home maintenance – Buy/Sell in Kern County

9 Ways to Increase Daylighting to Fend Off Seasonal Affective Disorder

By: Dave Toht Published: December 21, 2011 Adding skylights, solar light tubes, windows, and other means of daylighting can brighten your winter and help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If winter brings on bouts of the blahs, you’re in good company. As days shorten and temperatures drop, most people tend to slow down … Continue reading “9 Ways to Increase Daylighting to Fend Off Seasonal Affective Disorder”

By: Dave Toht

Published: December 21, 2011

Adding skylights, solar light tubes, windows, and other means of daylighting can brighten your winter and help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

If winter brings on bouts of the blahs, you’re in good company. As days shorten and temperatures drop, most people tend to slow down and feel less energy.

For some, however, the problem can be serious. Days of low light may greatly alter moods, and can even be hazardous to your health. The condition has a name: seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. In some cases, medial attention may be necessary.

Fortunately, your house can help combat the winter doldrums and even SAD. Here’s how.

What’s seasonal affective disorder?

Bears aren’t the only ones with the urge to hibernate.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a big-time case of the winter blues — a very real type of depression. It affects as much as 20% of the U.S. population, spiking among people living in northern latitudes.

Surveys show that less than 5% of people in southernmost states, such as Arizona and Florida, experience symptoms, while in a northern city like Seattle, more than 30% of the population cites the ill effects of SAD. The symptoms include:
low energy
oversleeping
poor concentration
irritability
avoidance of social situations
craving for sweet or starchy foods, with consequent weight gains

How your house can help

Turning on a few extra lamps is a natural response, but what your body really craves is more daylight — simply switching on a few more lights won’t do the trick. Typical artificial light can’t hold a candle to the power of daylight.

For example, standard indoor lamps produce only 100 to 1,000 lux (a measurement of light intensity). Compare that to the 50,000 to 100,000 lux of a sunlit sky.

Even an overcast day can pack 10,000 to 25,000 lux. That’s why good interior lighting, although cheering, doesn’t get to the heart of our biological need.

Instead, you need to boost the daylight inside your home, known as daylighting. Try these methods:

1. Trim tree branches and shrubs that block sunlight. An added benefit: cutting back foliage so it’s at least 2 feet away from your house helps prevent water damage to your roofing and siding. Cost: $50 for pruning tools.

2. Add a solar light tube. A 10- to 14-inch reflective solar tube is a relatively simple way to bring outdoor light into otherwise dim areas of your home, such as hallways. Cost: $500, installed on a one-story house.

3. Add a skylight to your home. A skylight provides 30% more light than a window. Cost: $2,500 and up, installed.

4. Add windows. If you have the wall space, consider letting in more daylight with a new window. Cost for a 3-by-5-foot window: $1,000 to $1,500, installed.

5. Add a bay or bow window. These windows bring in a lot of light and give a room a sense of spaciousness. Cost: $5,000 and up, installed.

6. Replace a solid exterior door with an all- or partial-glass door, or a door with glass sidelights. An upscale door replacement is $5,000 to $10,000.

7. Open curtains and blinds so they don’t block natural light. Make a habit of opening your window coverings first thing in the morning. Cost: $0

8. Rearrange furniture in your living room, office, or den so you’ll be closer to bright windows. Place large pieces of furniture against walls so they don’t block light. Cost: $0

9. Get outside. Whenever possible, take a long walk or tackle an outdoors chore. Cost: $0

Professional help

Sufferers whose symptoms get in the way of enjoying normal activities should consult a physician or therapist. Medication, behavioral therapy, and treatments using a special 10,000-lux light therapy lamp are often prescribed.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/seasonal-affective-disorder-lights/preview/#ixzz34RqpkEpD

On the 5th Day of Christmas … Repair Drywall

By: John Riha Published: December 16, 2011 Devote a little time and energy to fixing up the house of a friend or family member, and you’ll be giving the true spirit of Christmas. It doesn’t cost much to offer a helping hand (even if you’re all thumbs), and you’ll brighten everyone’s holiday — especially your … Continue reading “On the 5th Day of Christmas … Repair Drywall”

By: John Riha

Published: December 16, 2011

Devote a little time and energy to fixing up the house of a friend or family member, and you’ll be giving the true spirit of Christmas. It doesn’t cost much to offer a helping hand (even if you’re all thumbs), and you’ll brighten everyone’s holiday — especially your own.

Good old drywall is everywhere in our houses, and it comes in for its share of daily wear and tear: We drill holes to hang mirrors and artwork, ram it with remote-controlled toys, and occasionally bump furniture into it, leaving large cracks and holes. (The classic: An interior door swings open and the doorknob punches a hole into an adjoining wall.)

