home & decorating
Trends PUBLISHED BY THE KEARNEY HUB PUBLISHING CO. • NOVEMBER 2011
The Sheldon family started shopping for their new Kearney home with a wish list in hand _ and they got exactly what they wished for. Page 8 Think smaller not bigger If full-scale home renovation isn't in your budget, start with smaller projects. Page 6
Take a video tour of this month’s featured home at www.kearneyhub.com
Kids need room to grow Decorating a child's room is tricky, so make careful choices with an eye to the future. Page 7
Page 2 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
ISEMAN HOMES Since 1920
The Latest in E CO F RI E N DLY L IVI NG Free delivery & setup (some restrictions may apply)
This month in Trends
HOT
N O W O N LY $39,995
To pumice or not?
3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1165 sq ft
Plus, Ed the Plumber talks about hot accessories and saving water.
page 5
HOT
WA S $58,485
N O W $43,995
3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, GREAT Kitchen! Must see!!
Time to think smaller If full-scale renovation isn’t in budget, tackle smaller projects that are.
page 6
HOT
N O W O N LY $7 6,295
3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1513 sq ft MUST SEE!!
Keep home safe, cozy this winter Clean out gutters, check snow blower, buy draft snake: 10 tips will help homeowners get home ready for cold weather.
page 16 P R I C E R E D U C E D!
HOT
N O W $92,995
4-bedroom, 2-bathroom, Fireplace, Great kitchen, over 1800 sq.ft..Includes 51" HDTV for a LIMITED time!!!
Room to grow Think twice before decorating baby’s room with bunnies or trains.
page 7 Iseman Homes is offering discounts on ALL pre-owned, new and special order homes!!
FALL SALE
Plus property transfers and suggestions for making next year’s garden even better!
2000 East Hwy. 30 Kearney, NE
(308) 237-3843 www.isemanhomes.com
The Home and Decorating Trends experience continues online at www.kearneyhub.com with videos, photos and articles. Click on Home and Decorating Trends under Special Sections on the Home page.
Page 3 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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gardening
Boost garden’s bounty
Spend winter planning carefully to make next year’s garden even better Joe Lamp’l Scripps Howard
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others that are shaded; low areas where cold air and frost can settle; and places that are wet or dry. ■ Select the right plants. Choose vegetables that grow best in your general climate, and then look for varieties that tolerate or even thrive in your individual conditions. Try different vegetables in different areas, and keep a record of successes or problems. ■ Succession plant and interplant. Sow seeds together with seedlings started earlier indoors. The more mature plants will be ready first. Then reseed periodically: radishes and spinach once a week, lettuce, beets, carrots and beans every two weeks, cucumbers once a month. Keep up the cycle until newly planted seeds aren’t sprouting well. ■ In the same row or area, interplant varieties that mature at different rates. If the weather turns hot, some varieties will stop growing, others keep producing. Replace spring crops with summer species and summer crops with those that love the fall weather. Keep the soil continuously productive! ■ Rotate in raised beds. A raised bed
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We all anticipate changing seasons — eagerly for spring and grudgingly for winter. I don’t know any gardeners who don’t want to boost their garden’s bounty in the too-little time between. Here are a few tricks and techniques for extending the garden season. It all starts with planning. ■ Know your garden’s microclimates. Keep a record of weather, temperature and other conditions around the garden. Make note of planting areas near heat-absorbing stone and brick walls; those shielded from harsh winds; those that get a lot of sun and Continued on next page
Custom Window Treatments ◆ Window Shades and Blinds ◆ Bedspreads and Pillows ◆ Wallcoverings ◆ C eramic Tile ◆ Wood Flooring ◆
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Serving Kearney for 38 years!
Scripps Howard
In a raised bed, the soil will be protected from compaction, remain loose and well drained and can be individually fertilized and watered to suit the plants’ needs.
We want to hear from you ... Go to www.kearneyhub.com or call Lori Guthard at 308.233.9701 and click on the TRENDS publication to send us your suggestions for Kearney area homes to feature. Be sure to include the name and phone number of the homeowner.
1020 Central Avenue • Kearney • 234-9231
We would also love to hear what home improvement topics are of interest to you. And don’t forget to check out the TRENDS video home tour at kearneyhub.com
home & decorating
Trends
Page 4 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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Rotate crops grown in raised beds to increase resistance to pests ease, pests and soil deficiencies. Alternate For even more solar heat gain, line the north wall other crops with legumes, like peas and with water-filled, black-painted plastic milk jugs can be as simple as a mound of soil or a beans that fix nitrogen and help replenish fancy permanent stone, timber or even the soil. or soda bottles. They’ll absorb heat during the day brick box in any comfortable size. The soil ■ Beware of early and late frosts. Know and release it into the cold frame at night. With a good cold will be protected from compaction, remain your area’s average first and last frost loose and well drained and can be individ- dates, and be ready a couple of weeks earframe, you can harvest cool season vegetables through fall and, ually fertilized and watered to the plants’ lier. Drape floating row covers, “space depending on your climate zone, even into early winter. needs. It drains faster and warms sooner blankets,” even old sheets or quilts to than surrounding soil, so you can work it cover plants when nighttime temperatures several weeks earlier. will drop below freezing. Use PVC pipe, ■ Plan yearly crop rotations that move rebar or wire to make support frames to staples or stones to keep the heat in. also hold shade material to protect delicate plants of the same family to different beds. keep the material from breaking the plants. Remove the material on warm sunny days plants like lettuce from hot summer sun. Rotated crops are more resistant to disSeal the edges to the soil with landscape to release excess heat. These supports will ■ Create a cold frame. Construct a bottomless box using wood, blocks, even hay bales, and cover the top with an old window, shower door or stiff plastic panel sloped to the south to collect sunshine. For even more solar heat gain, line the north 308-647-5693 or 308-390-7071 wall with water-filled, black-painted plas• Residential Designs for new homes tic milk jugs or soda bottles. They’ll or remodeling absorb heat during the day and release it into the cold frame at night. With a good • Customized to meet your needs cold frame, you can harvest cool season & fulfill your dreams vegetables through fall and, depending on • Tailor-made plans your climate zone, even into early winter. • Over 30 years experience Joe Lamp’l, host of “Growing a Greener World” on • References available PBS, is a Master Gardener and author. For more infor-
Continued from previous page
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We design what you want... Available for Evening & Weekend Consultation
mation, visit www.joegardener.com. For more stories, visit scrippsnews.com.
