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Autumn Additions
Fall upgrades enhance your home
Paint Projects Get ready for fall entertaining A special publication of the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer
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Saturday, October 7, 2017 Messenger-Inquirer
LETTER from the
EDITOR Even though it is fall, the temps still have it feeling like summer. This is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the weather and get some more projects done around the house. In this edition of At Home, you will learn when it is time to replace your furnace, how to do some easy paint projects to get your home ready for fall entertaining and some things to consider before replacing your garage door. I am still looking for homeowners who have tackled a big DIY or home renovation project or anyone who has an interesting story about their home. If you would like your story told, please contact me at mrichardson@messengerinquirer.com or 270-691-7233. — Meghann Richardson Special Publications Editor
Is it time for a new furnace? How to choose an energy-efficient system
If it’s time to replace your furnace, you may be wondering if it’s worth the extra investment to buy an energy-efficient system. Or, you may be unsure how to choose an energy-efficient system for your home. Chip Wade, HGTV expert, offers some guidance for choosing an energy-efficient heating system. The Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) measures how efficiently a gas furnace converts fuel into energy. Generally, the higher the AFUE rating of a furnace the more energy efficient it will be. Be sure to right-size your furnace. A unit that’s too small for your home will have to work harder to maintain a comfortable temperature. Look for models like the the YORK Affinity Series modulating gas furnace that offer efficiency-enhancing features such as a modulating burner that continuously adjusts heating levels in small increments to match the precise degree of comfort needed.
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Saturday, October 7, 2017
Messenger-Inquirer
What to consider when choosing your next garage door BY BPT
If you’re buying a garage door this fall, you’ll be faced with several decisions that you likely never had to make before. Before you call your local garage door dealer to make that purchase, here are some of the new decisions that you need to face.
THE DESIGN DECISION
Remember the old adage that the front door is the most important design element in the home? It’s not true anymore. In most homes today, the visual impact of the garage door is many times greater than that of the front door. Studies have even proven that your garage door design can affect the appraisal value of your home. Today, manufacturers offer hundreds of new, unique and stunning looks. Design experts recommend that you choose a door design that blends in well with your home design, complementing its overall appearance. To do that, match the door with your home’s exterior colors, textures and patterns. To help you with your design decision, the garage door industry has created the free consumer site www.garagewownow. com, which contains dozens of photos of the latest garage doors from many manufacturers.
NEW OPENER DECISIONS
The garage door and the opener are two separate items, but they are often purchased together. And since today’s openers offer many more features and accessories than ever before, you’ll have several new decisions to make. AC vs. DC: Openers with DC (direct current) motors, which were rare 10 years ago, are now widely available. DC and AC motors are both durable and
reliable, but DC motors are quieter, and they allow the door to soft-start and soft-stop, instead of clanging to an abrupt stop. Accessories: Here, the decisions are many. For example, you can now operate and monitor your garage door from your smartphone. You can also get a battery backup unit, a real lifesaver in a power outage. When you consider motion detection, music speakers, mini transmitters, automatic deadbolt locks, LED lighting, external keypads and more, you’ll realize how far openers have come.
NEW THINKING ON INSULATION
Insulation isn’t a new decision, but there is new thinking to consider. “The garage acts as a ‘buffer zone,’ much like the vestibule to a restaurant or a grocery store,” says Joe Hetzel, P.E., technical director for the garage door manufacturers’ association. “An insulated garage door makes it easier to control the heating and cooling costs for the home.” This new “buffer zone” thinking considers garage door insulation as a must. Fortunately, insulation typically pays for itself. Dow Chemical recently reported that, for every $100 you invest in an insulation project, you generally get a return of $117 in recouped energy costs. You might be buying a new garage door out of necessity, but as it turns out, it’s a smart purchase. An upscale garage door replacement delivers the highest return on investment for all upscale remodeling projects in the new 2017 Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling Magazine. So, while you have a few decisions yet to make, you’ve already made the good choice to get a new garage door. After you add the latest designs and technology, you’ll have a chance to admire all your choices every time you pull in the driveway.
