Home Style

HOM E ST Y L E Kitchen

Bath & Issue

HGTV’s

Mike Holmes

Remodel it right and never worry about it again Inside: • Fight bathroom boredom • Is your kitchen the “heart of the home?”

• Mold is a serious problem after a wet summer • Small kitchen? Try some big improvements • End-of-season care for your lawn tools • Prevent ice dams

Fall 2011

Meeker County Advertiser and Hutchinson Leader Shopper

September 4, 2011

2 Fall Home Improvement

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fall Home Improvement 3

What’s Inside Doing it right the first time

Heart of the home

HGTV star Mike Holmes gives advice to the homeowner looking to renovate a kitchen or bathroom without unnecessary headaches.

If your kitchen isn’t holding up to your demands, consider changes that can make the heart of the home into a place fit for your lifestyle.

Page 14

Page 8

Mold is a serious problem after a wet summer / 6 Small kitchen? Try some big improvements / 10 Before hibernating, care for your lawn tools / 18 Prevent ice dams / 22

Home Improvement is published twice a year by ...

28,100 copies of Home Improvement are being delivered through the Leader Shopper and Meeker County Advertiser. Ads are also placed on www.hutchinsonleader.com and www.independentreview.net.

THE LITCHFIELD INDEPENDENT REVIEW P.O.Box 921,Litchfield,MN 55355-0921 Phone: 320-693-3266 Fax: 320-693-9177 E-mail: editor@independentreview.net Website: www.independentreview.net

THE HUTCHINSON LEADER 36 Washington Ave.W.,Hutchinson,MN 55350-2440 Phone: 320-587-5000 Fax: 320-587-6104 E-mail: news@hutchinsonleader.com Website: www.hutchinsonleader.com

Leader HUTCHINSON

Call Gopher State One Call at least 48 hours before you dig this fall!

Y ou may be planning a fall project now, such as building a deck or planting trees or shrubs. They’re great fall projects, but we urge you to be careful. Many sites are on top of underground utility lines. Cutting an underground cable or pipeline can be very dangerous and costly, so call Gopher State One Call before you dig. It’s the law!

Gopher State One Call is the clearinghouse to determine the location of all underground utility lines in Minnesota. After you call Gopher State, it notifies underground utility operators with facilities in the area. Locators are dispatched to mark where these underground cables and pipelines are located.

But this all takes time, so be sure to call Gopher State One Call at 1-800-252-1166 at least 48

hours before you dig, excluding weekends, holidays and emergencies. Calls are taken between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Gopher State One Call will ask specific questions, so please have the following information available when you call: • Type of work to be done • Location of the work site, including township, range, section and quarter coordinates. This is the property’s legal description.

• Estimated time needed to complete work.

Property owners should understand their full responsibility when digging.

• The property owner or excavating company

Open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

• The property owner is responsible for hiring a locator and paying for locating costs if the underground wires are on the property owner’s side of the electric meter, such as secondary wires running to a house or buildings.

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4 Fall Home Improvement

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with your

BORED bathroom?

PERK IT UP WITH THESE EASY AND INEXPENSIVE DECORATING IDEAS

By KAY JOHNSON Staff Writer

Accessorize it

hange doesn’t have to break the bank. If you’re bored with your bathroom, making a difference can be as simple as changing your shower curtain or buying new accessories.

How to get started? Decorating magazines are a great source of inspiration.

Look through them for possibilities. Tear out photographs that catch your eye. Collect them in an “idea” folder or file.

When you’re ready to redecorate, look through your file. Is there anything that jumps out at you? For instance, do the photos reflect a certain theme? Is there a predominant color or a specific look?

Analyze what your photos are telling you and use this information as your decorating guide.

If the common denominator in your tear sheets is the color blue, for instance, then you have a couple of choices to consider. You can paint your bathroom blue or you can accessorize it with blue.

Looking to make a big impact, but money is a factor? Experts will tell you the cheapest and fastest way to change the look of a room is by changing its paint color.

Paint isn’t just for walls. It also can be used to freshen up a vanity, woodwork or even a picture frame.

If painting is a bigger project than you want to tackle, consider changing your vanity accessories, shower curtain, towels, rugs, mirror, drawer pulls or switch plates.

Accessories come in all price ranges, colors and styles. You can even find accessories at thrift stores. You also can repurpose items already in your home.

For many bathrooms, the shower-andtub stall is the focal point of the room. It’s the first place your eye goes. Use the space to make a splash.