The good news: Minor wall repairs are easy fix-its and use simple drywall tools. The other side of the coin: You’ll probably have to repaint walls to cover the patch job.

Here are some tips to make walls as good as new:

Patch small holes — those ½-inch or smaller — using lightweight spackling compound, available at hardware stores and home improvement centers for $2 to $4 for an 8-oz. tub.

1. Place a small dab of spackle on a putty knife.

2. Press the spackle into the hole.

3. Scrape the knife clean on the edge of the spackle tub.

4. Hold the knife at a slight angle and scrape it across the hole to remove excess spackle.

5. Let dry. If necessary, sand lightly to remove any bumps.

Repair larger drywall holes — those bigger than ½-inch across — using commercially available patches. The sanity-savers come in various sizes — pick one that extends past your wall boo-boo by two inches all the way around.

Patches are made from rust-proof aluminum or fiberglass mesh. They’re designed to hold spackle so you can completely cover the offending hole. Peel-and-stick backing clings to walls permanently, and makes repairs virtually fool-proof. An 8-by-8-inch patch is about $4.

1. Remove the backing from the patch, and place it over the hole so that the hole is right in the middle of the patch.

2. Press the patch into place so it adheres tightly to the wall.

3. Load up a putty or drywall knife with spackle, and press the spackling compound into the mesh. The object is to completely cover the mesh.

4. Feather the spackle out 2 inches beyond the patch in all directions so that the edge of the patch is hidden.

5. Let dry completely, then sand lightly to remove bumps.

If the job isn’t perfect and the screen shows, that’s OK. Go back over the patch with fresh spackle until the mesh screen is hidden. Paint the wall to complete the repair.

Congratulations! You’ve just one-upped Santa!

Got an idea for helping out a neighbor or family member with home improvement and maintenance chores?

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/christmas-repair-drywall/preview/#ixzz34RqWGjfA

7 Hot Home Improvement Trends that Make Your Home Work for You

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Published: May 13, 2011 Home improvement trends embrace energy efficiency, low maintenance exteriors, and double-duty space. Today’s home improvement trends show that we like our houses to work harder and smarter for the money we spend maintaining and improving their value. We no longer want bigger; instead, we want space that’s … Continue reading “7 Hot Home Improvement Trends that Make Your Home Work for You”

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Published: May 13, 2011

Home improvement trends embrace energy efficiency, low maintenance exteriors, and double-duty space.

Today’s home improvement trends show that we like our houses to work harder and smarter for the money we spend maintaining and improving their value.
We no longer want bigger; instead, we want space that’s flexible, efficient, and brings order to chaos.
We’re watching our wattage with monitors and meters, and guarding our weekends with maintenance-free exteriors.

Here’s a look at seven hot home improvement trends that improve the way we live with our homes.

Trend #1: Maintenance-free siding

We continue to choose maintenance-free siding that lives as long as we do, but with a lot less upkeep. But more and more we’re opting for fiber-cement siding, one of the fastest-growing segments of the siding market. It’s a combination of cement, sand, and cellulosic fibers that looks like wood but won’t rot, combust, or succumb to termites and other wood-boring insects.

At $5 to $9 per sq. ft., installed, fiber-cement siding is more expensive than paint-grade wood, vinyl, and aluminum siding. It returns 87% of investment, the highest return of any upscale project on Remodeling Magazine’s latest Cost vs. Value Report.

Maintenance is limited to a cleaning and some caulking each spring. Repaint every seven to 15 years. Wood requires repainting every four to seven years.

Trend #2: Convertible spaces

Forget “museum rooms” we use twice a year (dining rooms and living rooms) and embrace convertible spaces that change with our whims.

Foldaway walls turn a private study into an easy-flow party space. Walls can consist of fancy, glass panels ($600 to $1,600 per linear ft., depending on the system); or they can be simple vinyl-covered accordions ($1,230 for 7 ft. by 10 ft.). PortablePartions.com sells walls on wheels ($775 for approximately 7 ft. by 7 ft.).

A Murphy bed pulls down from an armoire-looking wall unit and turns any room into a guest room. Prices, including installation and cabinetry, range from $2,000 (twin with main cabinet) to more than $5,000 (California king with main and side units). Just search online for sellers.

And don’t forget area rugs that easily define, and redefine, open spaces.

Trend #3: A laundry room of your own

Humankind advanced when the laundry room arose from the basement to a louvered closet on the second floor where clothes live. Now, we’re taking another step forward by granting washday a room of its own.

If you’re thinking of remodeling, turn a mudroom or extra bedroom into a dedicated laundry room big enough to house the washer and dryer, hang hand-washables, and store bulk boxes of detergent.

Look for spaces that already have plumbing hookups or are adjacent to rooms with running water to save on plumbing costs.

Trend #4: Souped-up kitchens

Although houses are trending smaller, kitchens are getting bigger, according to the American Institute of Architects’ Home Design Trends Survey.