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Saturday, October 7, 2017
Messenger-Inquirer
Messenger-Inquirer
Saturday, October 7, 2017
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Prep for fall entertaining with easy paint projects
Adding fresh color to walls, furniture a simple way to dress up your home for the season
DECLUTTER YOUR HOME WITH COLOR
Busy fall schedules often mean more school bags, homework, sports equipment, crafts and holiday decorations around the house. Aldred recommends quickly tackling a cluttered area of your home with a fresh paint job. For example, if you have bookcases in your family room or “Despite the hectic chaos that comes glass-faced cabinets in your kitchen, with the back-to-school season and Aldred suggests painting the backs of adapting our family schedules, I find them in a standout color, like the PPG fall to be the perfect time to tackle my Timeless 2018 Color of the Year, Deep home to-do list,” explains Cyndy Aldred, Onyx (00NN 07/000). “I love this trick the do-it-yourself paint blogger behind because of how the eye is drawn to the The Creativity Exchange. “It’s perfect color and not the clutter that might be because fall is our favorite time of year for around or behind it,” says Aldred. entertaining!” With kids in school and summer TRANSFORM YOUR travels winding down, fall can be the FAVORITE GATHERING SPACE perfect time to complete quick projects WITH A FRESH COAT OF PAINT to get your home ready for fall social Kitchens, living rooms and dining gatherings. Whether you’re gearing up rooms are often favorite gathering for the big game or hosting next month’s spaces for friends and family in book club, Aldred offers her favorite paint the home, so they are ideal spaces projects that are sure to wow your guests. to make a great impression with a fresh coat of paint. “People always ADD INSTANT CURB APPEAL WITH gravitate to our dining room when we PAINTED PORCH FURNITURE are entertaining,” says Aldred, “so I Aldred loves the tried-and-true trick love to freshen the space each year of painting your front door, but she with a new paint color. It’s one of the recommends adding an even bigger least expensive and easiest ways to pop of color with painted furniture. get a new look, and I For her front-porch using a one-coat “People always gravitate love makeover, Aldred product to make it painted her porch to our dining room when even easier.” Aldred bench using PPG we are entertaining, so I recently used PPG Timeless exterior love to freshen the space Timeless interior paint paint and primer in a and primer in Bluegrass each year with a new soothing, soft grey, White (30GG 73/048) Silver Reflection (50BG paint color. It’s one of to update her dining 54/017), and added the least expensive and room. For an on-trend decorative pillows to look, she went with a easiest ways to get a create a warm and flat finish. “Contrary to new look, and I love welcoming entrance popular opinion, a flat for a gathering of using a one-coat product finish in a high-traffic friends. With an open to make it even easier. ” entertaining space is front porch, Aldred durable if you select the made sure to use PPG — Cyndy Aldred right product,” explains Timeless paint, available The Creativity Exchange Aldred. With the paint’s at The Home Depot, outstanding washability, because it provides scrubbability and stain resistance, good resistance to chipping or flaking Aldred was sure it could withstand and extreme weather conditions. the wear and tear of countless social “I found out that this new line of gatherings. paint uses UV-Protect Technology, Perhaps it is time to embrace fall which uses the same technology as with a few fresh paint projects to automotive paint, so it won’t fade in impress your guests and make lasting sunlight or dull over time,” says Aldred. improvements to your home.
HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT %
2.99 % 4.50
APR
6 MONTH INTRODUCTORY FIXED RATE AS LOW AS
TAMARRA MILLER
Mortgage Loan Originator 270-926-0965 tmiller@republicbank.com NMLS ID# 488939 3500 Frederica Street Owensboro, KY 42301
APR
ONGOING VARIABLE RATE
WITH
CLOSING COSTS
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Fall upgrades enhance your home BY FAMILY FEATURES
Fall provides a time for fun and celebration, but it also can be an opportunity to refocus on taking care of your home both indoors and out. These simple upgrade ideas can help you improve aesthetic appeal, upgrade safety, keep your home free from pests and save you time, resources and money. Find more ideas for upgrading and updating your home at eLivingToday. com.
DE-BUG YOUR DOORS
Enjoy nature without all the pests by adding a protective barrier to your entryways, such as an ODL Brisa Retractable Screen Door. It can be installed over single, double and sliding doors, and can take just 30 minutes to install from start to finish. With one-touch entry and auto-slide open, it allows for easy access when your hands are full. When you’re not using it, you can use the secure locking latch or let it slide back into its cartridge. For more home improvement ideas, visit odl.com.