FIND IT IN THE HUB
Cabinets • Countertops • Lighting • Fireplaces • Windows & Doors • Closet Systems From left: Loan Administrator Cyndy Rafferty; Vice President Lori Leonard; Vice President Deb Young; Loan Administrator McKayla Slocum; Nebraska Director USDA Rural Development Maxine Moul; Area Specialist Cheryl Larson; Area Director Paul Bartlett.
Recently, USDA Rural Development recognized the Farmers & Merchants Bank home mortgage team with the $2 Million Club Lender award. In the past year, the bank provided more than $2.3 million in home mortgages through the USDA Rural Development guaranteed rural housing program helping 26 families with home ownership. We’re proud of our home mortgage team, who offer more than 75 years of combined banking expe rience. The USDA Rural Development loan program is just one more way Farmers & Merchants Bank is making new home dreams a reality for you.
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Page 5 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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plumbing questions
To pumice or not?
Toilet should be treated like fine china husband and I can’t agree about company. It also might be Q:My whether to use a smooth pumice able to recommend some stone to remove the mineral deposits ringing the inside of our toilet bowl. He says it can cause a problem by roughing up the glaze, which would give the minerals a place to cling to the surface of the bowl. I say the porcelain is nice and smooth after I clean it with the pumice, and it does clean the bowl. Can you tell us whose opinion is right? — Sue, Oregon
strong and safe toilet cleaning products. Bottom line: Do your homework, and don’t put anything in your toilet that doesn’t belong there.
ED DelGRANDE
finally talked my Q:Ihusband into redeco-
Ed the Plumber rating our bathroom. The white tile floor You both bring up some good points. and fixtures are fairly new, so we’re not I always recommend that the best changing them. By keeping our white thing to do is follow the manufacture’s plumbing fixtures, we can paint the walls instructions. In this case, you have two any color we want. Also, with the money places you can check to get more informa- saved, we would like to install some really tion. nice bathroom accessories. Can you please First, check with your toilet manufactur- suggest a few hot accessories that will be er to see what is approved and practical and look nice in our recommended in the bathroom? — Jenni, way of cleaning New York products. Then I was check with the speaking pumice proat a national ducers to see kitchen-andHoward Scripps if they recombath trade show mend using the this summer, and I pumice stone for saw some really nice cleaning toilets. If A hotelier — just a fancy name stuff. Here is my list of they both give you three trendy and practical for a high-end bathroom towel bathroom accessories that the OK, scrub away! If you’re can easily be added to holder — is a trendy and not sure, it might any bathroom: practical bathroom accessory. be better to use 1. Decorative grab liquid cleaners. bars — Manufacturers Remember, most toilets are made of have hit on a winning product by combinmaterials that are similar to your dinner ing the safety aspects of commercial grab plates. I like to tell people to clean a toilet bars with the decorative styling of fancy with the same care that they would use to plumbing fixtures. The result is a beautiful clean fine china. I’ve also seen a lot of accessory that will make your bathtub very good liquid cleaners on the market safer for everyone in the house, and add for removing water deposit stains on toistyle as well. Decorative grab bars are also lets. a top choice for older people who plan to Also, check with a janitorial supply stay in their present home.
A:
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2. Wall-hung soap dispenser — This is a great accessory for anyone who is tired of having a bottle of liquid soap or a messy bar of soap on the bathroom counter. Plus, many bathroom sinks don’t have an extra hole to install an in-counter soap dispenser. The slippery solution to both issues is a wall-hung dispenser. Also, if your dispenser is up on the wall, you’ll gain more counter space. 3. Hoteliers — This is a fancy name for a high-end bathroom tower holder. The name will make more sense when I say that hoteliers are usually found at nice hotels. These decorative multitowel storage shelves offer a classic look, and will open up cabinet space in your bathroom. Ed: I enjoy your passion for Q:Dear saving water and I’m ready to start
Scripps Howard
upgrading my plumbing fixtures to be more efficient so I can lower my water bill. Can you give me some guidelines to get started? Please keep in mind that right now I’m on a fixed budget. — Brenda, New Jersey I have the perfect project for you to consider. First, here are some water-saving basics. You can save thousands of gallons of water a year in these three areas — with efficient toilets, showers and faucets. My first two suggestions are to replace any toilets and showerheads made before 1990. You can noticeably reduce water consumption by upgrading to a new highefficiency toilet or water-conserving showerhead. While these projects are well worth investing in, material and labor costs may hold you back for now. So, to get you on the fast track to water conservation, I recommend starting with your faucets. Standard faucets can use about 2.2 gallons per minute. New high-efficiency faucets can use 1.5 gallons per minute and can deliver significant water savings over standard faucets.
A:
New high-efficiency faucets deliver significant water savings over standard faucets. Here’s even more good news: As long as your present faucets are in good shape, in most cases you won’t have to change them. At the very end of the faucet spout is a small, inexpensive control called an aerator. Aerators screw into the spout and control the water flow. If you can unscrew the present aerator and take it down to your local plumbing supply house, its representatives can set you up with a new lowflow, high efficiency aerator to match your present faucet. Once you install the new water-saving aerator on your older faucet, you’ll have a water-saving faucet. Bottom line: This is one project that can really conserve your water — and your cash. Master contractor/plumber Ed Del Grande writes for Scripps Howard News Service. For more information, go to eddelgrande.com or write eddel grande@hgtvpro.com. Always consult local contractors and codes.
