Fall Guide 2013 by Aubuchon Hardware

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13Lawncare Essentials

Lu Project Bungalow Remodel seasonal home maintance Must-Dos

Contents FALL 2013

In this issue! Scan this with your Smartphone to take this issue wherever you go!

2 13 Fall Lawncare Essentials: Fall 10 Seasonal To-Dos: Fall fix-ups checklist. 8 lawncare secrets. Autumn is a great time to spruce From cleaning gutters to fireplace safety, we have up your lawn. Our easy guide shows you how.

4 4 Travel Tips: Enjoying fall color.Try our

tips for finding the best fall color on your next Sunday drive.

6 Fire Safety: Smoke detection facts.

Find out what you need to know to protect your home and family from a fire.

Events & Programs: Color seminars with Lu Samu: Stop by for one of our new color classes with Lu this fall. aubuchonathome.com

2 your list of must-dos for fall.

12 Pet of the Month: Win a gift card!

Find out how you and your pet could win a $50 Aubuchon gift card.

Bungalow Remodel: Check out Lu’s latest renovation project — this quaint bungalow gets some beautiful upgrades.

Questions & Answers: Creosote in your chimney. Learn about creosote buildup and find out how to prevent a possible chimney fire. FALL 2013 • Aubuchon at home

Spruce Up Your Lawn

Fall Lawncare Autumn is a great time to spruce up your lawn. Our easy guide shows you how.

Essentia

1. Adjust Your Height

If you raised the height of your lawn mower in summer to reduce heat stress to your lawn, return the mower deck to its normal mowing height (about 2 inches tall is best for most grasses) in fall. Cutting your lawn slightly shorter in autumn helps prevent the grass from matting down under leaves and snow. Avoid cutting the grass too short, however. Tightly clipped turf has fewer roots and allows weeds to get a foothold.

2. Water on Schedule

Most lawns need water whenever it’s dry — no matter the season. If drought persists into autumn, water once or twice per week long enough to soak the soil several inches deep. Early morning is the best time of day to irrigate because winds are usually lighter so you’ll waste less water to evaporation. Avoid watering in the evening because that encourages fungal diseases.

3. Overseed

Overseed warm-season lawns with ryegrass each autumn. This type of grass provides a lush, green carpet through the cool winter months. Prepare the lawn for overseeding by mowing it ½ inch shorter than usual 2

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Take advantage of the cooler temps and prep your lawn for the coming winter with these easy tips.

and removing the clippings. Sow grass seed over the mowed area, making two passes at right angles to each other. In the North, overseed thin lawns or large dead areas. Keep the newly seeded sections moist while seeds sprout. Frequent light sprinklings are best at first. Gradually increase the interval between waterings to encourage the roots to grow deeper into the soil.

4. Fertilize

If you live in the North, fall is the best time to fertilize. Cool-season grasses, such as bluegrass and ryegrass, respond well to feeding in early September and again in late fall (late October or November). It helps them green up earlier and look better in spring. Avoid fertilizing dormant warmseason grasses in the South unless they have been overseeded with winter ryegrass. hardwarestore.com

by one of these machines. 8Note: Power raking and vertical mowing can damage centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, and others that spread by surface runners. Use a machine that has knives correctly spaced for these grasses.

10. Aerate

als

6. Repair Dead Patches

Early fall is a great time to reseed any small dead or thin patches in cool-season lawns. If you seed in autumn, you’ll have fewer weeds. And the seedlings will become established before stressful hot weather conditions arrive. A mulch product embedded with seed and fertilizer is a convenient way to fill the gaps.

7. Lay Sod

Spring or fall is a good time to start a new cool-season lawn or patch existing turf with sod. Moderate temperatures and abundant moisture get sod off to a quick start. Highquality sod will be thick, dense, and weed-free. It’s a convenient way to get an instant solution to bare spots.

8. Check for Thatch

5. Attack Perennial Weeds Dandelions, clover, and other broadleaf weeds are easy to spot in spring, but fall is the best time to rid your yard of these pests. Perennial weeds readily send herbicides containing glyphosate, 2, 4-D, and MCPP applied as a spray or granules to their roots in fall. Sprays work best on days with moderate temperatures and when the soil is moist. aubuchonathome.com

Aubuchon Hardware offers thousands of lawncare products to help care for your yard.