The sky is the limit when it comes to shower curtains. They are available in plastic as well as cloth and in a rainbow of colors, themes and characters. Custommade shower curtains also are available.

Can’t find what you want? Buy a shower curtain and customize it with trim and fabric or make your own for a truly oneof-a-kind look.

Like your shower curtain? You can give it new life by changing the rings. A variety of hanging options are available from colored plastic rings to decorative metal hangers.

Framed artwork and posters can update the look of your space. You don’t have to spend a lot to have wall art.

Be creative! Make a collage of colored pictures from magazines. Frame it with a thrift-store find.

Wall decals offer an affordable way to

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Silkkikuikka Red Shower Curtain by Marimekko, Crate and Barrel, $59.95.

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To keep it cheap, make it a do-it-yourself project. Paint samples and painting tips are available at local hardware stores.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Free paint is available at the Freeuse Room at the McLeod County Hazardous Household Waste Facility, 1065 Fifth Ave. S.E., in Hutchinson. Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Experts will tell you the cheapest and fastest way to change the look of a room is by changing its paint color.

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review change your bathroom. They come in many forms ranging from meaningful sayings to designs such as the Eifel Tower or a flower garden.

Decals are easy to use. Just peel off the protective backing and stick it on your wall. Follow the directions to get the best adhesion.

Buy them locally at stores such as Target, Menards, Walmart and ShopKo. If you’ve got a window, add a plant.

Plants do well in bathrooms with light.

Dress up your window with a new valance or curtain or a new-to-you curtain from a thrift store or garage sale.

If your vanity is looking dated, consider changing its color with paint and its hardware to give it a new look.

Hate the tile?

Replacing ceramic tile can be expensive and messy. Improve the look of your tile by giving it a good cleaning. Use products

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fall Home Improvement 5

specifically designed for tile and grout to get the best look.

Add some bling to your wall tile with stick-on, water-resistant decals. Called tile tattoos or tile stickers, they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Visit online at www.2jane.com or www.wallies.com for ideas.

No money, but need a change?

Get rid of the junk.

It doesn’t cost a dime to clean up your space. Get rid of anything that isn’t supposed to be there.

After that, give your bathroom a good cleaning. It’s hard to believe what a difference that will make.

Bettina Chang/CTW Features contributed to this story.

Essential Home Sunny Daisy Shower Curtain available at Kmart, $12.99. Clear shower curtains might seem kiddish, but this bright daisy design adds a playful feel to the bathroom without delving into rubber ducky territory. The complementary colors of the flowers carry a built-in color scheme for this 100-percent vinyl PEVA product.

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By ANDREW WIG Staff Writer t starts with a drip, drip, drip.

And it can turn into a four letter word.

With copious rainfall and saturating humidity levels this past summer, homeowners have seen more of it, and so have disaster clean-up professionals.

“We see mold all the time,” said Rob Fearer, Hutchinson-based operations manager for ServiceMaster, a disaster restoration company that serves regions including Meeker and McLeod counties.

The number of mold problems they have treated “is definitely higher this year,” Fearer said. “There’s a lot of untreated water damage.”

What begins with water damage due a number of reasons — including sump pumps and leaky foundations overwhelmed by this summer’s torrential rain events — can quickly turn into a moldy invasion.

So in these cases, mop up without hesitation, Fearer says.

Because the longer it is sits, the worse it gets. “The cost to remediate that loss is probably doubling every four to eight hours,”

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After exposure to water, many materials within a home can harbor mold and give off that distinctive musty smell.

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he said.

But sometimes, no one is there to notice. Shuttered and foreclosed homes are especially vulnerable, as Lenny Rutledge, a building official for the city of Hutchinson, has witnessed.

“I can name three houses in this town where they were foreclosed and someone bought them and basically, they hired a contractor to come in and take every piece of Sheetrock and drywall out of them,” Rutledge said.

The houses, he added, were then aired out, and sprayed with a mold inhibitor.

Fearer, too, has seen the extreme costs of water left to sit for extended periods. He remembers a job at a Maple Lake cabin; a pipe had burst over the winter and unforgivingly doused the summer residence.

“The water had run until the well pump burned out,” Fearer said.

That spring, the owners found a cabin teeming with fungal life, a science experiment. “A rainbow of mold” covered about everything, Fearer recalled. “You opened the door and you could smell mold from 50 feet away.”

The cabin had to be demolished, Fearer said.

In another example of the fungus’ destructive influence, the community

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

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Fall Home Improvement 7

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Once identified, mold can be removed from a home. Permiable surfaces such as carpet and insulation need to be replaced while wood can often be cleaned. center in Cosmos had to be shuttered late last year due to a mold infestation, and is scheduled to be demolished.

