four-legged friends to certain areas. That’s because dog urine can be high in nitrogen. Nitrogen itself is not harmful to lawns, but in high concentrations it can contribute to yellow or brown spots. Also, highly acidic dog urine may even adversely affect pH levels in the soil.
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Home improvement projects ramp up when the weather warms up, as homeowners channel the rejuvenating feelings of spring and tackle their home to-do lists. Large-scale renovations can greatly affect a home, but smaller projects can yield impressive results and be completed over the course of a single weekend.
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• Thursday, March 29, 2018
• Create an accent wall. Painting a focal wall in a home can create a serious impact. The bonus is it will not take as long or require as many materials as painting an entire room. Accent walls frequently feature a bold color, so decide on placement and tackle this project. • Install stair runners. Dress up hardwood stairs with decorative carpet runners. Runners come in elongated pieces of carpeting or
individual pieces that can be placed on each step. If carpeting doesn’t fit with the home’s design, painting individual stair treads also can create visual appeal. • Dress up the entryway. An entryway is a guest’s first impression of a home. Many entryways can use a minor overhaul, both inside and outside. Paint the front door a different color so it pops from the curb. Install a new mailbox or decorative house numbers. Inside, consider laying a new floor. Resilient vinyl tiles come in many different patterns and can mimic the look of wood, travertine or marble. • Install a new faucet. Instantly improve a kitchen or a bathroom with new fixtures. New faucets can provide aesthetic appeal and low-flow faucets can help conserve water. • Create a gallery on the staircase. Gather and arrange framed photos, artwork or wall accents so that they ascend the wall of a staircase. This creates a designer touch and can dress up an often barren area of wall space. • Install a fresh light fixture. Improve drab spaces with a little illumination. Better Homes & Gardens suggests replacing an existing fixture with something new and vibrant. If hanging a new fixture is not within one’s skill set, free-standing table or floor lamps also can cast a new glow on a space.
Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
Complete these home improvements over the weekend
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Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
• Thursday, March 29, 2018
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5 musts for a lowstress, on-budget DIY home project (BPT) - Owning your own home is a life accomplishment for many adults, and keeping it looking sharp and adding your personal touches brings a sense of pride. It seems there are always things you want to improve, so don’t let a limited budget or lack of know-how hold you back from dreaming. There are plenty of ways to enhance a room or remake a space without breaking the bank, along with many resources out there to show you how. With a little research and a weekend or two of elbow grease, your budget and your abilities are more than enough to take on many smaller jobs. Before you launch your plans, here are a few tips for an affordable and stress-free DIY project. 1. Map it out Prioritize the projects you’d like to tackle first. Whether it’s painting the living room, replacing the kitchen countertops or retiling the bathroom, the project will be much less stressful when you have solid planning behind it. Set a realistic schedule, gather your supplies in advance and be sure and review instructions before starting. If you’re making an improvement for a special event or out-of-town guests, give yourself ample time to complete it so you’re not adding stress to the project. 2. Find creative ways to cover costs Make a budget for your project that includes a list of expected expenses and add padding for the unexpected. Assess what funds you have available, and if you don’t have enough, consider a savings plan so you can avoid paying interest and fees on a credit card. To speed up your progress, grab your change jar and bring it to a Coinstar kiosk where you can select cash or a no-fee eGift card from retailers including Amazon. com, Lowe’s, Home Depot and Sears. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a jar of coins can add up to purchase needed supplies on your list.
similar projects, as they can be good advisers and may even offer to help! You can reward them by inviting them back to your newly improved home to just relax and enjoy. 4. Keep it light Doing DIY projects with a spouse or a family member can be fun if you take the right approach. When working alongside each other, it’s all too easy to take a frustration out on each other. Two-thirds of those surveyed in a recent Coinstar survey said they do projects with others in their household, and 65 percent said they got into a disagreement during a home DIY project. Minimize tension by creating clear expectations and give everyone a defined role. Take needed breaks and acknowledge accomplishments along the way. Keeping things calm and positive ensures everyone feels good about their contribution.