Kitchen remodels open the space, perhaps incorporating lonely dining rooms, and feature recycling centers, large pantries, and recharging stations.

Oversized and high-priced commercial appliances—did we ever fire up six burners at once?—are yielding to family-sized, mid-range models that recover at least one cabinet for storage.

Since the entire family now helps prepare dinner (in your dreams), double prep sinks have evolved into dual-prep islands with lots of counter space and pull-out drawers.

Trend #5: Energy diets

We’re wrestling with an energy disorder: We’re binging on electronics—cell phones, iPads, Blackberries, laptops–then crash dieting by installing LED fixtures and turning the thermostat to 68 degrees.

Are we ahead of the energy game? Only the energy monitors and meters know for sure.

These new tracking devices can gauge electricity usage of individual electronics ($20 to $30) or monitor whole house energy ($100 to $250). The TED 5000 Energy Monitor ($240) supplies real-time feedback that you can view remotely and graph by the second, minute, hour, day, and month.

Trend #6: Love that storage

As we bow to the new god of declutter, storage has become the holy grail.

We’re not talking about more baskets we can trip over in the night; we’re imagining and discovering built-in storage in unlikely spaces–under stairs, over doors, beneath floors.

Under-appreciated nooks that once displayed antique desks are growing into built-ins for books and collections. Slap on some doors, and you can hide office supplies and buckets of Legos.

Giant master suites, with floor space to land a 747, are being divided to conquer clutter with more walk-in closets.

Trend #7: Home offices come out of the closet

Flexible work schedules, mobile communications, and entrepreneurial zeal are relocating us from the office downtown to home.

Laptops and wireless connections let us telecommute from anywhere in the house, but we still want a dedicated space (preferably with a door) for files, supplies, and printers.

Spare bedrooms are becoming home offices and family room niches are morphing into working nooks. After a weekend of de-cluttering, basements and attics are reborn as work centers.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/home-improvement-trends/preview/#ixzz34RppU54F

Kitchen Countertop Triage: First Aid for Scratches

By: Jane Hoback Published: January 14, 2011 You can repair kitchen counter mishaps with only a little time and money. Big boo-boos, however, will need professional help. Repair kitchen counters that show a history of wine spills, dropped pans, and unidentified sharp objects, and you’ll maintain the value of your kitchen and home. You can … Continue reading “Kitchen Countertop Triage: First Aid for Scratches”

By: Jane Hoback

Published: January 14, 2011

You can repair kitchen counter mishaps with only a little time and money. Big boo-boos, however, will need professional help.

Repair kitchen counters that show a history of wine spills, dropped pans, and unidentified sharp objects, and you’ll maintain the value of your kitchen and home. You can easily hide some counter mishaps, while only professional contractors can solve other surface problems. Here’s a look at counter cures and lost causes.

Granite

Even granite counters suffer kitchen wear and tear. But you can make them shine with a little time and know-how. After you fix them, don’t forget to reseal them.

Cracks, chips, scratches: Fill nicks in granite by building up layers of epoxy resin colored to match the stone. Clean the area first with acetone, which breaks down grease. Be sure to open a window for ventilation.

Stains: The type of stain–wine or ink, oil or bleach–determines the type of poultice you’ll need to suck it out. A paste of flour and hydrogen peroxide pulls out grease, oil, bleach, and ink stains; a mix of flour and bleach cleans wine stains. If you want to go commercial, check out Alpha, Aqua Mix, and StoneTech stone cleaners. Cost: $6 to $20.

Related: Can Granite Film Fool the Eye?

Solid-surface counters

Solid-surface countertops, such as Corian, are man-made from resin, acrylic, and other materials. They’re tough but not impervious to scratches and stains. To repair minor scratches, rub a white polishing compound on the area with a wool pad, then apply a countertop wax.

For deeper scratches or cuts, call a professional. Figure labor costs at about $15 to $35 an hour. If you need to replace portions of the counter, figure at least $35 to $65 per square foot.

Laminate

Fixing gouges or covering burns in laminate is tough for mortals, though repairing minor problems is doable.
Fix small chips with laminate repair paste that matches the color of the countertop.
Cover scratches with countertop polish or car wax.
Fix peeling laminate with contact cement applied to both surfaces and pressed back into place.
Remove coffee and tea stains with vinegar or a paste of baking soda and household cleaner.

Bigger problems will require replacing the damaged stretch. Laminate comes in a billion colors, but finding an exact match for an old counter could be difficult.

To get the look you want, replace the counter. Labor will cost $15 to $35 per hour; countertops range from $3/linear ft. for Plain Jane straight-edged laminates to $100/linear ft. for laminates with a beveled edge that look like granite.