These cases represent extremes, but even unspectacular cases bare substantial cost to homeowners — “If you’ve got a fully affected moldy basement, thousands of dollars for sure,” Fearer said.

And there are the health risks associated with mold, which depend on the person and extent of the mold infestation. Especially sensitive are those with asthma or allergies, conditions that can be worsened by mold, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Also at greater risk are those with weakened immune systems, who can develop serious fungal respiratory infections, MDH says.

Diagnosing a mold problem is relatively straight forward, Fearer said.

“If you can smell it, it’s active,” Fearer said. “You walk into a basement and it smells musty, it smells musty for a reason.”

Professionals can conduct tests to confirm a mold diagnosis, Fearer said. But if it smells like mold, and looks like mold, it’s a good bet it’s mold, so those tests can be

unnecessary in a common household mold scenario, he added.

Once diagnosed, banishing mold often calls for drastic measures.

Mold-infested permeable materials such as carpets and drywall cannot be treated and must be removed, according to MDH; once it’s in there, it’s in there. The outlook is less dire for impermeable surfaces like countertops and flooring. Those can be treated with common soap such as Dawn, Fearer said, adding that wood also can be salvageable.

Removing the mold, however, is just a start. To prevent an ongoing mold problem, “you have to look at the source,” Fearer said. It could be as simple as a single leak, or could be something less tangible, such as persistent humidity.

“The humidity problem has to be addressed, otherwise cleaning up the mold really does nothing for you,” Fearer said. “It comes back.”

He recommends an industrial dehumidifier for such situations.

Better yet, keep the water out, or get it out in a hurry. Failing to do so risks a visit from Fearer and company.

“You walk into a basement and it smells musty, it smells musty for a reason.”

Rob Fearer,

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8 Fall Home Improvement

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For the

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for the long haul, reports Suvak, who recently completed a study of consumers’ attitudes towards kitchens.

By MARILYN KENNEDY MELIA CTW Features he kitchen is finally earning its moniker, the “heart of the home.”

Until recently, homeowners poured money and time into remodeling their kitchens, aiming to make them attractive and increase the home value, rather than following their own desires.

“For years, we’ve heard that if you want to sell your home, start by remodeling your kitchen because it has the highest return on investment,” says Jack Suvak, senior director of research and insights for Moen, the North Olmsted, Ohio-based sink and faucet supplier.

In an era of weak prices for real estate, however, fewer owners are thinking of moving. Instead, they are remodeling to suit their own tastes and needs - now and

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Kitchen design should fit a family’s lifestyle. An open area with comfortable seating makes the kitchen a gathering place.

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You and your family are the ultimate authority on your kitchen. A designer can’t just swoop in and provide solutions.

“I start with a conversation,” says Mick De Giulio, a Chicago kitchen designer and author. After an initial discussion about how a family cooks, lives and entertains, De Giulio leaves owners with the assignment of observing exactly what’s happening in their kitchen.

Are groceries brought in from an entry that’s far from the kitchen? Can kids get drinking water for themselves? Does a profusion of piping make it hard to store things under the sink?

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(In fact, De Giulio just tackled the problem of under-sink piping. The Multiere sink he designed for Kallista has a drain in the corner, thereby relegating pipes to one small area on the side.)

Sometimes, the fix involves a large-scale remodel. But often, Suvak says, owners will perform “room lifts,” his term for small-scale projects.

Room lifts ensure a kitchen can evolve with the owners’ needs, Suvak adds.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THERMADOR

Built-in coffee machines like the Thermador Savor save counter space and are easy to install. need in cups or ounces and it’s delivered from the refrigerator without messy pouring from the sink.

Personal corner Families often have unique habits that can be accommodated with dedicated areas of the kitchen. “I had a client who loved smoothies,” De Giulio says, “so we made a special station for their blenders.”

The National Kitchen and Bath Association identified stations for coffee makers and espresso machines as a trend in a recent style report. Atlanta kitchen design-

er Jackie Naylor confirms that her clients like these stations in which coffee makers are recessed into the wall, and may or may not require a plumbing connection.

Since the coffee makers are recessed, they allow more uncluttered counter space, another priority for homeowners, says Beatriz Sandoval, senior marketing manager of Thermador.

Thermador’s Savor Built-In Coffee Machine uses a refillable water tank, so it does not need to be connected to plumbing lines, making installation easier, says Sandoval.