3. Learn through many available resources If you’re like most DIYers, you’ll find online videos and home improvement websites are great sources for how-to tips and information. And if you’re a novice, take advantage of the vast information that’s available at your fingertips and review several sources so that you completely understand the process and are confident before your dive in. Don’t be To learn more about how Coinstar can help you find the cash you need afraid to tap friends, family members and neighbors who have completed for your next DIY project, visit coinstar.com.
Debris from home improvement projects can often be recycled. According to Waste Management, the largest residential recycler and renewable energy provider in North America, common construction materials such as concrete, porcelain, tile, lumber, metals, masonry, plastic, carpet, and insulation can potentially be recycled. When recycled, debris from construction projects may ultimately be used in various ways to benefit the planet. For example, such debris may used as inerts that become road base, while clear wood may be transformed into mulch or biomass fuel. Crushed concrete can go on to live a second life as gravel or become dry aggregate for new concrete. Homeowners who want to recycle as much of their home improvement project debris as possible can work with Waste Management and/or their contractors to ensure the materials they no longer need continue to be put to good use.
Homeowners invest large sums into improving their homes to make them more comfortable living spaces or to increase their odds of selling quickly. The Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University predicted U.S. spending on home renovations and repairs to peak at $327 billion in 2017. Whether one is doing a large renovation or a small remodel, life may be turned upside down during the project. Furniture may be moved out of the room, walls may be demolished, water or electricity may be turned off, and appliances may be missing or not hooked up. Here’s how to look forward to the silver lining and come out unscathed.
Have everything in place … Before demolition even begins, have building materials bought and stored, contractors and subcontractors lined up, and see what you can do to minimize the time workers need to spend in your home. … but expect delays. In a world where things move at lightning speeds, renovations have not gotten the memo. Home projects take lots of time and will likely take longer if you are doing the work yourself in your free time. Build lots of extra time into the project so you are not disappointed when delays happen.
Planning, patience and an understanding of what the project entails can make home improvements easier to survive.
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• Thursday, March 29, 2018
Plan an escape zone Construction environments can be messy, loud, smelly, and a host of other unsavory Discuss the project before it starts. adjectives. The chaos that ensues when life All family members should be in agreement is turned upside down can be overwhelmbefore the first hammer is swung. Decide ing, particularly for the person who spends on as many details as you can ahead of the most time in the home while work is betime and have a firm plan in place. Esing done. Build escape moments into the tablish back-up choices for tiles or color plan and make sure everyone else at home schemes in case the items you want are out is on board. During the real grind of the of stock. Trying to make decisions under project, a night or two at a hotel may be a duress may result in bad choices. welcome respite.
Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
Surviving a home renovation
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Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
• Thursday, March 29, 2018
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Preparing garden beds for spring and beyond Gardening enthusiasts may have been thinking about their landscape plans throughout the winter, eager to once again get their hands dirty with soil. Whether a home gardener is making preparations for edible crops or beautiful flowers, he or she must take time to make the soil amenable to planting. To establish hearty, durable plants, gardeners can focus on three main areas: addressing soil composition, cultivating and adding nutrients. SOIL COMPOSITION Many gardeners prefer growing a variety of plants in their gardens. Such an approach requires taking inventory of the type of soil in one’s garden and making the necessary modifications so that the types of vegetables, herbs, shrubs, or flowers that will be planted can grow in strongly. In fact, according to the plant company Proven Winners, the most important step to developing good roots is preparing the soil. Take a sample of the soil and examine it to see what is present. If the soil is too full of clay, too sandy, too dense, or too loose, that can lead to problems where plants cannot grow in strong. Work with a garden center to add the right soil amendments to make a rich soil. This may include organic compost or manure.
to roots. The DIY Network suggests turning over soil at a depth of 12 inches to work the soil. However, the resource Earth Easy says that existing garden beds have a complex soil ecosystem and simply top-dressing with compost or manure can be enough preparation for planting. Gardeners can experiment with the methods that work best for their gardens.