ELEGANT ENTRY
With a low-profile cylinder, Baldwin’s Spyglass Entrance Set with Spyglass Levers offers an elegant, architecturally inspired design. With SmartKey re-key technology, the set is the ultimate in convenience and safety as it allows you to re-key your lock in seconds and has American National Standards Institute and Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association Grade 2 security features. Belonging to the premium Prestige Series, the Spyglass Entrance Set delivers effortless, accessible style and affordable luxur y. Find more information at baldwinhardware.com.
GET SMART ABOUT LAUNDRY
Take a load off and let your washer’s technology do the work. Available in white or diamond gray, the top load laundr y line from GE Appliances gives owners the power to pretreat stains or hand wash delicates with an industr y-first soapy water
station, automatically dispense the right amount of detergent and fabric softener based on each individual load and control the load remotely through smart devices by using WiFi Connect. Find more appliances to make ever yday life easier at geappliances.com.
FEEL THE HEAT
If temperatures are dropping and a warm blanket isn’t doing the trick on an especially chilly day, a space heater can help keep you cozy. Many options are light and portable, allowing you to move it from room to room as necessar y. Rather than layering up to enjoy a lazy day on the couch, simply plug it in and choose the setting that’s right for maximum comfortability. Plus, by flipping the space heater switch rather than cranking up the heat, you can save money on energy bills.
SIMPLE SHREDDING
One of fall’s obnoxious chores in the eyes of many is cleaning up leaves scattered about the yard. To help save time and energy, add a leaf shredder to your arsenal of lawn equipment. By shredding leaves rather than expending time and resources bagging and disposing
them, you can improve the look of your yard without as much physical stress.
MESS-FREE MUDROOM
On cold days when a brisk chill sends you seeking indoor shelter, it can be easy to make a mess at the door with shoes and outerwear.
Instead of a pile of garments greeting you each time you come home, add some structure to the mudroom with an organizer that allows you to hang coats and scarves and stow away shoes. While keeping clothes orderly, it can also help keep you and guests from tracking salt, mud and other messes throughout the house.
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Saturday, October 7, 2017
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Saturday, October 7, 2017
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What is a smart home? Refrigerators that inform their owners when it’s time to buy more eggs and thermostats that learn homeowners’ heating and cooling preferences may once have seemed like futuristic ideas straight out of a sci-fi movie. However, such products are no longer a dream but a reality. The term “smart home” refers to a residence that has appliances, HVAC, lighting, entertainment systems, security, and many more devices that communicate with one another. Such devices can be controlled remotely, according to SmartHomeUSA, an automation product retailer. Proponents of smart home technology say features can help people save money on utilities and conserve natural resources, all the while providing peace of mind to homeowners. In 2016, 80 million smart home devices were delivered worldwide. That marks a 64 percent increase from
2015, according to the research data firm IHS Markit. The smart home trend is only expected to grow in coming years. Although there’s interest in smart home technology, the industry remains fragmented. Consumers are trying to figure out which devices are simply fun and which provide practical benefits. Furthermore, the range of smart devices is expanding rapidly, making potential compatability issues a concern. Companies that plan to educate consumers further about the advantages of smart home features and are open to standardization may have the best chances of survival. Those interested in dabbling in some smart home technology and testing the waters may want to start with the following household items. • Smart bulbs: Manufacturers offer various types of smart light bulbs. Some are color-changing, others react to doorbells or alarms, and others
Home security, climate control and appliances learn to communicate
can simulate typical lighting patterns when homeowners are away. Integrated apps enable remote access to scheduling so people can arrive home to a well-lit house. • Home security: Wi-Fi enabled doorbells with video capabilities allow residents to see who is at the door without having to open it. Cameras can even be accessed remotely, simulating that someone is at home at all times. Never wonder if you’ve locked the door again with smart locks that can be engaged via a smartphone. Make sure that
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homes are secured or that pets are behaving while out with smart cameras. • Flood sensor: Get peace of mind against water damage with Wi-Fi flood sensors. • Appliances: A new breed of smart appliances can make it possible for users to turn on the washing machine while out of the house, close refrigerator doors from afar or even start their vacuum cleaners remotely. Smart technology is taking over and is likely to continue changing the way people live and work.