Fall Home Improvement

Budget beaters Fall is here, and winter is around the corner. That means the clock is ticking, and there’s limited time to make home improvement before the snow flies. But the changes don’t have to break the bank. Here are some ways to make improvements without straining your wallet.

Interior design on a budget:

A fun, fashionable and comfortable house or apartment is easier than you might think.

A winter-ready house keeps bills low: Page 6

Easy solutions like plastic over windows and a programmable thermostat can help save.

Insulation, efficient appliances cut costs: Page 2

Fill the gaps and cracks that can lose 25 to 40 percent of the energy in a home.

Page 7

Laura Lunde turned her small Albert Lea home into something warm and quaint through cheaper decorating ideas that still hold plenty of charm. Photo by Eric Johnson

A winter-ready house keeps energy bills low homes cool during the day when residents work, then heat it back up during the night As the ground turns white and thermome- when everyone’s home. Austin Utilities offers ter readings drop, there are plenty of things rebates for programmable thermostats, along area residents can do to keep heating and elec- with many Energy Star-rated appliances that tric bills low for a good price. conserve energy. Using home Everyone knows about putting appliances at normal or plastic wrap on windows, but resmedium settings can also con“With the way serve energy, since the maidents should also caulk cracks, keep the shades open in daytime chines won’t use as much prices are, you energy. and shut at night, and cover the want to make cracks underneath doors.

Keeping the furnace clean “There’s a lot of things in may not sound like it could sure you can terms of low-cost no-cost opporsave you money, but a dirty fursave.” tunities,” said Dave Thompson, nace filter can make it harder Residential Account Representafor a furnace to run. By clean-Dave Thompson ing a furnace filter, the furnace tive at Austin Utilities.

Residential Account doesn’t use as much energy In addition to some basic home Representative at and doesn’t story excess smoke, preparation, residents can lower Austin Utilities according to Thompson. their thermostat by a few degrees and dress warmer to conserve enPeople looking to make ergy costs, though no one should major home improvements to lower their home’s temperature to uncom- their home can get rebates for siding, winfortable levels. dows, insulation and many other home mate“Even (by) just a few degrees, you’re going rials as well, along with federal tax incentives. to see savings,” Thompson said.

“With the way prices are, you want to make A programmable thermostat can keep sure you can save,” Thompson said.

By Trey Mewes

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

This decorative, wood siding shrunk after it dried, leaving cracks between it and the trim. It has been caulked several times, but the damage has been done.

Photo by Matt Peterson

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT

Shingles to gutters: Quick fixes can slow damage

By Matt Peterson Winter is quickly approaching, which means that changes will need to be made around the house; but they don’t all have to be expensive or time consuming. There is a long list of simple things that can be done to keep a house warmer, dryer and less expensive to maintain throughout the freezing months. There are also many ways to tell when damage has gone too far.

Windows and fans Perhaps the simplest process that people do not take advantage of involves their ceiling fans. Ceiling fans keep warm air circulating through the still areas of the house.

According to Tom Wilker, carpentry instructor at Riverland Community College, ceiling fans can have a positive effect on the efficiency and life of windows. For windows that are not covered with plastic, circulating air will prevent frost from forming on the glass. Furthermore, utilizing your blinds in coordination with the fans can help even more.

Walls and insulation Although owners of older homes can’t simply rip up their homes and install new insulation, they can make some improvements.

Check electrical outlets, Wilker said. If air can be felt coming from an outlet on a windy day, it can be stopped. Remove the cover plate from the wall and apply a spray/foam insulation around the block.

“That would make a big difference,” Wilker said.

Some old houses may have weaker insulation in areas such as attics and outside walls. New, spray, fiberglass, cellulose or vermiculite insulation may be necessary, depending on the area of the house. For example, blown-in insulation can be put into unfinished attic floors and existing walls by professionals for slightly more than it would cost to self-install. This method means re-

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT - AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

Left: After years of water seeping behind this brick, it has actually moved about an inch and detached from the foundation. Center: Staining underneath this gutter is a sign of leaking. This leak seeped into the woodwork and is still eating away at it. Right: The shingles in the valley of this roof have cracked, curled and caused the inside of the roof to rot.