Tile

If you’ve planned ahead and stockpiled old tiles, then grab a few and replace cracked or scratched areas. If you don’t have extra tile, then attempt the following first aid:
Wipe away scratches with a dab of toothpaste on a clean cloth.
Work epoxy glue into cracks with a toothpick, then color with matching oil-based artist paint.
Remove old grout with a utility knife, then replace with a rubber trowel.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel countertops become scratched, stained, and dull over time. Although you’ll never completely remove scratches, you can buff them into a warm patina by massaging with vegetable oil.

Remove stains with a paste of baking soda and dish soap. A sprinkle of Barkeeper’s Friend will remove stains without scratching.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/repair-and-replace-kitchen-counters-stay-top-scratches/preview/#ixzz34RpLZXO2

10 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job

By: Joseph D’Agnese Published: March 11, 2011 Painting the exterior of your home is a big job that costs thousands in the hands of a professional. But you can save money if you invest the time to do it yourself correctly. Old wood siding, fast becoming a dinosaur in new construction, regularly needs the protection … Continue reading “10 Steps to a Perfect Exterior Paint Job”

By: Joseph D’Agnese

Published: March 11, 2011

Painting the exterior of your home is a big job that costs thousands in the hands of a professional. But you can save money if you invest the time to do it yourself correctly.

Old wood siding, fast becoming a dinosaur in new construction, regularly needs the protection of a new coat of paint.

A professional will charge you between $4,000 and $6,000 to paint a 2,000-square foot, two-story house. But you can do it yourself in a few weekends for the cost of paint and supplies.

A good paint job can last 10 years. The key is proper preparation. Here are 10 steps to take to make sure your exterior paint job looks great, adds value to your home, and lasts a long time.

Step 1: Get the lead out

Do-it-yourselfers are not obligated to follow EPA regulations for lead-safe practices, as professional paint contractors must. But if your home was built before 1978, when lead paint was banned for residential use, you should protect yourself and your neighbors from airborne lead particles.

The first step is to test for lead paint: Kits are available for $10 to $35 online, and at paint and hardware stores. If tests prove positive for lead, keep paint dust to a minimum by taking the following precautions.
Lay plastic drop cloths and collect scrapings.
Clean area with a HEPA vacuum.
Wear masks and Tyvek suits.
Dispose of all materials at an approved hazardous materials site.

Read on to learn more:

2. Wash the exterior
3. Scrape off loose paint
4. Sand rough spots
5. Fill and repair
6. Apply primer
7. Caulk all joints
8. Choose the right paint
9. Apply top coat(s)
10. Practice good maintenance

Step 2: Wash the exterior

Mildew thrives under fresh paint, which won’t adhere well to dirty, grimy, spore-sporting exterior walls. So wash your home’s exterior before painting.

Use a mix of water and a phosphate-free cleanser such as Jomax House Cleaner ($15 per gallon) and Mildew Killer Concentrate ($8.50 for 32 ounces).

You can hand-apply the solution with a sponge, which will take forever and many trips up and down the ladder. Or, hire a pro to pressure wash siding–not a task for an amateur, who can damage siding by pushing water under boards. (Cost varies by location: $150 to $750 for a professional to pressure wash the exterior of a 2,100-square-foot house.)

Step 3: Scrape off loose paint

Once clapboards are dry, remove loose, flaking paint.

A handheld scraper is usually the best tool for the job, though you can also use a hot-air gun or infrared paint stripper. Never use an open-flame torch, which can easily start a fire and is illegal in most states unless you have a permit.

To work lead-safe, wear a mask and Tyvek suit, spray water on the paint as you scrape, and collect the debris.

Step 4: Sand rough spots

A pad sander or random-orbit fitted with 80-grit sandpaper will smooth out any remaining rough spots. Take care not to push so hard that you leave sander marks in the wood.

To be lead safe, use sanders fitted with HEPA filters.

Step 5: Fill and repair

After washing, scraping, and sanding your wood siding, step back and inspect what you’ve uncovered–holes, dings, and chips.

Fill minor holes or dings in the siding with a patching putty or compound such as Zinsser’s Ready Patch ($20 per gallon).

If you’ve got a major rot problem, summon a carpenter to replace the bad wood. Also, fix drainage problems that cause water to pool and promote rot.

Step 6: Apply primer

Apply primer immediately after preparing wood siding.

White, gray, or tinted primer provides an even base for topcoats to adhere to, and a uniform canvas from which to survey your work. Small gaps in joints and around doors, windows, and other spots where horizontals meet verticals will all stand out in high relief, showing where you need to fill in with caulk.

If you’re painting over bare wood or existing latex paint, then latex primer is fine. But if you’re painting over multiple coats of oil-based paint, it’s best to stick with a new coat of oil-based primer.