CULTIVATION Cultivating the soil can involve different steps. Removal of weeds, errant rocks, roots, and other items will help prepare the soil. Mother Earth News suggests working on garden soil when the soil is damp but never wet; otherwise, garden soil can become messy and clumpy. Use a digging fork or shovel to lightly turn the soil when it’s mostly dry. Tilling also helps with drainage and oxygen delivery
NUTRITION Testing the pH and the levels of certain nutrients in the soil, namely nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, will give gardeners an idea of other soil additions that may be needed. Soils with a pH below 6.2 often can benefit from the addition of lime several weeks before planting. Soil tests will determine just how much fertilizer to add to the soil. Complete fertilizers will have equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Top-dressing empty beds with a layer of mulch or compost can prevent weed growth and preserve moisture until it is time to plant. If existing shrubs or plants are in garden beds, use more care so as not to disturb roots. Preparing garden beds takes some effort initially, but can be well worth the work when plants flourish throughout the growing season.
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Home renovation projects are done for several different reasons, whether to update styles, repair damaged or broken items or to achieve more living space. More than ever before, homeowners are choosing improvement projects geared toward making their homes healthier. Establishing a healthy home means different things to different people. For example, to an environmentalist, a healthy home may incorporate eco-friendly or green products. To those with young children or mobility-impaired seniors, a healthy home may be one free from potential hazards. Others may view a healthy home as one that alleviates allergies. The World Health Organizations says inadequate housing conditions, such as poor ventilation, radon, urban pollution, and moisture issues, can contribute to many preventable diseases and injuries — especially respiratory problems, nervous system disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks indoor air quality as a top five environmental risk to public health. EPA studies have found that indoor air pollution levels were roughly two to five times greater than outdoor pollution levels.
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• Thursday, March 29, 2018
• Be aware of furniture materials. Toxic PBDEs, which are chemicals used as flame retardants on furniture fabrics produced prior to 2006, can send toxins into the air. Some manufacturers may still use these flame retardants in new forms, but with similar risks. Before purchasing furniture, ask if a product is treated, and select naturally fire-resistant materials like wool and cotton. • Lighten up. Lighting is often underappreciated but can have a dramatic impact on whether a home feels inviting, warm and/or uplifting. Experiment with different types of bulbs and lighting fixtures to turn drab and dreary environments into brighter places. Lighting may improve mood and productivity.
• Let the sun shine in. Modify window treatments to let more sunlight into the house. There is evidence that the sun, particularly UV light, is a potent bactericide. The Sunlight Institute advises that there’s no harm in letting natural sunlight do its work, as bacteria within eight feet of low-intensity UV light can be killed in 10 minutes. • Inspect and service wood-burning appliances. A study published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology has found regular inhalation of wood smoke limits immune activity and function, and anyone who burns wood indoors should be aware of these potential health risks. Ensuring proper ventilation of smoke and routinely cleaning the chimney can help cut down on particulate matter. • Turn to nontoxic cleaning products, pesticides and insecticides. Always opt for nontoxic, natural products when cleaning in and around the house. • Declutter the home. A cluttered, hectic space can affect emotions and mental state, never mind attracting dust and making a home harder to clean. Spending time in spaces that do not elicit stressful feelings is healthier and can help residents to rest and recharge.
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Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
Use renovations to create healthier homes
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Spring Home Improvement / KCChronicle.com
• Thursday, March 29, 2018
THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAILS
Dan Co o llins foun n ded his building n y in orde e r to create compan a fted distinctt ive and f inely cra d ditions.. home r enovations and ad Since that time Collins Construction has built a sterling reputation upon the idea that the difference is in the details. From budgeting to materials to scheduling, Dan and his team focus on each aspect of every job no matter what size. When you choose Collins Construction Group to handle your renovations and additions, you work directly with our designers and builders. They listen to your ideas, advise you on how to accomplish your goals for your home and coordinate every phase of construction. Collins Construction wants to help you create a home that is truly your own by creating an environment that is Collins-crafted, where the difference is in the details.
Please contact us today at (630) 406-8434 | ccghome.com SM-CL1517902