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Page 6 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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renovation
Think smaller, not bigger
If full-scale home renovation isn’t in budget, start with smaller projects
Designer Sabrina Soto repainted these cabinets a trendy chocolate tone to give this kitchen’s decor a big lift without spending a lot of money.
Melissa Rayworth Associated Press
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It’s a reality of our fragile economy: Many homeowners who dream of the perfect kitchen or master bath are putting fullscale renovation on hold in favor of more limited changes. “What’s on everyone’s minds is making the space feel a little better and function a little better until you can reach the ultimate kitchen or bath that you want,” says Danny Lipford, host of the nationally syndicated home-improvement radio show “Homefront with Danny Lipford.” He says he often hears from listeners planning smaller redecorating projects to tide them over until real renovation fits in their budgets. But which small projects are worth it if you’re going to remodel the space within just a few years? Choose projects that offer big change at little cost, or that serve as first steps toward eventual full-scale renovation, says Sabrina Soto, designer and host of HGTV’s new series “The High Low Project.”
Look to the largest surfaces
good. Using a type of paint sold in a kit ering a full kitchen floor. But the change is (Lipford recommends one found at Giani- dramatic, so it may be worthwhile even for granite.com), homeowners can paint over just a few years of use. the old countertop and then seal it with a Old ceramic tile floors and tile walls can coating that mimics the look and solid feel get a facelift for just a few dollars if you of laminate. use grout stain, Tanya Memme, Lipford says. You Choose projects that offer big host of A&E’s can make dingy “Sell This House,” change at little cost, or that serve grout a pristine agrees that big again or as first steps toward eventual full- white surfaces are a change it to a new scale renovation, says designer good place to color that contrasts start. “Any room with your old tile. Sabrina Soto. will look bad if Memme sugthe floors aren’t in gests adding a tile decent shape,” she says. backsplash to a kitchen wall for a burst of Cover a soon-to-be-replaced wood or new style. Do it yourself to save money. tile floor with a colorful new rug, or put “It might seem difficult to put up tile,” she down peel-and-stick vinyl tiles. Good says, “but actually it’s very easy to do.” quality vinyl tiles resembling granite can Small tiles come on a mesh sheet, so cost several hundred dollars if you’re cov- you’re not placing each one.
We’re proud to have been chosen as the Electrical Contractor for
Rick & Kim Sheldon
DeLaet Electric
• Commercial • Residential 6605 46th Avenue, Kearney 237-3972
Another way to bring big change to walls: Michael Hydeck, president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, suggests painting with different textures. Try a faux finish like granite or marble, or buy the same shade of paint in two different finishes — one shiny and one matte — and paint alternating stripes in each.
Shed some light Installing under-cabinet or over-cabinet lighting probably isn’t wise if you’ll be removing the cabinets in a year or two, Hydeck notes. But a new ceiling light can be installed now and still be used when kitchens or bathrooms are renovated. Changing window treatments also can
Continued on page 15
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Lipford suggests making changes to the biggest surfaces in a room, such as countertops or floors. Old laminate countertops can now be painted for less than $50, he says, and the results look surprisingly
Associated Press
CONGRATULATIONS RICK & KIM!
COTTONMILL ENTERPRISES, INC. Mowing Contractor • Seeding • Sodding Service • Grading
Craig & Kammy Ostermeyer 308-234-6563 • 308-440-5067
Page 7 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
D Kids need room to grow decor
Decorating child’s room is tricky — make careful choices with eye to future Candice Olson Scripps Howard
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The problem with children? They grow up! And that makes it tricky to design rooms for the little ones — as my clients, Laura and Michael, recently discovered. They live in a grand, historical home with their 1-year-old daughter, Lauren. The place is beautiful, with gorgeous stained-glass windows, ornate molded ceilings and large, stately rooms. All except the nursery, which is the most boring space in the entire house. Laura and Michael wanted to transform it into a whimsical bedroom for their little girl. Like many parents, they couldn’t figure out how to create a room that would delight Lauren as a child and continue to suit and inspire her as she grew up. So I summoned my inner child and got ready to create a room that would evolve with Lauren. The large space had nice hardwood flooring, a built-in closet and an en suite bathroom, and it was now up to me to inject it with character and style. A mistake people often make when designing children’s rooms is choosing classic toddler motifs, like bunnies or trains, that the children will soon outgrow. I began by painting Lauren’s room a soft, neutral ivory. The drapery fabric, a rich paisley print in pink, green, linen and white, became my inspiration for the space, and my jumping-off point for the room’s color palette. If you want longevity in a child’s room, look to fabrics that are traditionally “adult,” but in colors that create a playful, fanciful mood. Next, I mapped out three areas in the room that all flow together — a sleeping area, a storage area and a play area.
An injection of style and character would turn this boring room into the perfect bedroom for a growing girl. ment, they can easily be replaced as the child grows. Scripps Howard To top it all off, I wanted a ceiling that was truly magical. We applied to the ceiling A host of special accents and accessories, plus careful avoidance of clas- a custom wallpaper displaying a passage sic “baby” themes such as bunnies, creates a bedroom Lauren can enjoy from “Alice in Wonderland” in large, concentric circles around a central medallion, both as a toddler and when she’s older. from which we hung a playful chandelier. Of course, I couldn’t neglect the floor. Kids spend a lot of time playing on the study area by installing a freestanding In the sleeping area, instead of a crib that Lauren would soon outgrow, I placed bookcase/desk combination. This was built ground, especially as toddlers, so it’s important to give them a soft, durable sura double bed with a custom-designed, but- to adult scale so Lauren would be able to face. In this case, I thought a silk/wool ton-tufted headboard flanked by matching use it well into her teenage years. Along the wall opposite the bed, I creat- shag rug was the perfect touch. white bedside tables. I view pieces like After adding a host of accents and accesed a cozy little play area for Lauren and dressers and bookcases as investment sories, the room was complete. It took a bit pieces that will grow with a child, so they her friends. I used a soft, whimsical wallshould be selected accordingly. These key paper, which I also used to adorn the back of childlike dreaming and a lot of adult hard work, but I managed to create a bedof the bookshelves, and added a settee at items should also provide useful storage. room for Lauren that will inspire her now For the bedding, I selected gingham and the foot of the bed in a bright pink and polka-dot linens and added lots of colorful white polka-dot fabric. The only kid-sized — and, hopefully, for years to come. furniture pieces in the room were the play pillows. The drapes went up on the winInterior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV’s area’s miniature table and chairs, scaleddows flanking the bed, while blinds were “Candice Tells All.” For more ideas, information and down versions of traditional furniture. installed for light control and privacy. show times, visit www.hgtv.com/candice-tellsAlong one wall near the bed, I created a Because these pieces are less of a commit- all/show/index.html.