Thatch is a layer of dead organic matter mixed with living plant parts that can lead to disease and insect problems as well as damage from drought and cold weather. Thatch may develop when you overfertilize your lawn or water too frequently. Check for thatch by removing a plug of grass and soil. One-half inch of thatch or less is not a problem. If there is more than that, your lawn is ready for a thatch-management program.

9. Remove Excess Thatch

Dethatching involves cutting through the thatch layer and ripping out the debris. Power rakes or vertical mowers are effective tools for this. Use a hand rake to remove the thatch from the lawn after it has been pulled out

Aeration reduces thatch, improves drainage, and loosens soil. Make sure that the aerator you use pulls plugs of soil from the turf rather than simply punching holes in the ground, which actually increases compaction over time. Aerate cool-season grasses in early fall and warm-season grasses in spring.

11. Apply a Top Dressing

Top dressing means applying a thin layer of soil or compost to your existing turf. The process improves growing conditions by reducing thatch, increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil, smoothing bumps in the lawn, and lessening the need for fertilizer. Spread a thin layer of equal parts loam, sand, and peat. Be sure to dethatch or aerate before you apply a top dressing. Then work the top dressing into the soil by raking it in.

12. Remove Fallen Leaves

Remove fallen leaves by raking them or mulching them with a mower before they mat down and smother your grass. A mulching mower works well to shred small amounts of leaves and returns the shredded organic matter to the soil, much like top dressing. When many leaves are present, rake them off the lawn and compost them.

13. Drain Irrigation Lines

Completely drain your lawn’s irrigation system before freezing weather arrives.You can empty the system with compressed air or use drain valves. For best results, shut off the water to the system and drain each zone separately. Also drain the main supply line from the house. If you use an air compressor, don’t exceed 50 psi of air pressure. n Used with Permission. © Copyright 2013 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

FALL 2013 • Aubuchon at home

Travel Tips colors/) and follow the USDA Forest Service on Twitter (@forestservice) for more information and inspiration. The Urban Programs Resource Network, a project of the University

Pack up the car and hit the road with these fall family daytrip ideas.

Enjoying Fall Color If you’ve let the Sunday drive fall by the wayside, there’s no time like autumn to resurrect a great family tradition. By Dana Joseph Welcome autumn by piling the kids in the car and taking a drive. It’s as American as apple pie and every bit as delicious to hit the back roads. And to enjoy fall-color drives, you don’t necessarily need a destination – this type of adventure is more about the journey. The goal is to seek out color and enjoy the ride and reconnecting with nature and your family. If you’re looking for a daytrip, take out a map of your area and look for city, county, state, and national parks. Forest preserves are tailor-made for fall-color excursions; city gardens are also a possibility. Call your local arboretum to find out about special seasonal programs.Your state visitors’ bureaus and nearby Chambers of Commerce may also offer ideas.Also try your city recreation departments, forestry or botany departments of local colleges, and your state’s department of natural resources for ideas.

Read Up

Parks and state tourism offices often put out pamphlets that can guide you along your color path. Requesting them ahead of time will give some direction to your rambles or spark ideas for weekend travel in the future. Guidebooks from your favorite bookseller are also indispensable.

Finding Out Where to Go

Try the keywords “fall color” or “fall foliage tour” on a search engine like Google to discover dozens of autumn

Aubuchon at home • FALL 2013

travel possibilities — chances are good you’ll come up with specifics in your area. Our own searches yielded numerous exciting possibilities for a colorful drive time: The USDA Forest Service gives you the fall-color lowdown on our country’s national parks by region. Its fall-color hotline — 800-354-4595 — provides regional specifics on colorful hotspots.Visit the USDA Blog (http://blogs.usda.gov/tag/fall-

of Illinois Extension, publishes a digital resource called The Miracle of Fall. Lists of links by region will turn you on to high autumn color and fallcolor driving tours in different states. The site also offers info on the biology behind it all, regional events, and ideas for fall fun. (urbanext.illinois.edu/ fallcolor/tours.cfm)

GORP’s adventure travel site

offers a searchable database for scenic drives by region and by state. The listings will have you thinking about planning a family driving vacation in the fall whenever you can swing the time off from work and school. (www.gorp.com/camping-guide/ index-sp.html) 8TIP: According to the U.S. Forest Service, the peak season for fall viewing in national forests begins in September and continues through early November, but the timing and length of fall color season are also affected by weather. Forest Service officials say that drought conditions may cause color to peak a little early and that climate stress may intensify colors.