Photos by Matt Peterson

moving walls or siding won’t be necessary.

Furnaces The most important tool for keeping your home warm, the furnace, can be made more efficient as well. Hiring someone to clean the ducts in your house can be expensive, but it may be necessary after years of use, Wilker said.

It is easy for hair, toys, dirt and countless other small items to get into heat vents and decrease air flow. Not only that, dirt and other organic materials can grow mold, ruin air quality and cause allergies.

Replacing the furnace filter is very important to do before turning on the heat for the winter. And it may need to be replaced during the winter, more than once, depending on how much the furnace is used. This is a good way to lower heating bills. “Filters are huge as far as efficiency goes,” Wilker said.

need to be made.

“The objective is to keep out rain, snow, wind and any unwanted varmints,” Burns said.

A walk around the house with a checklist and attention to fine detail will reveal many areas that simply get overlooked from a distance. For homes with old, masonite siding, it’s good to look closely to see if the paint is still smooth. If it is rough and cracked, water has probably seeped in and caused swelling.

Furthermore, if the siding nails appear

to be sunken into the siding, this is a tell-tale sign of swelling.

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Roofs and Siding Before repairing anything from the outside of the home, it is best to assess everything that is damaged first, according to John Burns of the House Fixer Inc. in Austin. That way, you don’t fix anything minor and later realize that major repairs

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

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Work now blossoms in garden next year

By Carol Hegel Lang special to the Herald

A hint of fall is in the air, with cooler night temperatures and shorter daylight hours, signs the garden will need to be put to bed for winter.

My first task is to take a walk around the gardens looking closely at each plant making mental notes of what needs to get done this fall.

Perhaps a certain flower didn’t perform as well as expected, possibly it needed more sun or more shade, transplanting it to another more suitable location for next season may help its performance. Give it another year before discarding the plant.

For many years now I have been collecting seeds from my favorite annuals to plant in the garden next spring or to share with others. They include marigolds, cleome (spider plant), tickseed coreopsis, cosmos, verbena bonarensis and kiss me over the garden gate.

When the flower heads are dried on the plants, I take small baggies out to the garden and cut off the seed heads, placing them in the baggies that I have already labeled. Be sure to use a separate baggy for each variety. I bring the baggies in the house and spread the contents of each one on newspapers on cookie sheets to dry completely for about two weeks.

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Once the seed heads have dried, I return them to the individual baggies, close them tightly and store in a dry location until next spring.

Fall is an excellent time to divide perennials, especially hosta and daylilies that have grown too large or the blooms aren’t as plentiful. This is a good time to mend the soil with compost or topsoil before you transplant it. Cutting the plant down after you dig it and divide will assure there is less stress on it. Water the plants thoroughly once they are transplanted.

Continue watering until the ground freezes. Share your excess plants with other garden friends; I always treasure these “pass-along-plants” and the friendships that seem to bloom with them.

It’s also time to move any houseplants back indoors when the night temperatures hit the low 50s and definitely before the first frost arrives. Check the plants for any bug infestations and spray them if needed before you take them into the house — you don’t want to infect your indoor plants with pests.

Empty flowers from containers, and if the containers will be used again next year you will want to wash them in soapy water and disinfect with a solution of one gallon warm water and half a cup of bleach. Rinse thoroughly, set the container in the sun to dry and then move them to your winter storage area.

After the first frost, cut the perennials down to the ground and discard all the plant material. If you aren’t composting the garden material and leaves from the trees, you may want think about doing this.

It will provide your garden with plenty of free “black gold” as we gardeners call compost. Using fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen, coffee grounds, paper towel and toilet paper rolls and the leaves from your yard, you can make your own compost and save yourself some money and you will also be “green” for the environment.

If you have roses in your gardens, as soon as the first frost arrives cut them down to about 12 inches.