Thank You
Premier Contractors & Sheldon Family for Choosing
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WISH LIST The Sheldon family wanted a single-level, barrier-free, west-facing home built with high-quality, low-maintenance materials.
They got exactly what they wished for written by
Brock Arehart photos by
Diana Dake
M
▲▲▲▲▲ Brandon Sheldon, an avid Cornhusker fan, has styled his bedroom space with football-themed wall décor.
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Nichole Sheldon’s bedroom space is personalized with pink window treatments and a pink-striped bedspread.
Most homebuyers have wish lists comprised of important amenities their previous home didn’t provide. Those homebuyers use such lists to narrow down the possibilities when sorting through potential candidates presented to them by real estate agents and contractors. Rick and Kim Sheldon were no exception, and when they began hunting for a new home in Kearney, they knew exactly what they were looking for: a The kitchen is furnished with solid oak cabinetry, stone-look lamina home with an open, singlelevel, barrier-free floor plan kitchen plan a center island that can be moved when with wider doorways to accommodate the needs of their the foundation of their new very quickly sell their current daughter, Nichole, 17, who is home. home. The quick sale, however, orthopedically impaired. And The location just happened to necessitated a move Nichole’s younger be close to Kim’s parents’ brother, Brandon, The kitchen in the into a rental condo home, and that particular site until the Sheldons 12, needs all of the new home has would accommodate constructcould move into accommodations ing a home with a west-facing their new home. essential to a soonmore cabinet front exposure — another item Fortunately, they to-be-teenage boy. space then the old had a plan already on the Sheldons’ wish list. Rick Sheldon has home, and now in place. In September, the Sheldons been a manager at moved out of the rental condo In April, Straka Walmart for seven they no longer and into their new three-bedConstruction years, and Kim has room, two-bathroom, 1,640been a paraprofes- have to run to the already was busy square-foot home. sional in the Kearbasement to get installing footings Girard Straka of Straka Confor a new home to ney Public School pantry items or be built at 4731 struction worked with the Shelsystem for the past dons to make sure they got the five years in addiadditional small Parklane Drive in things for which they had wished. northeast Kearney. tion to working for appliances. “They were very gracious to The Sheldons, NP Realty of Kearwork with,” Kim said. having previously ney on the weekThe exterior of the home is toured similar homes built by ends. clad in cementboard siding with Straka, contacted the builder This spring, the Sheldons and quickly determined that recognized their need to move Continued on page 10 those footings would become to a new home and were able to
Pages 8-9 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
▲▲▲▲▲ Adjacent to the Sheldons’ front entryway area, Rick and Kim created a decorative and functional seating space.
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The Sheldons’ front entryway greets guests with festive fall décor. The home site they chose accommodated constructing a home with a westfacing front exposure.
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ate countertop surfaces, and matching black-finish appliances. The Sheldons included in the n additional space is needed during the holidays or other large get-togethers. Left: Clockwise from back left, Kim, Rick, Brandon and Nichole Sheldon knew exactly what they were looking for when they began shopping for a new home.
▲▲▲▲▲ Rick and Kim Sheldon’s newly constructed three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,640-squarefoot home is located at 4731 Parklane Drive. The Sheldons chose a light-colored shingle for the roof to help keep the home cooler in the hotter seasons of the year.
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Continued from page 8
moved when additional space is needed during the holidays or other large gettogethers. The dining area also has sliding doors that provide access to outdoor living space on the Sheldons’ new deck. Kim said the family’s previous home had a deck on the
Are you getting your daily dose of relaxation?
The master suite is cozy and comfortable with plush carpeting, window treatments, and wall paint that all continue the organic color palette of the home.
west side of the house that they never used due to the heat of the summer sun. She said the all-cedar deck on the east side of their new house has already proven to be enjoyable space for the family on a number of occasions since they moved in. Also adjacent to the kitchen is a utility
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Congratulations Rick and Kim Sheldon Thank you for choosing Premier Contractors, Inc.
