Fall Home Improvement - 2014

2014 Fall Home

Improvement Inside this Edition:

12 Tips for Fall Lawn

& Garden Maintenance.......pg.3 Winterizing Your Home.............pg.5 Hot Tub Maintenance..................pg.7

A PUBLICATION OF THE BOZEMAN DAILY CHRONICLE

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Big Sky Publishing

Fall Home Improvement

THURSday, OCTOber 16, 2014

2014 Fall Home

Improvement L

eaves are done changing colors and are quickly falling off trees. Soon snow will be falling. In order to enjoy warm nights inside , it’s important to check our homes before we settle in. It would be a nightmare to find out before the Christmas dinner that your fireplace damper is broken or that a simple run to the hardware store could have saved your pipes from bursting. Don’t put off winter-

izing your home and garden. A seasonal maintenance check on fireplaces, doors, windows, pipes and hot tubs now can save you the hassle of fixing things when they break in the middle of winter. In this guide , you’ll find advice from local experts on how to utilize your time to efficiently prepare your biggest asset for the harshest and longest season Montana faces.

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Fall Fall Home Home Improvement

THURSday, OCTOber 16, 2014

12 Tips For Fall Lawn & Garden Maintenance

T

aking care of your garden isn’t just a spring fling. In fact, doing these simple steps will ensure your lawn and garden are ready for planting as soon as the sun’s back out. Jan Cashman, owner of Cashman’s Nursery in Bozeman, gives these tips for winterizing your lawn and garden.

• Trees can get sunburned in the winter, something Cashman calls “sunscald.” To prevent this, wrap newly planted trees so the tissues under the bark don’t get damaged.

• Voles like to eat the bark off of trees, especially Junipers and fruit trees, but they can kill trees by doing that. Cashman recommends wrapping trees all the way to the ground with a material they can’t chew through.

• High fences (at least five feet) prevent deer from eating your trees, especially arborvitae evergreens.

• To prevent evergreens from browning in the spring, spray them in late October or early November with wilt proofing spray, which puts a waxy coating on the needles.

Cashman highly recommends this for Dwarf Alberta Spruces.

• To prevent voles from coming to your yard this winter, cut your grass really short on the final mowing.

• “Tender roses won’t survive in the winter,” said Cashman. While white

rose cones can protect your flowers, she recommends using mulch to cover them instead. Up to a foot of mulch from bark dust, leaves or compost will do the trick.

• Raspberry bush canes that bore fruit the previous year need to be cut back. They have no use anymore, said Cashman.

• “If October is dry, water trees before the ground freezes,” Cashman warns. Damp roots are preferable to dry ones when winter begins. However, until then, cut back on daily watering.

• Rake your lawn. The leaves and tree debris that falls is a perfect spot for harmful insects to lay their eggs in.

• Certain flower bulbs must be planted in fall. If you wait until April to plant daffodils, irises, tulips or peonies, then it’s too late.

• Excluding perennials, pull up dead weeds and plants from your vegetable garden.

• “Perennial flowers should be cut back in the fall after their foliage or leaves die back or start to die back. However, some of them, such as the ornamental grasses you see so many of around town, can wait to be cut back until spring because they give you some winter interest in the landscape.”

Checklist: Trees  Wrap young trees, trees with

dark bark and smooth barked trees to protect against voles and sunscald.

 Fence evergreens and younger trees to protect against deer

 Spray a wilt-proof protectant on evergreens likely to sun burn

 Cut back daily watering of trees

 Water trees once more before ground freezes

 Rake leaves Grass  Cut grass short for last

Flowers  Protect tender roses with a rose cone or mulch

 Plant bulbs, peonies, lilies, tulips, daffodils  Cut back perennial flowers

Gardening  Pull up dead plants and weeds except for perennials

 Divide and replant perennials  Plant garlic  Raspberry canes that bore fruit in 2014 should be cut back

mowing of the season to prevent rodents

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Big Sky Publishing

Fall Home Improvement

THURSday, OCTOber 16, 2014

Tune Up Your Fireplace O

wners of chimneys, fireplaces and wood stoves may not put much thought into these systems during warm months when they sit idle, but now that cold weather is quickly approaching, inspecting and fixing these before your winter use starts is a good idea. Ron Pihl, owner of Warmstone Fireplaces and Designs in Livingston, offers a few tips to ensure your fireplaces are ready to go by winter.