As the hub of the home, kitchens usually involve a tangle of communication devices, such as cell phones and laptops.

A “tech station” with plug-ins for devices and an organized central drop point is one of the most popular requirements for today’s families, says Naylor.

Instead of carving out valuable counter space, “I have found that installing [outlets] in a pantry and using shelf space there for a tech station is perfect,” she says.

Small wonders If a family doesn’t have any specific ideas for improvements to the kitchen, browsing new products should spur ideas for making this room more functional.

For instance, Rev-A-Shelf, a Jeffersontown, Ky. maker of trash storage units, has partnered with Blum, a maker of cabinet drawers, to offer an “electric assist” waste container. For busy cooks whose hands are always full, this waste container opens automatically with a touch of the cabinet.

De Giulio’s Multiere sink also incorporates a small hanger under a built-in cutting board, solving the tricky issue of where to hang a dish rag.

Re-shaping the traditional faucet shape to a gooseneck design yields a lot more control. “You can pull the faucet down and aim precisely where you want to,” explains Suvak. Moen offers the Brantford and Anabelle faucets with this feature.

Flexibility is the key when designing for the long haul, so that elements can be moved in and out to accommodate future needs, De Giulio explains.

When his four kids were young, “We had a big round table in the bay” where the family ate. “When they were grown, my wife and I would sit at that big table and it felt empty. So we’ve replaced it with comfy chairs and a low table.”

Concludes De Giulio, “There are so many different ways we can think out a kitchen.”

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It’s common for today’s parents to invite kids to help in the kitchen. Suvak says his research shows safety and practicality are priorities for parents when kids cook.

Appliance makers have that idea in mind, too. Bosch, for instance, has an “AutoChef” sensor available on both induction and electric cook tops. The sensor measures the temperature from the bottom of the pan and maintains that temperature to deliver precise cooking results. “The pre-programmed features make this product perfect for those who are just learning how to cook,” says Malte Peters, product manager for Bosch.

Aiming to help kids measure water for pasta or other dishes, GE offers Precise Fill technology on side-by-side refrigerators.

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Fall Home Improvement 9

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Thinking small works in kitchen design

By COURTENAY EDELHART CTW Features mall kitchens can be a little claustrophobic, particularly in the age of open architectural layouts. However, a dash of creativity and some sleight of hand design tricks can help make the most of the space and create the illusion of a bigger room.

In fact, the size of a room works to the user’s advantage from a design and budget standpoint. People with large kitchens might find it cost prohibitive to do higherend upgrades, but kitchens in a small space can be more ambitious because they require less materials. So go ahead, splurge on a marble floor or granite countertop.

There are bargains to be had in a contractor’s scrap pile. Many of them save remnants of natural stone or quartz from larger jobs and sell them at deep discounts to people willing to accept smaller pieces.

Another shortcut is pre-fabricated granite that comes in planks already done with

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Refrigerator drawers that are just 24 inches wide can add 5.6 cubic feet of refrigerated space. edge detail. A custom granite kitchen usually requires whole slabs of granite. Someone needs to make a template, have the fabrication done and then have it installed, says Lenny Sciarrino, president and CEO of

Granite Gold in San Diego.

“With prefab, you just purchase the plank and then have it installed,” he said.

“The cutting and fitting is done on site, so the labor is less, too.”

If the kitchen adjoins a family room, knock out a wall to open the space and put in a breakfast bar with little cubbies on the side, suggests Chris Roblin, owner of Chris Roblin Design in North Royalton, Ohio.

This adds both a place to eat and some storage to compensate for any cabinets sacrificed in the elimination of the wall.

Choosing light colors helps, too, because dark colors make a room feel smaller. Get cabinets in a light wood or paint them white or beige, Roblin says.

But don’t let that conventional wisdom trap you in a room that’s devoid of color, says designer and popular blogger Kelly Morisseau, author of “Kelly’s Kitchen Sync” (Springline Media, 2011).

“It’s all how it’s designed together. Look to the rest of the world to see what colors they add. Many of their kitchens are not ‘American-sized,’ and they do quite fine

with stronger colors.”

It’s critical in any case to have good lighting, Morisseau says. Ideally, a room should have one light source in the center of the ceiling and secondary sources that can be dimmed, redirected and otherwise manipulated to reach problem areas and highlight decorative focal points and work spaces.

Drawers also are a way to sneak in some appliance capacity. Refrigerator drawers, dishwasher drawers and warming oven drawers are on the pricey side and have mostly been used in larger homes, but they can fit almost anywhere.