Hot Tubs Starting at
room that provides the family with a laundry area and additional storage. The utility room provides access to a mechanical room that houses the HVAC unit and water heater as well as a two-stall garage. The
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stone accents and Heritage fiberglass shingles. The Sheldons chose light-colored shingles for the roof to help keep the home cooler in the hotter seasons of the year, Kim said, adding that they had lived in five different homes in the past and that “there were defithings that The dining area nite they wanted in the also has sliding new home.” Kim also said doors that that they specifiprovide access cally chose goodto outdoor living quality products that are easy to space on the maintain. The kitchen in Sheldons’ new the new home has deck. considerably more cabinet space than the old home, according to the Sheldons, and now they no longer have to run to the basement to get pantry items or additional small appliances. “Now, we even have the holiday roaster in the kitchen,” Kim said. The kitchen is furnished with solid oak cabinetry, stonelook laminate countertop surfaces and matching black-finish appliances. Kim said the laminate flooring they selected for the kitchen had a color and finish they found to be very attractive, and past experience had proven it to be very durable, as well. The Sheldons included in the kitchen plan a center island that can be
Page 10 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
For All Your Construction Needs
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Thank you Rick & Kim Sheldon for choosing Reinke’s for your Maytag Equipment with a complete 12 year warranty
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Page 11 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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Continued from page 8
floor of the garage is at the same level as the home, eliminating the need for steps — an important element in a barrier-free home. Additional custom features of the home are solid-oak doors throughout, nine-foot ceilings with stucco-textured surfaces and rounded wallboard corners instead of the more commonly seen square corners. Fully open to the kitchen and dining areas of the house is the living area that provides the Sheldons with space for television viewing and relaxation with comfortable seating for all members of the family and room to spare for friends and visitors. The Sheldons chose to work with a neutral, organic color pallette for all wall surfaces and floor coverings, as well. A hallway off of the living area affords
access to the three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Nichole’s bedroom space is personalized with pink window treatments and a matching pink-striped bedspread, while Brandon, an avid Cornhusker fan, has styled his bedroom with footballthemed wall décor. The main bath, located in proximity to both bedrooms, is furnished with a 48-inch lavatory base with a stone-look laminate countertop, sink and shower faucets with brushed nickel finishes and an acrylic bath/shower combination. A specifically chosen non-slip vinyl floor covering provides a safe bathroom environment for all members of the family. The Sheldons’ master suite is cozy and comfortable with plush carpeting, window treatments and wall paint that continue the organic color palette of the home. Kim has personalized the master suite
Innovative,
Distinctive, Endless DESIGN OPTIONS. BE PREPARED FOR COMPANY™
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Kim personalized the master suite with a small sampling of her grandmother’s antique head vase collection displayed on their dresser top.
The living area provides open space for television viewing and relaxation via comfortable seating for all members of the family. with a small sampling of her grandmother’s antique head vase collection displayed in the center of their dresser top. “I don’t have a lot of things of hers, but these were always special to me,” Kim said. The en suite bath is furnished with an elevated-height lavatory and acrylic tub/shower combination, both with brushed nickel-finish faucets. An en suite
walk-in closet is fully accessible from the master bath. The Sheldons remarked that the construction process was a very smooth one and that they feel that, in the end, Straka construction definitely delivered the home they were looking for. The final frontier, Kim said, is the yard, which is a work in progress to be finished next spring.
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Page 12 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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Rose fruits natural medicine
High in vitamin C, rose hips great in tea, cookies, jams Maureen Gilmer Scripps Howard
I
I have long suspected that hoarding may be the primal gatherer instinct confused by a modern world of plenty. Gathering is actually a careful process of selection based on knowledge passed down from generation to generation. The knowledge of plants so vital to gatherers was a skill taught by mother to daughter, and it’s never too late to rediscover these ways to enrich your own family storehouse of survival skills. Now begins the season for rose hips, which is the fruit of the rose flower. Roses that have escaped gardens since the first colonists brought them to the New World are fruiting in the wild, wherever climate, soil and water are suitable for growth. The first step to becoming a gatherer is
to find these wild or naturalized roses in your own neighborhood, in nearby wild places and abandoned home sites. They will be easy to spot this time of year because they bear bright red fruits called hips. The color is nature’s signpost. Ripe hips will be soft, astringent but somewhat sweet. The chief value of hips is for vitamin Crich medicine tea to help treat colds and fever. These fruits were the salvation of English schoolchildren who suffered from a lack of citrus fruit during World War II. The people scoured the countryside for hips and prepared them into a concentrated syrup that staved off scurvy during the Blitz. Today’s moms can prepare rose hips into a medicinal tea sweetened with honey to give to young patients home from school for the day. This age-old preparation becomes doubly comforting when the patient helped to gather the medicine. The best hips to use are large with smooth skin that protects a thick layer of flesh. At the center are seeds and attached fibers that must be completely separated before the flesh is ready to eat. Freshly peeled rose hips are suitable for adding vitamins to fruit jams and jellies. They can also be minced and added to cookies and breads. To freeze