What To Bring

Your best companions on your drive are your kids and the conversation inspired by driving through Mother Nature’s beauty with the people you love. Beyond that, you’ll want daylight, a full tank, a good map, and a sense of adventure. Extra sweaters and a quilt in the trunk as well as healthy snacks and drinks keep everyone comfortable. And, of course, you’ll want your cameras. Be in the leaves as much as you’re in the moment. Drop the windows and turn up Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Autumn is about feeling alive. Drive through it with your kids for some of life’s most colorful memories. n Used with Permission. © Copyright 2013 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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Fire Safety

Smoking Out the Facts About Home Fire Detection

Aubuchon Hardware has a variety of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers to help ensure your family’s safety in case of a fire.

ire is a deadly threat to any household. It can strike anywhere, at any time. The frightening truth is that in 2005, there were nearly 381,000 home fires in the U.S. resulting in over 16,000 injuries and deaths combined.You must be prepared by using the tools for fire protection. Smoke alarms provide a warning of fire. Smoke alarms are the easiest, most cost-efficient way to alert your family of a developing fire. The more smoke alarms you have installed in your home, the more your chances increase that you will be alerted to a fire. Fire extinguishers provide a tool to fight small fires. Having a fire extinguisher in your home can increase your chances of keeping a small fire from getting out of control and becoming a deadly rage. Using both smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in your home, along with knowing what to do in case of fire, can help save your life! Fire can be a preventable tragedy! Things to know about fire: Fire can and might happen to you! You must be prepared and have the knowledge to escape safely. Fire is darker, smokier, hotter, and faster than you can imagine.You must know what fire is like to increase the chances of a safe escape. The following are four important facts to remember:

1. Smoke is dark.

Most people expect fire to be light. For this reason, people have been trapped in their homes because they could not find their way out in the dark — they didn’t have a flashlight and didn’t practice an escape plan. 6

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2. Smoke can be deadly.

Since most fire fatalities occur between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. when most people are sleeping — the only thing standing between the deadly fumes of fire and a safe escape maybe the piercing sound of a smoke alarm.

3. Fire has intense heat.

Fire can cause the temperature to rise several hundred degrees in just seconds. The heat is so intense that it can cause the human body to stop functioning altogether — one breath can cause severe lung damage. The heat alone can cause someone to become unconscious and not be able to escape. Escape time can be valuable.

4. Time is critical.

A residential home can be totally consumed in flames in less than five minutes from the start of a fire! A home fire can double in size is just 30 seconds. You must know what to do in order to help get you and your family out safely. A closed door is often the best way to stall a fire; by closing the door, you may save yourself seconds to use an alternate escape route.

Where to install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers: Many laws require that you install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home. It is also important to install at least one fire extinguisher in a convenient location on each level. The most basic protection for any home would be to install one smoke alarm and one fire extinguisher on each level. However, check your local building code since many require alarms also in each bedroom. Other important considerations include: n M ount smoke alarms in the middle of the

ceiling when ceiling mounted. If that is not possible mount detectors on the wall at least three feet away from a corner and 4 - 6 inches away from the ceiling. n Keep smoke alarms away from drafts created by fans or air ducts. The moving air can blow smoke away from the sensor. n Avoid placing smoke alarms too near the kitchen stove and bathroom shower, as cooking smoke and shower steam can cause nuisance alarms.