“The drawers add extra value and convenience to the home without sacrificing a lot of space,” said Steve Proctor, director of sales and marketing for appliance maker True, which recently won a Kitchen & Bath Industry Show award for one of its undercounter refrigerator drawers.

Hiding larger appliances behind cabinet doors is another solution. Big appliances can easily dominate a small space and chop up a room, said Roblin.

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HW floor & coved ceiling accent LR-DR, 2+ BR, 1 1/2 BA, breakfast room, mf laundry, spacioius deck & patio + dbl. gar. w/att. shop. $59,900.

Anna Dummer Realty www.fairfaxmnhomes.com 507-426-6002

Commercial bldg., 9,000 sq. ft., includes 12x16 hoist, heavyduty air comp., portable offices + add’l. office space, 6,500 ft. warehouse area. $90,000.

Anna Dummer Realty www.fairfaxmnhomes.com 507-426-6002

D REDUCE

Fairfax

Fairfax

5 ac. hobby farm on main hwy., remodeled 4 BR, 1 1/2 BA home, newer roof & upgraded septic. Buildings & hay ground for horses. $98,900.

Anna Dummer Realty www.fairfaxmnhomes.com 507-426-6002

High visibility 1.5 acre city lot along St. Hwy., furnished 11 unit motel with updated mgr’s apt., recent steel roof, vinyl windows, siding. $118,000.

Anna Dummer Realty www.fairfaxmnhomes.com 507-426-6002

Grove City Log home on Long Lake. 2 BR, formal DR, knotty pine ceil., log hand rails to loft. 2 1/4 acres. 240’ lakeshore. $235,500.

Gwen Cram All-Star Realty 30 3rd St. E., Litchfield 320-221-3840

LINE SHORE

D REDUCE

Hutchinson 4 BR rambler close to shopping, park & hospital has 3 BRs on main level, LL FR, deck & fenced-in back yard. $118,000.

Melissa Straka Coldwell Banker Advantage 317 Hwy. 7 E., Hutchinson 612-703-0223

Hutchinson 3 BR, 3 BA in great location across from a park. New siding, trim paint, BA fixtures, paint, kit. sink, S.S. appliances. $174,900.

Lonnie Brand Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-1989

Hutchinson

Hutchinson

Over 2 acres, 400’ of lake shore on private cove, over 2000 sq. ft on 1 floor w/4 BR, 2 BA, mst., storage, htd. garage. $177,700.

Lonnie Brand Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-1989

5 BR, 4 BA rambler 4 BR on 1 level. Fireplace, new kitchen, deck, htd. & insul. gar. Completely remodeled. $207,900.

Mick Wigen Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-1919

D REDUCE

Hutchinson

Hutchinson

Hutchinson

Hutchinson

Litchfield

Litchfield

Custom built 1-owner w/o rambler overlooking pond & golf course. HW floors, ceramic BA, cust. built-ins. $349,900.

Mick Wigen Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-1919

Immaculate 2 story brick front commercial property. New windows & doors. 8400 fsf + full basement. Must see. $399,900.

Mick Wigen Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-1919

Remodeled in 1995. Enjoy spectacular views of the Crow River from any room.

BARGAIN! The HULS Team RE/MAX Today’s Realty 255 Hwy. 7 E., Hutchinson 320-583-9711

Wet bar in LL rec room adjacent to exercise room, pocket drs. to formal DR, lg. storage area above garage. $265,000.

Mick Wigen Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-1919

2 BR, 1 1/2 story, 1 1/2 BA. Completely remodeled. Hickory cab., new ceramic floor, vinyl siding & windows. $85,500.

Gwen Cram All-Star Realty 30 3rd St. E., Litchfield 320-221-3840

This would be a GREAT Bed & Breakfast! 7 BR, 4 fireplaces and much more! $159,900.

Norm & Lorna Menken Menken Real Estate & Insurance 335 East Hwy. 12, Litchfield 320-593-3324

D REDUCE

Winsted Great opportunity! Nice lot in quiet neighborhood. Lots of completed updates. Appliances are 7 years old & stay. $93,000.

Jeanne Ray Edina Realty 904 Hwy. 15 S., Hutchinson 320-583-7184

Up-to-date listings every Wednesday.

Litchfield 2 1/2 country acres. 330’ of Casey Lake frontage. Century old oak trees. Tar road & blacktop drive.

Norm & Lorna Menken Menken Real Estate & Insurance 335 East Hwy. 12, Litchfield 320-593-3324

The Weekly Real Estate Guide is a full color page appearing each Wednesday on the back page of the Hutchinson Leader and each Thursday in the Litchfield Independent Review. Combined circulation of the two newspapers is 9,300 homes—that’s more than 20,000 readers with same-day delivery to 15 area cities.