Step 7: Caulk all joints

Siliconized or top-of-the line polyurethane acrylic caulks give paint jobs a smooth, pleasing look. But the benefits aren’t purely aesthetic. Tight joints also prevent air leaks and block water penetration.

Spring for the $7-a-tube polyurethane caulks with 55-year warranties, which will stand up to weather better than 35-year caulks that cost less than $3. The average house requires about seven tubes of caulk.

Step 8: Choose the right paint

Painting with water-based acrylic latex is so much easier than dealing with oil-based paints. Latex paint:
Applies easily
Dries quickly
Cleans up with soap and water

If your house already sports an oil-based paint, which is more durable than latex, you’ll have to stick with it.

Choose finishes carefully. As a rule, the higher the sheen, the better the paint is at blocking the sun’s damaging rays. Satin is fine for shingles or clapboards, but you’ll want gloss paint to protect high-traffic parts of a house, such as window casings, porches, and doorframes. A gallon of premium exterior latex costs $35 to $45.

Step 9: Apply top coat(s)

Less is more when it comes to applying top coats. More layers can result in paint flaking off through the years; less paint bonds better to layers beneath.

If you’re going from a white house to yellow or cream, you might be able to get by with one coat. Going from a light to a dark house, and vice versa, usually requires two coats.

Step 10: Practice good maintenance

You can extend the life of a good paint job by:
Inspecting the caulk every year and replacing any that’s cracked or missing.
Removing mold or mildew.
Washing stains from nesting birds and pollen.
Touching up blisters and peels before they spread.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/exterior-paint-tips/preview/#ixzz34RmjdEft

Erase Ugly Scratches from Your Wood Floors

By: Jane Hoback Published: January 14, 2011 Repair wood floors and scratches that make rooms look worn out. We’ll show you easy ways to put the luster back into your floors. Dogs chase kids, pans drop, chairs scrape, and soon you must repair wood floors and erase scratches that make a mess of your red … Continue reading “Erase Ugly Scratches from Your Wood Floors”

By: Jane Hoback

Published: January 14, 2011

Repair wood floors and scratches that make rooms look worn out. We’ll show you easy ways to put the luster back into your floors.

Dogs chase kids, pans drop, chairs scrape, and soon you must repair wood floors and erase scratches that make a mess of your red oak or Brazilian cherry. A professional floor refinisher will charge $1 to $4 per sq. ft. to apply a new coat of finish. No worries. We’ve got inexpensive ways to remove wood scratches and repair deep gouges in a few easy steps.

Camouflage scratches

Take some artistic license to hide minor scratches in wood floors by rubbing on stain-matching crayons and Sharpie pens. Wax sticks, such as Minwax Stain Markers, are great scratch busters because they include stain and urethane, which protects the floor’s finish.

Don’t be afraid to mix a couple of colors together to get a good match. And don’t sweat if the color is a little off. Real hardwoods mix several hues and tones. So long as you cover the contrasting “white” scratches, color imperfections will match perfectly.

Homemade polish

Mix equal parts olive oil and vinegar, which work together to remove dirt, moisturize, and shine wood. Pour a little directly onto the scratch. Let the polish soak in for 24 hours, then wipe off. Repeat until the scratch disappears.

Spot-sand deep scratches

It takes time to repair wood gouges: Sand, fill, sand again, stain, and seal. Here are some tips to make the job go faster.
Sand with fine-gauge steel wool or lightweight sandpaper.
Always sand with the grain.
Use wood filler, which takes stain better than wood putty.
Use a plastic putty knife to avoid more scratches.
Seal the area with polyurethane, or whatever product was used on the floor originally.
Apply the polyurethane coat with a lambs wool applicator, which avoids air bubbles in the finish.

Fix gaps in floor

Old floorboards can separate over time. Fill the gaps with colored wood putty. Or, if you have some leftover planks, rip a narrow band and glue it into the gap.

Related: Great-Looking, Low-Maintenance Floors

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/repair-wood-floors-and-erase-ugly-scratches/preview/#ixzz34Rk8J9Cf

How to Clean and Care for Your Home’s Siding

By: John Riha Published: November 7, 2013 Cleaning your home’s siding every year and keeping it in good repair extends the life of any siding and heads off replacement costs. With a bit of preventative maintenance, your home’s siding could be trouble-free for 50 years or more. And that means you won’t have to replace … Continue reading “How to Clean and Care for Your Home’s Siding”

By: John Riha

Published: November 7, 2013

Cleaning your home’s siding every year and keeping it in good repair extends the life of any siding and heads off replacement costs.
With a bit of preventative maintenance, your home’s siding could be trouble-free for 50 years or more. And that means you won’t have to replace siding as often.
Cleaning siding removes the dirt and mildew that shortens the life of siding. A clean house protects your investment, too. Some real estate appraisers say good curb appeal can add 5%-10% to the value of your house.