to grow. This tough Japanese rose is cold hardy and disease resistant, and a single plant spreads by underground roots into hedges and thickets. Its thick leaves are famous for resistance to salt air and wind that cause less rugged roses to wither. The beautiful pink blossoms are well worth cutting, but remember that no cut flower will ever yield a fruit. Rose hips also make beautiful decorations for the home. When brightly colored but immature, they dry out much as a pomegranate does into a hard red marble. These can be mounded in beautiful bowls and even blended into potpourri. When Scripps Howard soft, they can also be strung into lovely garlands for the Christmas tree — or allow Moss-like spines can complicate them to dry for next year. processing rose hips. Once you start looking for them, you’ll find rose hips all over America’s untended ground, but do beware of locations that rose hips, put the cleaned bits of flesh out may be polluted by vehicle exhaust or on a cookie sheet and put into the freezer. weed killers. Once frozen, put them in tightly sealed Rose hips are a true forager’s seasonal freezer containers for later use. reward because of the rich nutritional conFor gatherers with one foot in the agricultural world, consider growing old roses tent. If more moms spent time hiking with their daughters, they would spend less on that bloom just once a year since these chemical cold products by returning to the produce a more concentrated fruit crop. gatherer’s medicine. The largest hips are found on varieties of Rosa rugosa, perhaps the easiest of roses Maureen Gilmer is an author, horticulturist and land-
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Page 13 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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property transfers
Ridge Second Addition, $46,000. Beverly Merrick, personal representative of the estate of Vola Lamontagne, to Beverly Merrick, 316 W. Cummings St., Miller. No documentary tax. Kevin and Andrea Dzingle to Jake and Ashley Saulsbury, 1318 Sixth Ave., $142,000. Guy III and JoAnn Miller to Duane and Kathy Freeze, 3805 W. Cedar Hills Drive, $179,900. Robin Sobansky to John and Lisa Rademacher, 2808 W. 44th St., $245,000. John and Lisa Rademacher to Lauren Senn, 2027 W. 37th St., $150,000. Wells Fargo Bank to David Mickelsen, 8900 E. 56th St. Tax assessed on a value of $42,000.01 to $43,000. Griffiths Construction Inc. to Brenda Dunkel, 1706 E. 62nd St., $241,800. Gladys Knispel to Karen Aubrey and Robert Edson, 85 Avenue M, $30,000. Richard Jr. and Janet Rhone to Avenue G Storage LLC, Lot 597, Original Town of Kearney Junction, $12,500. RLC Rhone Family LLC to Avenue G Storage LLC, 1918 Ave. G, $70,000. Platte Valley State Bank & Trust Co. to Pamela Artman, 4100 Country Club Lane, Unit G-1, $168,000. Jeffery and Kristi Vollmer to Larry Treffer and Danielle Hostetler, 618 Phelps Drive, Shelton, $132,000. Monty and Cynthia Shultz to Monty Shultz, 40050 E. Highway 30, Gibbon. No documentary tax. Monty and Cynthia Shultz to Monty
Shultz, part of Lot 1, Section 30, Township 9 North, Range 14 West. No documentary tax. Ronny and Kimbra Roberts to The State of Nebraska Department of Roads, part of Lot 7, Pony Lake Ranch. No documentary tax. Matthew and Shelly Rolfe to Stephen Montgomery, 11 Oak St., Riverdale, $69,000. Michael Snyder, successor trustee, to Exchange Bank, 5014 Second Ave. No documentary tax. Lisa Bures to Rickie Bures, 6715 58th Ave. No documentary tax. Lisa Bures to Rickie Bures, 120 E. 29th St. No documentary tax. Michael Snyder, successor trustee, to Nebraska National Bank, 1923-1925 Ave. B. No documentary tax. Barry and Dana Walcheck to Dean and Dianne Jones, 2804 W. 35th St., No. 4, $184,500. Ryan O’Connor to Dillon Ehmen and Rod Ehmen, 1307 16th Ave., $167,500. Thomas Paxson to Thomas and Janette Paxson, 44440 100th Road, Gibbon. No documentary tax. Ronald Russell and Geraldine Leibee to Victor Karg and Eleanor Karg, 3307 10th Ave., $130,000. Janice Anderson to Scott and Kelli Biddlecome, 1517 W. 40th St., $117,000. Chad Jacobsen to Tricia Jacobsen, 4104 21st Ave. Place. No documentary tax.
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John, 615 W. Fifth St., Shelton, $30,000. Platte Valley State Bank & Trust Co., trustee for the Scott Smith Trust and Stephanie Smith Trust, to Stefan Kegley, part of Lot 4, Section 18, Township 9 North, Range 13 West, $205,000. Platte Valley State Bank & Trust Co., The following real estate transfers from Sept. 16 to trustee for the Scott Smith Trust and Oct. 21 were compiled from deeds recorded at the Stephanie Smith Trust, to Gary Kegley, Buffalo County Register of Deeds Office. Addresses and prices are public record and are provided when trustee for the Gary Kegley Revocable available from the register’s office. If prices were not Trust, and Jana Kegley, trustee for the Jana available, the equivalent based on the Nebraska DocuKegley Revocable Trust, part of Section mentary Tax paid on the full amount or the current market value is listed. 18, Township 9 North, Range 13 West, Daniel and Karen Hannon to Trevor and $350,000. Arielle Tripe, 4314 Glenwood Road, Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel$130,000. opment to Jennifer Richardson, 2806 Ave. Charles and Leona Snider to ChristoE. No documentary tax. pher Snider, part of Section 4, Township 9 Larry Fletcher and Beth Fletcher, coNorth, Range 15 West. No documentary trustees of the Larry Fletcher and Beth tax. Fletcher Revocable Trust, to Ryan and NP Land Development Inc. to Gary and Misty Zulkoski, 3012 Ave. L, $144,500. Verna Larsen, 5820 Ave. N, No. 30. Tax David Croissant to Todd and Shelley assessed on a value of $205,000.01 to Boldt, 13775 Dove Hill Road, Riverdale, $206,000. $84,000. Richard and Vici Merrill to Dennis Julia and Eric Wysocki to Alisa Lebsock Reicks, 2902 Ave. I, $129,900. and Bradley Churchill, 1722 Seventh Ave., Raymond Schmitz to Ward and Norma $141,000. Schrack, 320 W. 32nd St., $125,000. Red Brick Investment Co. LLC to RayTreve Florom to Terri Moran, 22 La mond and Kathleen Johnson, 2208 Ave. D, Platte Road, $105,000. $118,500. Matthew and Sara O’Neill to Brandon Anissa Gove to Jeremy and Anissa and Marcy Ware, part of Section 24, Gove, 1326 16th Ave. No documentary Township 9 North, Range 17 West, tax. $70,000. Dean Nightingale to Darcie Nightingale, Merle and Judy Lantzer to Cynthia Carl- 4807 Ave. G Place. No documentary tax. son, 1928 Eighth Ave., $118,000. Kern and Danita Beadle to Joe and Jacob Ryan to Paul and Laraine St. Mishelle Maul, Lot 5, Block 4, Buffalo
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Page 14 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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property transfers