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n M ount basement alarms at the bottom of

n R eplace the battery in each smoke alarm

the basement stairwell. n Mount fire extinguishers on a wall 31/2 to 5 feet above the floor. The location should be near an exit or an escape route from the room.

at least once a year. Better yet, when you change your clock for daylight saving time, change your battery. n Never remove the battery except when replacing it with a fresh battery. n Clean the smoke alarm at least once a year. Follow the instructions in the product’s User’s Manual for specific instructions on how to install and maintain your smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.

types of smoke alarms: There are two basic types of smoke alarms: ionization and photoelectric. Both are effective at detecting smoke, yet each has a unique detecting system. n Ionization technology is generally more

sensitive than photoelectric technology at detecting small particles which tend to be produced in greater amounts by flaming fires, which consume combustible materials rapidly and spread quickly. Sources of these fires may include paper burning in a wastebasket, or a grease fire in the kitchen. n Photoelectric technology is generally more sensitive than ionization technology at detecting large particles, which tend to be produced in greater amounts by smoldering fires, which may smolder for hours before bursting into flame. Sources of these fires may include cigarettes burning in couches or bedding. Each type of detector also comes as AC-operated smoke alarms or battery-operated smoke alarms. Some AC alarms even come with a battery back-up system. Additional options can include an escape light, silencing button, or remote control mute feature.

Other fire safety equipment: First Alert also recommends that you have flashlights in every bedroom in case of a fire emergency. Since the fire situation is very dark, a reliable working flashlight can help light your way to safety. Additionally, carbon monoxide alarms are a vital safety product necessary in any home since carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning death in the U.S. other ways TO protect Your family from fires: The following is a fire safety checklist to lower the chances that a fire may start in your home: n Keep the furnace in working order. n Use a fireplace screen. n Have proper ventilation for heaters and

other small appliances.

n Do not smoke in bed. n Use the correct size fuses. n Don’t use worn out electrical wiring or run

it under rugs or out windows or doors.

n C lear refuse away-the less clutter, the less

fuel a fire has to feed on.

Maintaining smoke alarms and fire extinguishers: Smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are relatively easy to maintain; yet, improper maintenance is the biggest reason smoke detectors and fire extinguishers fail.

At First Alert, your family’s fire safety is our first concern. But, we can’t do it alone. By properly equipping your home with smoke alarms and fire extinguishers you’ll be taking an important first step in improving total fire protection for your family. If you have any other questions regarding fire safety, please contact First Alert directly. n

pressing the test button and your fire extinguisher by checking the pressure gauge.

n T est your smoke alarms weekly by

FALL 2013 • Aubuchon at home

events & Programs

Consumer Color Seminars with Lu Samu

ast Spring, Aubuchon Hardware launched free Color Seminars. We had a wonderful turnout and are happy to say we have more planned for this fall. Your home is your canvas. A fresh coat of paint is one of the most refreshing ways to revitalize and transform your space. With just a few inspired changes of color in areas that make the most difference, you can give your home a distinct makeover that reflects your unique personality and sense of style. Aubuchon Hardware’s Color & Project Expert, Lucianna Samu, along with the trained Benjamin Moore Specialists at the Aubuchon Hardware locations listed below, will inspire you and provide you

with all of the tools you’ll need to make your house a home. Each seminar includes free color and design advice, free refreshments and a complimentary gift bag (a $40 value). Space is limited, so sign up today! Go to aubuchonhardware. eventbrite.com to sign up for the location nearest you. Fall 2013 Color Seminars n September 12: Morrisville, VT n September 23: Wells, ME n September 25: Belfast, ME n September 26: Waterville, ME n October 10: Moultonboro, NH n October 17: Easton, NY n October 24: Gardner, MA n October 29: Saranac Lake, NY

Earn FREE Food! Frequent Buyer Pro-

Happy Hour

Get a FREE bag of food after purchasing the required number of bags from Nutro or Merrick (See store for more details)

Get automatic enrollment into our Home Team Program: Earn Rewards to use on future purchases at Aubuchon Hardware (See store for more See the difference in your pet’s health after feeding them Nutro or Merrick

October 5, 2013 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bring your dog in for a free sample of GREENIES® Dental Chews Even Dogs Deserve a Happy Hour

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FALL 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ Aubuchon at home

Seasonal To-Dos prevent the growth of mold and mildew that feed on dirt. Make the task easy by renting a pressure washer for $50-$100 per day. Find out exactly how much pressure the washer will exert and whether the surface you plan to wash can withstand it.