Cleaning All Types of Siding

All types of siding benefit from an annual cleaning to remove grit, grime, and mildew. Cleaning an average-sized house may take you and a friend every bit of a weekend. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start with a bucket of warm, soapy water. Mix 1/2 cup trisodium phosphate (TSP, available at grocery stores, hardware stores, and home improvement centers) with 1 gallon of water.

2. Divide your siding into 10-foot sections. Scrub each section using a soft-bristled brush attached to a long handle. Work from bottom to top to avoid streaking, and rinse often. (For two-story homes, you’ll be using a ladder, so keep safety foremost.)

What’s a Professional Cleaning Cost?

If you don’t have the time — or the inclination — you can have your house professionally cleaned for $300-$500. A professional team will use a power washer and take less than a day.

You can rent a power washer to do the job yourself for about $75/day, but beware if you don’t have experience with the tool. Power washers can strip paint, gouge softwoods, loosen caulk, and eat through mortar. Also, the tool can force water under horizontal lap joints, resulting in moisture accumulating behind the siding.

A siding professional has the expertise to prevent water penetration at joints, seams around windows and doors, and electrical fixtures.

Inspecting Siding for Damage

All siding: Siding is vulnerable to water infiltration where it butts against windows, doors, and corner moldings. Look for caulk that has cracked due to age or has pulled away from adjacent surfaces, leaving gaps. Reapply a color-matched exterior caulk during dry days with temperatures in excess of 65 degrees for maximum adhesion.

Wood siding: Check for chipped or peeling paint, and cracked boards and trim.

Stucco: Be on the lookout for cracks and chips.

Brick: Look for crumbling mortar joints.

You’ll want to repair any defects before cleaning. The sooner you make repairs, the better you protect your house from moisture infiltration that can lead to dry rot and mold forming inside your walls.

Repairing Wood, Vinyl, and Fiber-Cement Siding

Repairs to wood, vinyl, and fiber-cement siding require the expertise to remove the damaged siding while leaving surrounding siding intact. Unless you have the skills, hire a professional carpenter or siding contractor. Expect to pay $200-$300 to replace one or two damaged siding panels or pieces of wood clapboard.

Repairing Brick and Mortar

Crumbling and loose mortar should be removed with a cold chisel and repaired with fresh mortar — a process called repointing. An experienced do-it-yourselfer can repoint mortar joints between bricks, but the process is time-consuming. Depending on the size of the mortar joints (thinner joints are more difficult), a masonry professional will repoint brick siding for $5-$20/sq. ft.

Efflorescence — the powdery white residue that sometimes appears on brick and stone surfaces — is the result of soluble salts in the masonry or grout being leached out by moisture, probably indicating the masonry and grout was never sealed correctly.

Remove efflorescence by scrubbing it with water and white vinegar mixed in a 50/50 solution and a stiff bristle brush. As soon as the surface is clear and dry, seal it with a quality masonry sealer to prevent further leaching.

Persistent efflorescence may indicate a moisture problem behind the masonry. Consult a professional building or masonry contractor.

Repairing Stucco

Seal cracks and small holes with color-matched exterior acrylic caulk. Try pressing sand into the surface of wet caulk to match the texture of the surrounding stucco. Paint the repair to match.

To repair larger holes and cracks, you may want to call in a pro who’s familiar with stucco work. A professional charges $200-$1,000 for a repair job, depending on the size of the damage. Repainting the patch to match your siding will be up to you.

Removing Mildew

Stubborn, black spotty stains are probably mildew. Dab the area with a little diluted bleach — if the black disappears, it’s mildew. Clean the area with a solution of one part bleach to four parts water. Wear eye protection and protect plants from splashes. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/how-to-clean-siding/preview/#ixzz34BmpMdbF

7 Landscaping Mistakes That Wreck Curb Appeal

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Published: September 9, 2013 Don’t let badly designed or maintained landscaping wreck your home’s curb appeal. Here are pitfalls to avoid. Clumsy, neglected, and hodgepodge landscaping not only hurts your home’s curb appeal, it can cut the value of your property and make it harder to sell. Real estate appraisers say … Continue reading “7 Landscaping Mistakes That Wreck Curb Appeal”

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Published: September 9, 2013