Visual Inspections “Even if you are reasonably sure your chimney is clean, a visual inspection can reveal damage that could pose a safety concern.”

Things to look for, according to Pihl, could be things like nests from birds or other small animals. “Your chimney could have become a nesting place or worse--a bird cemetery-- both potential problems when you light a fire in your stove or fireplace.”

Warped dampers are another thing to look for. “Warping prevents the damper from closing properly and allows significant amounts of warm air to escape up the chimney.” Fixing a warped or broken damper can prevent heat loss.

If you have an older wood stove, there can be many problems to keep an eye out for: cracked steel or iron, broken firebricks and warped air induction tubes.

If you plan on starting up a fireplace this winter that hasn’t been used in several years, Pihl says it’s a good idea to check for critters and organic debris.

If you have a gas or electric fireplace in your home, you should also check the fans, replace backup batteries and light pilot flame if needed. “Make sure nothing combustible has been places against or near the vent of the stove’s chimney.”

Cleaning

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While you can clean your fireplace and chimney yourself, Pihl highly recommends hiring a professional. “They see all kinds of situations and may spot something you are unaware of like cracked flue liners or a pipe that has become detached.”

Wood Burning Burn only well-seasoned, split wood.

“Because there is more surface area on a split piece of wood, it burns hotter than round pieces. Cover your wood to protect it from rain and snow. Bring wood inside to warm up and dry out

before you put it on the fire.”

Adding kindling to a fire first and waiting around 15 minutes before you add larger pieces of wood helps stoves with secondary combustion systems operate more effectively.

Upgrade to a stove that meets current EPA regulations. By doing this, your appliance will use up to 25 percent less wood than your old stove and emit less particulate matter than your old stove, according to Pihl. “Montana still offers up to a $500 tax credit for single household (up to $1000 for married couples) when upgrading to an EPA approved stove or masonry heater.”

Burn fir or Lodge Pole Pine wood in your stoves and fireplaces. Pihl says that even though these are softer woods, they will burn effectively if dried and split.

“Try to remove heavy thick bark from your wood if you can as it offers little heat value and burns dirty.”

If you own a fireplace that has been sitting idle for longer than just the spring and summer seasons, be sure to light a specific kind of fire for the first use. “Cold air can settle into your chimney, because it is heavier than warm air and can create a barrier to smoke gasses. When starting the fire,” Pihl said, “use fire starters, some newspaper or a butane torch to warm the flue before lighting the stove to ensure a good draft.”

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THURSday, OCTOber 16, 2014

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Winterizing Your Home O

ld house, new house or vacation home, winterizing these spaces is a necessary step to ensure your home will be running efficiently throughout the cold Montana winter. Bursting pipes or drafts aren’t fun fixes in below freezing weather, so before snow falls and temperatures drop, be sure to complete these home winterization tips from Bernie Del Valle, Assistant Manager at Kenyon Noble.

1. Bozeman has many historic homes with single-pane glass. Del Valle recommends using one of two different products, depending on the problem, to fix drafts.

Window Kit - “It comes with twoway tape that you put around the perimeter and affix the plastic to it and heat it with your hairdryer.” The product then prevent drafts from coming in. “You can still see out. It doesn’t obscure the view.” The size ranges from standard window size to full sized sliding doors.

Foam Sealant - “This is used for gaps and cracks. If you have a large issue that you have to seal off, this is a great way to do it.” It’s made specifically for doors and windows.

2. “One of our most common build up on your roof and in your items if people have RVs or cabins in frozen-prone areas, is what we call RV Anti-Freeze. It’s a minus 50 anti-freeze. It goes in toilets and sinks and prevents the freezing and expanding and breaking of pipes.”

gutters and potentially freeze and expand and do some damage. “It zig zags up and runs through the gutter.