Insulate and Ventilate

Common sense tells us that because heat rises, insulation counts most above living spaces. Indeed, insulating attic floors and sealing air leaks will keep your house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. If there is no flooring over the ceiling joists, adding loose insulation is as easy as emptying the bags and spreading an even layer. If your attic has flooring, you might need to insulate between the roof rafters. Don’t block vents in the soffit, gables, or eaves. These vents let air flow above the insulation to prevent overheating in the summer and moisture buildup and condensation in the winter.

Fan the Fires

Even if you live in a warm region, fall will likely bring cooler outdoor temperatures.Your forced-air heating system deserves an annual checkup, and it might as well be now. Electric heating systems require only that you vacuum the baseboard units and check the thermostats. With a forcedair furnace, get a professional tune-up, replace dirty filters, and clean and clear all registers and grilles.

Fall Fix-Ups Checklist The secret to a secure and comfortable home is regular maintenance. From cleaning gutters to fireplace safety, we discuss it all in a list of must-dos for fall.

Find carpet cleaners, fall fix-up tools and more at Aubuchon Hardware!

Caulk the Cracks

Caulk can help keep out dirt, moisture, sound, and radon gas, and it can improve the general appearance of your home. Caulk before painting for a more finished look. Caulk where masonry meets siding, where pipes or wires enter the house, around window and door frames, and at corner joints formed by siding.

use binoculars to look for missing, loose, or damaged shingles. Then note any leaks from inside, which might include checking your attic. Fall is a good time to replace missing shingles, cement down curled edges, and recaulk where plumbing stacks, cable brackets, or antennae penetrate the roof. If you’re hesitant about scaling the heights, hire a reputable roofer.

Raise the Roof

Clean Up Your Exterior

Inspecting the roof twice a year should become a routine. From the ground, 10

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Wash your home’s exterior and windows to start fresh for fall and

Weather-Strip Doors and Windows

Part of your fall buttoning-up should be checking your home’s moving parts.Your goal is to have draft-free windows and doors, and you do that by maintaining or upgrading your weather stripping. All sorts of do-it-yourself materials are available: felt strips, metal-back strips, self-stick foam, and plastic channels. The idea is to ensure that your windows and doors are snug but still operative.

Change Outdoor Light bulbs If you’ve got an entry light that’s out, replace it before the cold weather sets in. Also, consider changing out your existing incandescent light bulbs with high-efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that use less energy and can save you money.

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Protect Your Plumbing

Even if your pipes have never frozen before, it could happen this winter after you simply lower the thermostat a few degrees or fix a dripping faucet. Inspect the hot and cold supply lines as well as exposed pipes that run along exterior walls in an unheated basement or crawlspace. One way to safeguard them is to wrap electric heat tape around them, but keep in mind that the tape won’t work during power outages.You can also wrap pipes with fiberglass insulation or ready-made pipe jackets.

attached to the house before winter hits. Check for any loose gutter spikes (8-inch-long nails that secure gutters to the eaves) and replace them with gutter screws, which hold better. Simply remove any loose spikes and drill gutter screws into the same hole.

Clean the Carpets

Carpets harbor dirt and musty smells, so give them a good cleaning before the cold weather arrives. Rent a steam cleaner for a day from a home improvement center and open the windows for a few days to help it dry.

Fireplace Safety To many homeowners, fall and winter are seasons to curl up before a cozy fireplace or stove. You can avoid dangers such as chimney fires and carbon monoxide poisoning by putting safety before snuggling. Here are some tips from the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA):

n Have your chimney checked every year to ensure both

your chimney system and venting systems are working properly and safely.

n Burn only well-seasoned hardwoods to reduce buildup of creosote, a flammable compound.

n Install a chimney cap to keep out debris and to prevent birds and animals from nesting.

n Install a carbon monoxide detector to warn you if harmful gases are entering your home — a blocked or damaged chimney can cause this.

n Have your chimney waterproofed to prevent long-

term corrosion and masonry damage. Avoid rebuilding old chimneys by replacing damaged clay liners with stainless-steel chimney liner pipes.

n Inspect and maintain your chimney flashing (the seal between the chimney and the roof).

n Install a sealing damper in your wood-burning system to save energy and eliminate off-season odors.

n If you own, or are planning to install, a high-efficiency gas

Clear the Gutters

Falling leaves and evergreen needles can block downspouts and cause rainwater to overflow gutters. Depending on where you live, the coming of winter can mean clogged gutters. This can cause ice dams, which push water under shingles and into your house. Clean gutters after most of the leaves have fallen, and do so by removing the debris with a plastic scoop or with a special curved wand attached to your garden hose. To keep gutters clear for next fall, install mesh or perforated leaf shields. In addition to cleaning gutters, you might need to install insulation in the attic or apply heat tape along the roof edge above the gutters to prevent ice dams.