Don’t let badly designed or maintained landscaping wreck your home’s curb appeal. Here are pitfalls to avoid.
Clumsy, neglected, and hodgepodge landscaping not only hurts your home’s curb appeal, it can cut the value of your property and make it harder to sell.
Real estate appraisers say bad landscaping is a buyer turnoff that can increase the number of days a property languishes on the market, which also hurts prices.
“I’ve been with clients who won’t even go into a house because of the bad landscaping outside,” says Mack Strickland, a Chester, Va., REALTOR® and appraiser.
Even more important, bad landscaping is a downer that hurts the way you see and enjoy your home.
Don’t let bad landscaping happen to you. Here are the seven landscaping mistakes that bust, rather than boost, your home’s curb appeal.
1. Planting Without A Plan
Some landscaping choices, such as a line of begonias, will last a season; others, like trees, can last a lifetime. So, take time to plan and plot a yard that gives you maximum enjoyment and curb appeal.
For the design challenged, landscape architects are worth the investment ($300-$2,500 depending on yard size). They will render elevations of your future yard, and provide plant lists so you can install landscaping yourself.
Related: How to Create a Landscaping Plan on a Budget
2. Too Much Togetherness
Yes, planting in clusters looks way better than installing single plants, soldier-like, throughout your yard. But make sure your groups of perennials, shrubs, and trees have plenty of room to spread, or they’ll look choked and overgrown. Also, over-crowded landscaping competes with itself for food and water, putting the clusters at risk, especially during drought.
Google how high and wide the mature plant will be, and then combine that info with the spacing suggestions on planting labels. At first, garden beds of young plants will look too airy and prairie-like. But within three years, your beds will fill in with room to grow.
Remember: First year it sleeps, second it creeps, third it leaps.
3. Zoning Out
Don’t be seduced by catalog plants that look gorgeous on paper but aren’t suited to your hardiness zone. You’ll wind up with plants that die prematurely, or demand winter covers, daily watering, and other intensive efforts to keep them alive and well.
Check plant labels to see which hardiness zones are best for your plants.
4. More of the Same
Resist the design temptation to carpet-bomb your yard with your favorite plant or shrub, which will create a boring, monochromatic landscape. Worse, your yard will look great when your fave flowers bloom, then will look drab the rest of the year.
Mix things up and strive for four-season color. For example, combine spring-blooming azaleas with summer-blooming roses and autumn-blazing shrubs — such as burning bushes (Euonymus alatus). For winter color, try the red osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera), a hardy shrub that sports bright-red branches in winter.
Related:
9 Winter Plants that Dazzle Even in Snow
Winter Gardening: Plants that Provide Beauty All Year Round
5. Refusing to Bury Your Dead
Nothing wrecks curb appeal faster than rows of dead or dying shrubs and perennials. So quickly remove your dearly departed landscaping from your front and side yards.
Spent plants that lived their natural lives are good candidates for a compost pile — if you grind them first, they’ll decompose faster. But if your landscaping succumbed to disease or infestation, it’s best to inter them in black plastic bags, then add to the trash.
6. Weeds Gone Wild
Weeds not only wreck the look of your landscaping, they compete with pricey vegetation for water and food. Weeds also can shorten the life of brick, stone, and pavers by growing in mortar cracks.
The best way to stop weeds is to spread a pre-emergent about three weeks before weed seeds typically germinate. If you can’t stop them from growing, at least get rid of weeds before they flower and send a zillion weed seeds throughout your yard.
7. Contain Those Critters
Deer, rabbits, and other backyard pests think your landscaping is an all-you-can eat buffet, leaving you with denuded branches and topless perennials.
If you’ve got a critter problem:
Plant deer- or rabbit-resistant varieties. Your local extension agent can provide a list of green things critters won’t eat in your area.
Install an electric fence around landscaping you want to protect.
Spray plants with critter repellent. After a hard rain, spray again.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/landscaping-mistakes-wreck-curb-appeal/preview/#ixzz34Bnz82ox

5 Things You Forgot to Clean in Your Bathroom

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Published: March 30, 2012 Your bathroom, one of the rooms you clean most, hides areas that rarely see a scrub brush. It’s time to tackle these 5 nasty spots you probably forgot. If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your bathroom, we don’t want to know what’s living in … Continue reading “5 Things You Forgot to Clean in Your Bathroom”

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Published: March 30, 2012

Your bathroom, one of the rooms you clean most, hides areas that rarely see a scrub brush. It’s time to tackle these 5 nasty spots you probably forgot.

If you can’t remember the last time you cleaned your bathroom, we don’t want to know what’s living in your tub. Probably, a host of staphylococcus, the skin infection bacteria that, a recent study showed, more frequently grows in tubs than in garbage cans.

But we presume you or someone else regularly swishes out the toilets, wipes out the tubs and sinks, and mops your bathroom flooring.

But you may be missing some critical areas. With the help of Kristi Mailloux, president of Molly Maid, we’ve compiled a list of 5 bathroom spots home owners often forget to clean:

1. Showerheads: A warm white vinegar bath will get rid of mineral deposits, making your low-flow showerhead flow even lower. Let the showerhead soak for about 20 minutes, then poke a paperclip into shower head holes still clogged. Scrub with an old toothbrush, then rinse and repeat if necessary.