You can even run a piece down the gutter too.”

3. Pipes can break underneath

keep them safe for spring use. “It’s a very inexpensive, easy way to protect those outside faucets and to keep them from freezing.” Kenyon Noble offers a styrofoam insulator

homes from the freeze/thaw cycle that lasts throughout the winter.

To prevent this, insulating pipes is a must. “We offer a full line of pipe insulation in varying sizes in foam and in fiberglass and as well in what we call heat tape, which actually is a metallic product that plugs into a standard outlet. That wraps around the pipe or lays on top of it and prevents it from reaching the colder temperatures that would cause it to burst.You can also plug in a thermostat and this will turn itself on and off based on the outside temperature.”

5. Insulating outside faucets can

that is just enough protection to prevent any damage.

6. Closing off your crawl spaces is a good way to prevent moisture build up that can cause fungus or mold to grow. “In the summer, you want your crawl space to be vented. You want to close that off during the cold season, because it keeps everything warm inside.” Using basic styrofoam pieces that fit into foundation vents, your crawl spaces will be sealed off completely.

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4. “One of the other things that happens is people tend to get on their north and south sides ice dams and icicles that can seep back underneath the roof and speed it out and do a lot of damage to the gutters and the roof.” To prevent this problem, Del Valle, recommends a Roof Cable that gets just hot enough to melt the ice and snow that could

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Big Sky Publishing

Fall Home Improvement

THURSday, OCTOber 16, 2014

Winter

Do-It-Yourself I

f you are planning on renovating your kitchen or bedroom this winter with the help of a professional or as a DIY project, two local experts, offer their advice on what you can do for home remodeling projects this winter.

Tips from Peter Brown, a licensed contractor specializing in residential design and remodeling, has been in the business in Bozeman for the over 25 years.

Good Winter Remodels

• For bathroom remodels, doing some-

thing “green” can be as simple as painting a cabinet instead of tossing it in a landfill. Consider refinishing existing items such as your bathtub, shower, sink or tile. If you don’t want your budget to skyrocket when remodeling your bathroom, do not move your plumbing.

An easy fix could be changing out the hardware such as drawer pulls, faucet handles and shower heads. Ventilation is important, because moisture is your bathroom’s greatest enemy. Mold and mildew will make quick work of any renovation you’ve done, so be sure to install a vent fan.

• Projects that are especially good to

do in the winter are flooring and painting. The winter air ensures a quicker drying time for any adhesive involved, and new wood flooring tends to insulate better than old, worn flooring.

Winter provides the ideal setting for installing new hardwood flooring. The dry winter air helps to prevent gapping in the newly laid boards. Your paint will also dry better in your home during winter months. Paint one room at a time, maybe one per month.

Winter DIY

• Ask yourself three questions: What is your tolerance for disruption in your home? Can you really commit the time needed to complete the project? What is your skill level?

• Be brutally honest about your skill level. Assess which projects to do yourself and which are better left to the pros. The best place to start with any remodeling project is the budget. It will help you set the boundaries of your design. Knowing what you can really afford to spend will make it easier to decide what items you want to replace and where you need to get creative.

• Don’t just call in a contractor under the guise of a bid when you know full well you are going to do the work yourself. If you are lacking in construction experience or are just uncertain of the actual project details, it is a very smart investment and very appropriate to pay a pro for an hour or two to their time in order to educate yourself as to the actual real world scope of the project and any potential pitfalls they might be able to identify.

Tips from Mara-Gai Katz, an architectural designer with extensive experience in residential design in Bozeman, owns StoneHorse Design.

Good Winter Remodels

• Basement remodels are well suited to our winters. There are a variety of conversions for an unfinished basement.

You can create guest quarters, a family room, a room that is set up for visiting adult children and their children or a pool/recreation room. The basement can also be set up easily to be a media room or home theater.

• Partial and whole kitchen renovations are also often undertaken in winter.

It can be done in stages, so as not to dismantle the entire kitchen at once.