Current Open Houses and new listings will be featured weekly. For the latest up-todate real estate listings, look for the Weekly Real Estate Guide.

Contact your Ad Rep today!

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL?

Contact one of these professionals for all your real estate needs.

Mick Wigen EDINA REALTY

Realtor, GRI 320-583-1919

Anna Dummer

ANNA DUMMER REALTY

Broker/Realtor 507-276-6725 www.fairfaxmnhomes.com

ANNA DUMMER REALTY

Gwen Cram

ALL-STAR REALTY

Broker/Owner/GRI 320-593-1100 Cell: 320-221-3840

Rachel Huls The HULS Team

Broker Assoc., CDPE, CRS, e-Pro

RE/MAX Today’s Realty 320-234-4404 Cell: 320-583-9711

Today’s Realty

Jeanne Ray

Lonnie Brand

Realtor, RSA 320-583-7184

Realtor, e-Pro 320-583-1989 lonniebrand@edinarealty.com

EDINA REALTY

EDINA REALTY

Fall Home Improvement 13

LEADER/INDEPENDENT REVIEW FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT

READER CONTEST It’s Simple...

all you need to do is Alphabetize all the business names with ads in this Home Improvement section. Write answers below; there are 50 ads in the section. Entries must be received by 4:00 pm on Wednesday, September 14, 2011.

Winners will be notified by phone. Employees of the Hutchinson Leader and Independent Review and their immediate families are not eligible to win. Must be 18 to enter. The ads on pages 12 & 13 are not included.

1st PLACE :

4 Tickets

to 2011 Minnesota Renaissance Festival

2nd PLACE :

2 Tickets

to 2011 Minnesota Renaissance Festival

1. ______________________________

26. _____________________________

2. ______________________________

27. _____________________________

3. ______________________________

28. _____________________________

4. ______________________________

29. _____________________________

5. ______________________________

30. _____________________________

6. ______________________________

31. _____________________________

7. ______________________________

32. _____________________________

8. ______________________________

33. _____________________________

9. ______________________________

34. _____________________________

10. ______________________________

35. _____________________________

11. ______________________________

36. _____________________________

12. ______________________________

37. _____________________________

13. ______________________________

38. _____________________________

14. ______________________________

39. _____________________________

15. ______________________________

40. _____________________________

16. ______________________________

41. _____________________________

17. ______________________________

42. _____________________________

18. ______________________________

43. _____________________________

Norm & Lorna Menken

Melissa Straka

19. ______________________________

44. _____________________________

Broker, Realtor® GRI 320-593-3324 menkenre@hutchtel.net www.menkenrealestate.com

Coldwell Banker Advantage 320-587-8786 Cell: 612-703-0223

20. ______________________________

45. _____________________________

21. ______________________________

46. _____________________________

22. ______________________________

47. _____________________________

23. ______________________________

48. _____________________________

24. ______________________________

49. _____________________________

25. ______________________________

50. _____________________________

Realtor

Your Perfect Partner TM

Name______________________________________________________________

Greg Witt

EDINA REALTY

Address ____________________________________________________________

Realtor 320-234-0929 gregwitt@edinarealty.com

City ____________________________ Phone ___________________________ Entries must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 14, 2011 at the Hutchinson Leader, 36 Washington Ave. W., Hutchinson, MN 55350.

75609 HI

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Doing it right

the first time

77558

14 Fall Home Improvement

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fall Home Improvement 15

TV host explains correct way to remodel

By J. JEWELL BATES CTW Features t is readily apparent that contracting runs in the blood of HGTV’s Mike Holmes. “I didn’t have video games, so from the time I was two, I was following my dad around,” says Holmes while explaining his love affair with contracting. “He was the neighborhood handyman, people would call all the time and say, ‘Jim, can you fix this?’ I thought he was a god.”

Holmes credits his dad for his passion for doing things right the first time. It is this work ethic, a desire to be in charge (he’s a Leo after all) and natural inquisitiveness that led Holmes to begin running a construction company at age 19 and establish his own renovation company two years later.

These characteristics, plus his disarming straightforwardness, led to one fateful conversation with a friend in the employ of

I

“If you are going to do it, you might as well do it right the first time.”