Inspect Your Gutters

If you live in an area where the winters are full of ice and snow, ensure that gutters are securely aubuchonathome.com

Clean Lawn Equipment

Prepare gas-powered lawn mowers for the winter by cleaning dirt and grass clippings from the exterior. To prevent fuel from gumming up the engine, drain the tank into a gas can and run the engine until it stops. Another option is to add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank, which will keep the gas from oxidizing and causing corrosion.

furnace, ask your chimney sweep to check that the unit is vented according to the National Fuel Gas Code.

For a list of certified chimney sweeps in your area, call the Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) at 800/536-0118.

Test Smoke Alarms

Regular testing of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms is a must. Test alarms every month and change the batteries at least once a year. Replace alarms that are more than 10 years old. Dust can affect alarm response time, so vacuum or blow out any dust. n Used with Permission. © Copyright 2013 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. FALL 2013 • Aubuchon at home

Pet of the month

Does your pet have what it takes to be our next Pet of the Month? Share a photo of your pet on our Facebook wall. Each month we choose our favorite & give them a $50 Aubuchon Hardware Gift Card and a chance to get featured in the Aubuchon At Home Magazine!

PET of the

MONTH

June Franklin Banklin

July Jack

facebook.com/AubuchonHardware 12

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bathroom remodel

A New/Old Bungalow Style Bath

ixing up what is usually one of the smallest rooms in the house never looks like it’s going to be a big deal. But ask anyone who’s survived a bathroom renovation, and chances are they will agree the bathroom is chock full of deception. Since just few poor decisions can leave you running off to the neighbors for a shower or knee deep in water, it pays to do your homework and have a good plan worked out before you begin. In this small 1930’s era Bungalow style house, the original bath proved spacious and serviceable enough to last for over 50 years. The renovation was planned to be as cost efficient as possible, without compromising on either the look, or the quality. Follow the design strategies we relied on here, and you too can create a beautifully updated bathroom without busting the budget.

pBefore pAfter 14

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Key to all bathrooms is the placement of pipes, better known as “the roughing”. Because placement of the roughing (the drains and waterlines) is always predicated on the wall framing and in a perfect plan, the roughing fits into the framing plan without a hitch. The careful placement of the roughing also takes into account the possibilities for cold weather exterior walls, and too, the structural integrity of the space. With all this in mind, it’s alwaysalways- always best to try to keep the roughing where it is, which is exactly

pAfter

what we chose to do for this cozy and efficient bath. Looking at the before and after, we did eliminate the large window over the bathtub to accommodate the new shower. Super insulating the outside wall helps keep the bathroom warm. We took the time to add structural support to the existing floor system, ensuring the new tile won’t crack, the new cast iron tub won’t shift and any previous water problems were eliminated. Filling in the oversized space the old existing tub occupied with a lovely tile detail simplified the

#AskLu Follow Lu’s Bungalow Remodel Project Stay tuned as Lu takes you room to room with this Bungalow remodel project. See what a little imagination, a little paint and a little Lu can do to turn an outdated, rundown bungalow into a quaint, cozy new home. Follow the progress on our blog at www.Aubuchonathome.com

pBefore

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FALL 2013 • Aubuchon at home

Bathroom Remodel

placement of the new water lines for the showerhead and shortened the area to fit our new shorter tub. Better yet, it gave us a perfect spot to add simple storage cubby shelves where decorative baskets now keep things organized.