Changing out appliances, changing out a laminate counter for a stone or composite counter and changing out cabinetry are done easily in winter. Adding an island or raised breakfast bar can be done as well.

Winter DIY

• Some things that can be done easily, and, without a great deal of training include fitting out closets, adding or changing out blinds and window treatments, painting over dingy or marred vinyl flooring, spray painting over aged air vents and paint walls half way up with one color and add another color above. There is no reason why you can’t put an accent color on your ceiling instead of your walls.

• Have fun and find an old or antique pane-less window frame, put a mirror behind it, add hooks to it and hang in a bedroom or bath. Hunt for vintage wall hung cabinets, open shelving units or wire baskets to hang in baths for additional storage. In mudrooms, you can hang wicker baskets on walls or set under a bench for additional storage.

• If you are doing a project yourself, figure out the time you think it will take, then double it. Even then, you may still be shy.

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I

t’s much harder to soak up that vitamin D when the sun sets earlier and the cold winter forces you to stay indoors. For those of you who don’t want to give up being outside for your rest and relaxation time, having a hot tub is the perfect option, according to Kelly King, owner of Mountain Hot Tubs in Bozeman. In this Q&A with a local expert, King shares his tips on maintaning your hot tub so no hassles arise during winter.

Tips:

1. Change water 2. Keep water balanced 3. Replace your spa cover 4. Stain wood cabinet on older hot tubs 5. Change or replace your filter

Q: When is the best time to purchase

essential to the care of my hot tub?

A: Regular maintenance on the cover would be to clean it and put a good UV protectant on it. The cover needs to be replaced if it is getting heavy. If your spa cover is heavy because it soaked up water, it doesn’t insulate very well.

You’re paying more than you need to to operate your hot tub.

don’t recommend that customers try and do that on their own. It’s risky. If they miss something, then they can have a problem down the road. We believe that an even better way is to leave the hot tub up and running and have somebody check on it weekly or every other week. The operating cost is minimal, because no body is using it.

Q: What should I do if I experience problems with my hot tub during the winter?

A: Don’t turn it off and don’t just drain it and call us after it’s drained. If your spa is having problems, call a dealer before you turn the power off and before you drain your water.

Q: What are essential items every hot tub owner should keep at home?

A: An extra filter is a real good idea. It’s a lot nicer to pull a clean one off your shelf and put it on your hot tub instead of trying to clean it when it’s cold.

Q: What is the number one cause of hot tub problems?

A: Filters are probably the number one

a hot tub?

cause of spa problems. Clean or replace

season, this is the time of year to get them.

the spa has the best chance of giving you fewer problems in the winter time.

The single biggest cause of most of our service calls are filters or people neglecting filters.

Q: How do I know if I’m balancing the water properly?

A: We offer a free service where peo-

ple can bring a sample of their water in.

We have a machine that tests the water and gives them a report with a recipe that’s very customized. Anyone who has a hot tub can bring us a sample.

THURSday, OCTOber 16, 2014

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Hot Tub Maintenance

A: The fall is by far the biggest selling your filters now in the fall to make sure

Q: Your first tip is changing the water.

When should I do that?

A: Plan on changing your water usually when it’s time to blow out your sprinklers. Water lasts in the hot tub usually three to four months.

Fall Fall Home Home Improvement

Q: What maintenance should I do if I only use my hot tub a few times during the season?

A: The water is actually easier to take care of if you’re using the hot tub on a regular basis, but for people who don’t use the hot tub very much, it’s very important that they still check the water balance once a week.

Q: I’m a snow bird. Can I wait until spring to do this maintenance?

A: It needs to be properly winterized

Q: Why is investing in a good spa cover to get all of the water out. We really

Q: What’s the best way to operate my hot tub when I’m not using it so I don’t waste a lot of energy?

A: Set it at the temperature you’re going to use it at. For people who let it cool down and then heat it back up to use it, you really don’t save power or energy by doing that. If the spa is insulated well and you set it for the temperature that you want it, it shouldn’t cost very much to leave it at that temperature. Most of your power is used when you open up the cover and use it and get in it.