Be sure your pruner is clean and disinfected as you don’t want to transmit any disease to the roses. I make wire cages to enclose the roses and line them with black garbage bags held in place with duct tape so I can fill each one with mulched leaves.

It is very important to keep watering the perennials, trees and shrubs until the ground freezes, especially if we have a dry fall with little rainfall to ensure that they make it through our harsh winters.

Now that you have the gardens put to bed for the winter, you can sit back and enjoy the splendor of the fall colors and wait for winter and the garden catalogs to arrive — enticing you to buy plants or seeds for next spring.

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT

Make clearing leaves a breeze on your lawn ARA Content

Here are a few other tips to prepare your yard for fall: Every fall, the wind picks up, the leaves fall to the ground and the grass gets a little browner. It’s the time of year when the weather is unpredictable and storms can make even the neatest yards a mess.

Remington, a leading manufacturer of battery and electric power tools, has some tips to help make your fall cleanup greener and easier: Clearing leaves from your yard can be a daunting task, but it’s an important one to keep your yard alive and green come spring.

Using an electric leaf blower or blower vacuum versus using a rake or a heavy gas blower can help reduce the effort. While electric leaf blowers are limited in mobility, they require less hassle.

If you find more than just leaves in your yard after a storm, you may consider doing most of the cleanup yourself using a chainsaw, such as the RM1415A Limb N Trim, a 14-inch chainsaw that’s ideal for cleanup of fallen branches and logs less than 13 inches in diameter. Keep in mind there are many safety concerns to take into account when using a chainsaw to clean up the mess. Here are a few tips on how to use a chainsaw to help keep you safe this season:

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT - AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

• Cut your grass shor t right before the season ends.

• Don’t forget to water. Early in the morning is the best time to avoid evaporation and disease development.

• Fer tilize to maintain root health and replenish the nutrients that were lost during the hot summer.

• Once the watering season is over, make sure to drain and store your garden hose and turn off the water supply to keep your pipes from freezing.

• If you use a batter y-powered mower, make sure to remove the batter y before putting it away. Also, store the batter y • First, read the operator’s manual and follow suggested guidelines to remove fallen trees.

• Ensure the saw’s chain is properly tensioned before each use and all fasteners, controls and safety features are functioning properly.

• Make sure the bar and chain are always lubricated to prevent the saw from wearing out or cutting poorly. Check the bar and chain oil reservoir frequently to make sure it’s full, or it will ruin your

on the charger to keep it from slowly draining over the winter, which can damage the batter y over time.

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chain.

• Start the saw while standing on the ground and always hold the handle securely.

• Clear debris and small tree limbs from the chainsaw’s path, and beware of nails and other metal before cutting.

• Avoid saw “kickback” to prevent a serious chainsaw injury. Never let the tip of the bar come in contact with anything. Always reference the operator’s manual for proper chain saw operation.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

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Detailed design on a budget

By Sarah Stultz Little by little, Albert Lea resident Laura Lunde has transformed her home.

Instead of spending thousands of dollars to make the upgrades, though, she has worked within a budget, drawing on simple, reasonable techniques to make her improvements.

“When I moved into my house, it was definitely move-in ready,” Lunde said. “I just had to make it my own.”

In 2008, she installed new doors and fixtures on the outside of the cabinets in her kitchen. Without needing to replace the entire cabinets, her whole kitchen underwent a facelift. In 2010, she painted each of the rooms of her home and she bought new furniture this year.

“If you’re going to buy an expensive piece, buy it in a neutral color,” she said. “A couch is something you’re going to have for a long time.”

Lunde bought a neutral-colored couch for her living room from Brick Furniture in Albert Lea with the idea of dressing it up with colorful throw pillows and blankets. She followed the same advice when she painted, choosing mostly neutral colors and then incorporating pops of color.

Aside from her new couch, Lunde has scoured antique shops and even free giveaways to acquire many of her

furnishings. She has sanded, painted, replaced screws and hardware, and transformed piece after piece of furniture into something that’s contemporary and highclass.

Lunde’s No. 1 rule is to mix old with new. She has freshened up her built-in shelving unit with new paint and decorated it with a variety of antiques, new accessories and colorful books.