— Mike Holmes, HGTV. The 30-minute rant included all of Holmes’ ideas about what he thought was missing from the network. The friend offered Holmes the opportunity to host a show, and although he was resistant at first, he knew it was a chance to educate thousands of households at once. “I just couldn’t resist,” says Holmes.

Now, Holmes is the host of the awardwinning television series “Holmes on Homes” and “Holmes Inspection” on HGTV. He also has written a book called “Make it Right: Expert Advice on Home Renovations” (Time Home Entertainment, 2011), an easy-to-understand guide to inside home renovations that effortlessly communicates with the novice without boring the more experienced. Holmes’ professional philosophy shines through: “If you are going to do it, you might as well do

at left, host of “Holmes on Homes” it right the first time.”

Holmes has over two decades’ experience in home renovation and construction, and he relishes in sharing that knowledge. “I really enjoy educating people,” says Holmes. “I’ve seen so many homes built badly.” He attributes much of the subpar construction and renovation to lack of planning, not using the best materials and people making quick, uninformed decisions. Always eager to share information, Holmes provides some industry insights and tips on how to get the best result out of a kitchen or bath renovation:

vent it, Holmes suggests using the best products like blue board or mold-resistant drywall on the walls vs. green drywall (which may be water resistant but not mold resistant) and concrete backer board for the tub or shower area.

Haste Makes Waste When contemplating a renovation, Holmes urges homeowners to “slow down, plan (and plan some more), and educate yourself.” He knows that people get excited about what they see in magazines, but Holmes wants them to pause and make a detailed wish list of exactly what they want, take a thorough inventory of their homes, determine how much money they can afford to spend, begin compiling a list of professionals, and decide when the renovation will best fit into your life.

The contracting ritual

Holmes on Green Holmes believes sustainable design is design that will last. Mold is a common problem in most kitchens and baths, and widespread mold can result in thousands of dollars in repair costs. In order to pre-

“Picking a contractor is like dating,” says Holmes. “Do your research, ask for at least 20 references and take the time out to call all 20.” Among the topics to cover when Continued on page 16

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16 Fall Home Improvement

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

10 tips for a less stressful remodel

Holmes

Holmes listed kitchen renovations as the No. 1 requested project. Like bathrooms, Holmes advises against quick cosmetic solutions to upgrade a kitchen. If the cabinets are ragged and the counter is rotting around the sink, there is a good chance that areas that aren’t readily visible, like the plumbing and wiring, are old and in disrepair. A renovation is an opportunity to take a kitchen down to the studs and make it right.

Get all the necessary permits.

Continued from page 15 questioning prior clients: timeliness, cleanliness of the job site, budget adherence and a request to visit and see examples of their work. Holmes does not recommend people acting as their own general contractor. Instead, he says, “Be sure to pick someone you can trust.”

1.

2. Be present at all building inspections.

3. Resist quick fixes.

4. Pick the flooring surface carefully. For example, avoid wood or lam-

inate “click” flooring for moist, high-traffic areas.

When gutting is good Holmes says that there are very few situations that a bathroom renovation does not need to start with a complete gut of the old fixtures, systems, floor, tiles and drywall - especially in an older home. The bathroom is the room most at risk for leaks, mold, moisture and poor ventilation. Unless the renovations are very minor (the bathroom is solidly built, fairly new and only the countertops and cabinets need to be replaced), Holmes believes a full renovation is in order.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

5. Make sure the subfloor is right for the flooring material.

6. Seal stone floors before they are grouted.

7. Consider how porous the countertop material is. Stone surfaces such as granite have to be regularly sealed.

8.

Consider custom cabinets. They are stronger and built to last.

Holmes feels the six to 12-week wait is worth it.

9.

Carefully plan lighting with different options, and think about the function of each fixture (for example, under and above the sink, above the stove, etc.).

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HOLMES GROUP

Mike Holmes and construction supervisor Damon Bennett discover a moldy drywall.

10. Invest in a quality ventilation system that will vent outside the home.

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Fall Home Improvement 17

Sunday, September 4, 2011

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We’re offering our customers rebates for energy-efficient products. Rebate programs started January 1, 2011 and continue until funding is depleted. Applications for rebates are available at HUC’s office at 225 Michigan St. S.E., or online at www.hutchinsonutilities.com.

These residential rebate programs are available for 2011.

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Hutchinson Utilities Commission (HUC) is your locally owned gas and electric Public Power Utility. Hutchinson is one of 126 Minnesota cities that benefit from having a local municipal utility. A public power utility is a tremendous community asset.

Here are some of the reasons why:

We have great service.