$8,000. Carol Solomon to Warren Solomon and Roberta Solomon, Lot 1, Solomon Acres. No documentary tax. Lysle Solomon & Sons to Donald Benker and Laurel Benker, 15440 Maple Road, Gibbon. Starostka Group Unlimited Inc. to Tyler and Jacqueline Herman, 1205 E. 66th St. Place, $232,900. Marc and Melissa Willis to Troy and Rebecca Wieging, 803 13th Ave., $223,000. Jennifer and Brad Samuelson and Robby and Donna Leonard to James and Kathy Moore, 1440 Lowell Road, Gibbon, $100,000. Keith and Alta Bentley to Alta Bentley, part of Sections 9, 29 and 32, Township 12 North, Range 18 West. No documentary tax. Michael Gana to Jerald and Megan Fales, 1707 E. 43rd St. Place, $180,000. Anthony and Tera Cumpston to R/S Russ LLC, 2317 Ave. H, $160,000. Ryan and Michelle Lindner to Brian and Michelle Moore, 408 E. 48th St., $200,000. Edward Brink, successor trustee, to U.S. Bank National Association, 2213 Sixth Ave., $49,500. Robert and Dorothy McCammon, trustees of the McCammon Family Trust, to Dorothy McCammon, 4603 Parklane Drive. No documentary tax. Mildred Nienaber to David Nienaber, Derald Nienaber and Denise Hainault, part
of Section 7, Township 9 North, Range 15 West, 8705 Antelope Ave., and Lots 1 and 2, Wood River Subdivision. No documentary tax. Ross and Melinda Bahensky to Ross Bahensky, 1403 W. 40th St. No documentary tax. Thomas and Cheryl Hedstrom to Cheryl Hedstrom, 1240 W. 105th St. No documentary tax. Jonathan and Magdalena Seely to Clarence and Kathleen Goad, 325 N. Church St., Elm Creek, $90,000. Mandi Schweitzer-Amy and Harly Amy to Martin and Debra Jelken, 1316 Ave. E, $99,000. Mandy and Michael Johnson to Craig and Amy Farlee, 1204 E. 65th St. Place, $229,850. Joseph Simeon to Scott and Jean Anderson, 26 Meadow Lane, $95,000. Maxine Graf to Glenna Werner, 2110 30th Ave., No. 12, $95,000. Dina and Scott Silvrants to Lorie Borgmann, 2921 Ave. M, $127,500. Robin Anderson and Veronica Anderson to Robin Anderson, Lot 1, Block 2, Richter’s Fourth Subdivision. No documentary tax. Robin Anderson to James Burchell, Lot 1, Block 2, Richter’s Fourth Subdivision, $25,000. D. Marie and Keith Danburg to Dan Montgomery, 1620 Ave. H. No documentary tax.
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$193,750. Dean Jones, trustee of the Dean Jones and Dianne Jones Revocable Living Trusts, to Michael and Mandy Johnson, 12550 Evergreen Road, Riverdale, $319,000. John and Carolyn Skeen to Misael Continued from previous page Palma, 2707 Ave. M, $60,000. Martin and Darian Cox to David and Nebraska National Bank to NP ConVirginia Klingelhoefer, 101 E. Garfield struction Inc., Lot 23, Block 3, Marianne Ave., Amherst, $20,000. Hunt Second Addition, $27,000. Brenda Steele, personal representative of John Borgstahl to Eric and Teresa the estate of Helen Bergstrom, to Mark Bruggeman, Lot 3, Section 13, Township 9 and Debra Mowry, 5605 Fourth Ave. Tax North, Range 13 West, $270,000. assessed on a value of $71,000.01 to College Plaza 2 LLC to Cynet Inc., $72,000. 1412 W. 24th St., $1,165,720. Alvin Synovec to Mark and Debra Michael and Carolyn Miller to Rodney Mowry, 5605 Fourth Ave. Tax assessed on and Margaret Weeth, 4100 Country Club a value of $71,000.01 to $72,000. Lane, B3, $184,000. Recontrust Co. to The Bank of New Marian Hardin to Evelyn Gerken, 110 E. York Mellon, 53110 85th Road, Shelton, 39th St., D-3, $104,000. $126,000. Craig and Terry Rossi to M5 Properties Marian Schroeder to Marla Schroeder, LLC, 6620 Second Ave., $109,900. Lot 1, Riverbend Administrative SubdiviAmy Morris to Shawn and Melanie sion. No documentary tax. Jaeger, 6012 Ave. O, $211,000. Phillip Euler to Brenda Middleswart, Chad Dumas and Dawn Vincent Dumas 320 E. 27th St., $83,000. to George and Jacqulynn Hoffmeister, 307 Michael Donald Construction LLC to Court St., Gibbon. Tax assessed on a value Bret and Chelsea Clark, 6116 Ave. S, of $132,000.01 to $133,000. $302,500. Steven and Ann Carlson to Randy and Sibley Apartments Ltd. to Community Jill Black, 25020 115th Road, $185,000. Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, Lots Rodina Inc. to Jeffery and Kristi 1-14, Block 1, Sibley’s Addition. No docuVollmer, 423 Garfield Ave., Ravenna, mentary tax. $108,500. Walter Sr. and Ann Forrest to Mark NP Land Development Inc. to Lynette Zechmann, 409 Verona Ave., Ravenna. Tax Womeldorf, 5820 Ave. N, No. 29, assessed on a value of $7,000.01 to
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Page 15 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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property transfers
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Barry Sherman to Carol Reed, 2110 30th Ave., No. 40, $90,500. Pamela Keizer to Jacqueline Morgan, 4015 Palamino Road, No. 1, $118,000. Federal National Mortgage Association to Greg Zimbelman and Lane Zimbelman, 1401 Ave. F. No documentary tax. Continued from previous page Kathryn Bedke to Timothy and KatherBarbara Ramsey, personal representative ine Lewandowski, 811 Padua Ave., Ravenof the estate of Melvin Ramsey, to Myles na, $20,000. Ramsey and Michelle Blessin, co-trustees Barry Hemmerling, successor trustee, to of the Melvin Ramsey Estate Conservation Dustin Pracht, 202 Woodland Drive, GibTrust, part of Section 36, Township 9 bon, $124,750. North, Range 13 West. No documentary Wilbur Newland and Glen and Marla tax. Newland to Jeremy Hemphill, 321 Alba Ave., Ravenna, $46,500. Kelli Lawrence to Kyle Lawrence, 332 Federal National Mortgage Association N. Bond St., Elm Creek. No documentary to Dorothy Barger, 509 Stephenson Ave., tax. Janice Oliver, trustee of the Janice Oliv- Miller. No documentary tax. Michael and Debra Eickhoff to Michael er Revocable Trust, to Kent and Jody Eickhoff, part of Section 15, Township 12 Fletcher, Lot 2, Oliver Subdivision. No North, Range 15 West. No documentary documentary tax. Carol Reed to Brian and Carol Sheldon, tax. Secretary of Housing and Urban Devel2804 W. 35th St., No. 12, $175,000. opment to Jerry Munsell and Mary MunBrian and Carol Sheldon to Elizabeth sell, 2819 Ave. E. No documentary tax. Hinrichs, 2014 W. 38th St., $148,000. Robby Leonard and Randy Leonard, Nebraska National Bank to NP Conpersonal co-representatives of the estate of struction Inc., Lot 19, Block 3, Marianne Robert Leonard, to Randy Leonard, part of Hunt Second Addition, $23,000. Lot 1, Block 7, Original Town of Gibbon. U.S. Bank National Association to Fed- No documentary tax. eral National Mortgage Association, 3004 Exeter 10139 DE LLC to Dondee Inc., Ave. I. No documentary tax. 1321 Eighth St., Gibbon. No documentary Todd Linke and Kendra Hemphill Linke tax. to Cody and Ashley Johnson, 501 Padua Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Ave., Ravenna. Tax assessed on a value of Nathan Klinginsmith, 1609-1611 Fifth $42,000.01 to $43,000. Ave., $36,000.