Years of wet feet made removing the original wood floor a must-do, but replacing it with a tile that mimics the look of wood, keeps the bath feeling true to it’s Craftsman style beginnings. Again the framing was beefed up to eliminate any bounce in the floors, and keeping the new sink and toilet placed exactly where the old fixtures were was an enormous cost savings. Good solid underlayment, waterproofing, and cleaning the old wood framing thoroughly eliminated the bane of most old-house updates: the “old house’ smell. Baths finished entirely in tile can be costly, and here again we saved a boatload of money by outfitting our renovation with a perimeter wall of wainscoting. Painted with Benjamin Moore Bath & Spa paint in 3 complimentary creamy whites, the aged and worn effect was created with a little sandpaper and a lot of elbow grease. 16

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Again the look is true to the era, forming an understated backdrop for new fixtures and fittings. A salvaged mirror, the reclaimed barn beam, which conceals the shower curtain, brings this Bungalow bath to modern standards. The updated placement of the simplest accessories adds design interest to the room,

looks and feels modern, and keeps the daily needs of the bath close at hand. All in all, quite a transformation! To see more cost saving renovation ideas we put to the test in this Bungalow renovation, check out our Bungalow blog feature at www.Aubuchonathome.com. n hardwarestore.com

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FALL 2013 â&#x20AC;˘ Aubuchon at home

Questions & Answers

Creosote in Chimneys FAQ Q: Is it necessary to clean my chimney if I burn seasoned wood? A: More than necessary, it is essential to protect against costly and potentially fatal chimney fires. Creosote is a natural by-product of wood burning. The rate of creosote buildup is affected by residence time, smoke density and stack temperature. Animal nests and deteriorating mortar and cracked tiles are problems that need immediate attention. To insure your chimney is working safely and efficiently, have your chimney inspected and cleaned annually. Q: How can a chimney catch fire? A: The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that each year about 30,000 residential fires originate in chimneys. Many of the fires are the result of the buildup of a highly combustible material called creosote. Once the chimney is coated with creosote, there is great potential for a serious chimney fire. At this stage, the flames from a burning newspaper could be sufficient to ignite the creosote. The substance burns rapidly and, as it spreads though the flue, creates a draft that intensifies the fire. As creosote burns, it peels and curls off the inside walls of a chimney, then drips into the flue

and literally forms balls of fire that are propelled upward by the updraft. These fire balls shoot onto the roof and can quickly destroy a home. Fires can also occur due to high temperatures that melt mortar, crack tiles, and cause liners to collapse and damage the outer masonry material.

Q: What is creosote? A: Creosote is a natural by-product of the wood burning process. It originates as condensed components in smoke, and dries to a flaky, solid or glazed form. It can be recognized in three distinct stages. First-stage creosote is flaky soot. Second stage creosote forms soft, gummy deposits. Third stage creosote is a hard, glazed substance that appears quite shiny and literally bakes onto the sides of a chimney. If there is a buildup of glazed creosote in your chimney, we recommend you immediately discontinue use of your stove or fireplace and contact a professional chimney sweep. Q: What can I do about creosote in my chimney? A: Our recommendation is shared

by the National Fire Protection Association, fire chiefs, fire marshals, insurers and safety experts everywhere: KEEP YOUR CHIMNEY CLEAN! Homeowners should keep in mind

Magnetic Stove Thermometer n B urn Indicator tells the potential for

Kwik-Shot Soot Stopper

creosote build-up n Has an accuracy range from 100°F to 900 °F 149351

n Helps keep soot out of your chimney n Removes and prevents creosote buildup 458083

Aubuchon at home • FALL 2013

that there are several conditions that promote formation of highly combustible creosote in chimneys, including burning unseasoned wood, restricted air supply and fires that do not burn at a high enough temperature. We recommend the following: 1. Have your chimney cleaned and inspected on an annual basis by a certified chimney sweep. 2. Between annual cleanings by a professional chimney sweep, use a properly sized chimney brush to clean the chimney. 3. For on-going maintenance, apply a specially formulated creosote control product. These prevent creosote build-up and convert creosote over time into a dry, flaky substance that is easily removed. 4. Use of a stove thermometer insures you are burning at the optimum temperature. If the fire is burning at a low temperature, it will promote soot and creosote buildup. 5. To insure your firewood supply is properly seasoned and will have good heat content, have it split and stacked a year in advance. n © 2013 Rutland Fire Clay Company. Reproduced from website. For more information visit www.rutland.com

Safe-T-Flue Chimney Cleaner n Reduces danger of chimney fire n Makes fires burn cleaner 251025

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