2. Toilet bases: Mildew can grow on the caulking around the base of your toilet. Spray with white vinegar or disinfecting household cleaner, then scrub with a hard-bristled brush. Dry thoroughly.

3. Shower curtains: Clean soap scum and mildew from plastic shower curtains by tossing them into your washer on the gentle and cold (never hot!) water cycle, with detergent and ½ cup vinegar. If mildew is present, add ½ cup of bleach instead of vinegar. Toss a couple of large towels into the machine to act as scrubbers. Hang curtains back on your shower curtain rod, spread them out, and let them drip-dry. If you turn on the bathroom fan, they’ll dry faster.

4. Drains: We don’t usually pay much attention to drains until they’re clogged. But all year your hair, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner are building up in sink and tub drains. Remove the stopper — unscrew the shower drain — and clear away obvious gunk, like hair and soap. Soak the drain in vinegar to clear away mineral deposits. Then, pour boiling water, or a mixture of ½ cup white vinegar and ½ cup baking soda, down the drain, which will bubble away crud sticking to pipes.

5. Medicine cabinet: Throw out prescription and over-the-counter drugs you no longer need or want. But don’t dump them down the drain, where they become part of the watershed, or into the trash, where anyone can fetch them out. Instead, take them to a local collection site, often at police or fire stations. Or check U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Take Back Initiative’s website for dates and sites for their next collection.

Bonus tip: Just for the fun of it, launder those powder room towels you won’t let anyone use. And be sure to clean out your dryer’s lint filter when you’re finished.

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/cleaning-the-bathroom/preview/#ixzz34RrK2WMw

Guide to Paint Sheens

By: Pat Curry Published: March 25, 2011 Choosing the right paint sheen is almost as overwhelming as choosing your paint color. This guide will help you get it right. There’s a basic rule of thumb to follow when choosing paint sheens: The higher the sheen, the higher the shine — and the higher the shine, … Continue reading “Guide to Paint Sheens”

By: Pat Curry

Published: March 25, 2011

Choosing the right paint sheen is almost as overwhelming as choosing your paint color. This guide will help you get it right.

There’s a basic rule of thumb to follow when choosing paint sheens: The higher the sheen, the higher the shine — and the higher the shine, the more durable it will be.

Flat paint has no shine; high-gloss is all shine. In between are eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss, each with its own practical and decorative job to do. Here’s how to choose the right paint sheen for your painting job.

Paint sheen infographic

High Gloss

The most durable and easiest to clean of all paint sheens, high-gloss paint is hard, ultra-shiny, and light-reflecting. Think appliance-paint tough.

High gloss is a good choice for area that sticky fingers touch — cabinets, trim, and doors. High-gloss, however, is too much shine for interior walls. And like a Spandex dress, high gloss shows every bump and roll, so don’t skimp on prep work.
Practical application: kitchens, door, and window trim
Durability: very high

Semi-Gloss

Good for rooms where moisture, drips, and grease stains challenge walls. Also great for trim work that takes a lot of abuse.
Practical application: kitchens, bathrooms, trim, chair rails
Durability: high

Satin

Has a yummy luster that, despite the name, is often described as velvety. It’s easy to clean, making it excellent for high-traffic areas. Its biggest flaw is it reveals application flaws, such as roller or brush strokes. Touch-ups later can be tricky.
Practical application: family rooms, foyers, hallways, kids’ bedrooms
Durability: high

Eggshell

Between satin and flat on the sheen (and durability) scale is eggshell, so named because it’s essentially a flat (no-shine) finish with little luster, like a chicken’s egg. Eggshell covers wall imperfections well and is a great finish for gathering spaces that don’t get a lot of bumps and scuffs.
Practical application: dining rooms, living rooms
Durability: medium

Flat or Matte

A friend to walls that have something to hide, flat/matte soaks up, rather than reflects, light. It has the most pigment and will provide the most coverage, which translates to time and money savings. However, it’s tough to clean without taking paint off with the grime.
Practical application: adults’ bedrooms and other interior rooms that won’t be roughed up by kids
Durability: medium-low

Related: 6 Must-Have Painting Tools

Tips For Choosing the Right Sheen

If your paint color is dark and rich but you don’t want a super shiny effect, step down at least one level on the sheen scale. That’s because the darker and richer the paint color is, the more colorant it has, which boosts sheen. Ditto if you’re painting a large, sun-washed, or imperfect wall. The higher the sheen, the more defects will show.

Adding sheen also adds to the cost, usually an extra dollar or two per gallon as you step up on the sheen scale.

How to Choose Paint Colors

Using Bold Color to Personalize Your Home

Read more: http://members.houselogic.com/articles/paint-sheen-guide/preview/#ixzz34Rl22LEs
Follow us: @HouseLogic on Twitter | HouseLogic on Facebook