Continued from page 6
Think hard about hardware
Small items such as drawer pulls, elecchange a room’s lighting and bring in trical switch plates and doorknobs can fresh color. “Everybody gets used to easily be changed. what’s up on their windows,” Memme Swap out old knobs for new door hansays, “because they’ve been dles, switch from brass to living with it. They don’t These projects can nickel, or bring in jeweled see the wear and tear.” give an outdated or glass or ceramic pieces Remove old blinds or for added style. kitchen or bath shades and replace them Faucets also can be with inexpensive curtains. enough new life changed now and then reused when you eventually to keep a home- replace the entire sink. Upgrade appliances
owner happy until
Soto suggests phasing in new major appliances ahead true renovation is Out with the old of a full kitchen renovation. possible. Old glass shower doors If need be, they can be relocan be removed relatively cated elsewhere in the room once the easily and replaced by a stylish fabric remodeling is done. She also suggests shower curtain. Swap out old kitchen buying new countertop appliances, such chairs with cool flea-market finds, or as microwaves or toaster ovens, now, with recover chair cushions yourself with a the anticipated redesign of the kitchen in few yards of new fabric. mind. Replace a dated bathroom mirror with If you can’t replace appliances now but an inexpensive framed one, or build your are craving change, Lipford says appliown frame with strips of molding. ance paint is available from Rustoleum These projects can give an outdated and other companies. It can give new life kitchen or bath enough new life to keep a to an old refrigerator or dishwasher, and homeowner happy until true renovation is is easy to apply yourself. possible.
Page 16 • Kearney Hub • Monday, November 7, 2011
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winterize
Tips help keep home cozy, safe
Sarah Welch and Alicia Rockmore getbuttonedup.com
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Winter will be here within a few short weeks. Cooler months bring a unique set of challenges for keeping the house warm and safe from the elements. Winterizing a home can seem daunting. But the minute you take a step toward the goal, you realize your perception of the job was much worse than the reality. Here are 10 simple things you can do to button up your house for winter. We recommend picking one or two related to keeping your house warm and checking off all the tasks related to keeping it safe. 1. Invest in a draft snake. Drafts can sap anywhere from 5 to 30 percent of your energy use, the U.S. Department of Energy reports. A draft snake or a rolled-up towel under the door can keep the cold air out and seal the heat in. There are lots of cute empty cases available on Etsy. Fill a case with orphaned socks and old t-shirts, or rice and beans.
toward the ceiling. It will circulate the warm air that has risen and save money on your heating bill. 6. Clean your gutters. Remove autumn leaves, which can cause problems when winter arrives. Clogged drains can create ice dams, which can back up and leak into your house. Skip the gym and get a workout the old-fashioned way. 7. Check your winter tools. Did you slog through last winter without an ice scraper in your car? Do you have a functional snow shovel or snow blower? Take inventory of what you have and ensure it is in good working order. ThinkStock 8. Stock up on salt or sand for traction. You do not want to be caught empty-handquality as well as the system’s efficiency. ed during the first snowstorm of the season. 4. Replace window screens with storm 9. Trim tree branches. While this is a windows. If you’ve been procrastinating on good thing to do in general, this is espethis front, break the task down into smaller cially true for those hanging close to the ones. Swap out two per day over the next house or electrical wires. Remember, ice week. If you’re lucky enough to have helpand snow can easily weight them down. ing hands, line the family up this weekend 10. Put fresh batteries in alarms. We and turn the process into a contest. The perrecommend swapping out batteries in son who changes the most screens in 20 smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detecminutes wins something (an ice cream treat, tors the same day you set the clocks back. control of the remote for the week, relief Make an appointment with yourself for from chores for the next week, etc.). Sunday to do just that. 5. Tweak ceiling fans. Reverse the Distributed by Scripps Howard. switch so your ceiling fan blows upward,
To prevent ice dams that can melt and leak water into your house, clean leaves and debris from gutters before winter hits.
2. Swap out summer curtains. Your windows can let cold air sneak in. Solve this problem by putting up heavier drapes in place of breezy summer curtains. Use weather stripping on the bottom of windows. Focus on the handful of windows that cause the bulk of your problem. 3. Test your furnace before your need it. You don’t want to be stuck on the first cold night with a malfunctioning furnace and no available appointment times. This week, give your system a workout. While you’re at it, swap out old filters. It takes two minutes but makes a difference in air
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