She changes out what is on the shelves at least once a year to keep the space feeling fresh.

Instead of installing a new log fireplace, she has incorporated a $400 electric fireplace from Home Depot that helps keep her home cozy and warm, while also serving as a focal point in the room.

In the kitchen, just off the living room, Lunde has incorporated several of her own money-saving tips, including making curtains for less than $10 from end-of-season napkins sewn together.

“The great thing about decorating with budget-friendly ideas is that if you decide you don’t like it in three months, you can repurpose it elsewhere in your house or get rid of it without feeling guilty about the amount of money you’ve spent,” Lunde said. “Don’t be afraid to try something new. Start small and build up to a bigger change.”

Laura Lunde transformed her home in Albert Lea with cheap decorating ideas. Photo by Eric Johnson

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD - FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT

Insulate for success

By Kelli Lageson Fall is the time that many homeowners are outdoors and start to notice certain things they should probably fix before the winter months.

This is one reason Home Solutions of Albert Lea is quite busy during the fall.

President Steve Field said often people are outside their homes raking or getting the yard ready for winter when they notice their siding or gutters need work.

“It’s this time of year when the leaves are falling,” Field said.

Insulation is also a popular product in the fall, as people start to think about their heating bills and how to conserve heat. Field said insulation could be installed at any time of the year, as it helps keep homes cool in the summer as well.

“No one thinks about it in the summertime,” Field said. “Most people think about it as winter savings.”

Walls, attics and in foundation are the most popular places to apply insulation.

Field recommended that Alliant Energy customers get an energy audit, which could help them take advantages of re-

bates if they plan to install energy-efficient features in the home.

Energy auditors analyze building construction and tightness, heating and cooling systems, insulation levels, appliances, windows and doors and more. Find more information at www.alliantenergy.com or call 377-6035.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, random air infiltration through gaps and cracks accounts for 25 to 40 percent of the energy loss in most residential structures.

• Add insulation to your attic to reduce heat loss and drafts.

• Install glass doors on fireplaces to reduce drafts and make sure your damper is working properly.

• Clean vents, air ducts and replace filters to promote air flow and ease the strain on your heating and cooling system.

• Clean out gutters, and if needed, have professional gutter protection installed to reduce the possibilities of ice damming. If melting ice is unable to drain due to debris buildup, it could seep into the walls and ceilings of your home.

AUSTIN HOMEOWNERS:

Ease winter heating bills with a call to plumbing and heating contractor ARA Content Winter will soon bring plenty of cold and snowy weather. Families will turn up the thermostat, add an extra blanket to the beds, and hit the local home improvement store for needed supplies to seal windows and doors.

Unfortunately, most won’t call their local plumbing and heating contractor.

While homeowners annually dread seeing those winter utility bills roll in, they don’t give their heating systems much thought until they need to be repaired or replaced.

Annual preventative maintenance is always better than dealing with the alternative. One “no heat” call can cost you $300 or more, just to diagnose a problem and if your boiler or furnace has out-lived its warranty, you’ll be responsible for the full cost of parts and labor.

“When we do annual maintenance, we clean and inspect the boiler and perform a combustion test to ensure the boiler is operating properly and safely,”

says Chris Bodek of Bodek Incorporated, Plumbing Heating and Air Conditioning of Johnson City, N.Y. If your contractor determines that your boiler or furnace needs to be replaced, he or she will do a heat loss and sizing calculation to determine the size (BTU’s) required to heat your home.

Your contractor should be able to provide a good, better and best equipment choice to suit your budget and desired efficiency level. Be sure to use a reputable contractor and ask for references.

When you weigh costs, understand that your investment goes well beyond the initial cost of the system. Your old low-efficiency heating system could have an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 70 percent. That means 70 percent of the energy in the fuel becomes heat for the home and the other 30 percent escapes up the chimney and elsewhere. With the old inefficient heating equipment you have, you could be throwing away up to 30 percent of the money you spend on fuel each year.

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FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT - AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2011

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