We’re part of the community and our policy makers, managers and workers are part of the community. Our crews are always on hand in the event of an emergency. You don’t need to call an 800 number to talk to us.

We’re locally regulated.

Rates and service practices are set by members of the community who live in the community. If you have a problem, you know who to talk to.

We’re owned by our customers.

There is no tension between the interests of customers and the interests of stockholders. Our focus is Main Street, not Wall Street. We work for you.

We’re not in it for the money.

Municipal utilities are operated in the public interest. Our goal is long-term community benefit, not short-term gain. We work hard to save you money.

We’re the yardstick for the industry.

For generations public power systems have set standards for rates and service that other utilities have had to meet.

Hutchinson Utilities Commission 225 Michigan St. S.E., Hutchinson 320-587-4746 www.hutchinsonutilities.com

We’ll be there.

Hutchinson Utilities Commission has served their communities for more than 70 years. In an era when new competitors come and go faster than we can learn their names, you can count on us.

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18 Fall Home Improvement

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Brian Lokensgard, co-owner of L & P Supply Co., in Hutchinsom, sells many types of yardcare equipment and services it, too. This year’s wet summer has been good for his business — people are using their lawn mowers and other yard equipment more often, which requires it be maintained more frequently.

Winterizing yard care equipment TWO SMALL-ENGINE EXPERTS OFFER ADVICE ON HOW TO ADD YEARS TO THE LIFE OF YOUR LAWN MOWER AND OTHER POWER EQUIPMENT

By DOUG HANNEMAN For Fall Home Improvement ith the change of seasons only a few weeks away, area homeowners will soon put their yard-care equipment in storage.

For many, that means finding a tidy space STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG HANNEMAN

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79254 HI

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fall Home Improvement 19

for the lawn mower in the back of the garage or shed, and finding a more convenient space up front for the snow blower.

But experts warn if your routine is that simple, it could cost you plenty.

Before storing your equipment for the winter, there are several things you should do to help your lawn mower, string trimmer, power washer and other smallengine-powered equipment start easily in the spring and perform well for years to come.

Two of the region’s yard-care equipment experts — Brian Lokensgard and Marshall Kranz — have seen firsthand what happens when homeowners fail to follow a few simple maintenance rules. Most of the repair business at their respective shops comes from chagrined customers who fail to follow their equipments’ owner’s manuals.

The most basic rule: Drain the gasoline from your equipment before you store it.

“Fuel, fuel, fuel is my biggest concern,” said Kranz, who owns Kranz Lawn and Power on State Highway 7, one mile east of Hutchinson. “Seventy percent of my business is old fuel gumming up in the

Marshall Kranz, owner of Kranz Lawn and Power worked on a carburetor that had been gummed up with old fuel. Ethanol gasoline ages more quickly than nonoxygenated fuel,which is causing more problems for small engines, he said.

Continued on page 20

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20 Fall Home Improvement

Equipment Continued from page 19 carburetor.”

Lokensgard, who co-owns L & P Supply Co. on South Grade Road, explained that most of today’s fuel contains ethanol, which has a shelf life of about a month.

“It has to be used more quickly,” he said.

The two men said fuel can be stored longer if it is nonoxygenated premium gasoline, which is available in Hutchinson from Schmeling Oil Co. on Adams Street Southeast. Or a fuel stabilizer such as Stabil or Sea Foam can be added.

“It gives you a little more longevity,” Lokensgard said. “But if it’s going to sit all winter, it’s best to drain it.”

Ethanol, according to Kranz, “might be good for the environment, but its hard on small engines.”

Here are some other tips from the experts:

Tune-ups Lokensgard recommends annual tuneups, depending on use. A basic tune-up typically includes replacing oil, spark

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

“During hard times like this, people tend to fix their equipment rather than upgrade.

We give them options.”

Brian Lokensgard, L & P Supply Co. plugs, and oil and fuel filters, and a grease job. “Air filters may need to be changed more often if there are dusty or dry conditions,” he said.

Do-it-yourselfers can do all these things if they know how. Owner’s manuals do a pretty good job of explaining routine maintenance.

But do people read those manuals?

“Most people don’t,” Lokensgard said.

For example, finding the grease zerks can be a challenge if you don’t use the manual. “There are hidden places of grease zerks on a lot of equipment,” he said.

This year, with all the rain, oil needs to be changed more frequently because equipment is being used more. Kranz said spring and mid-summer are the best times to replace oil in equipment such as lawn mowers, lawn tractors, string trim-

mers and other equipment used mainly during warmer months.

“I’m not a big fan of changing it in the fall,” he said. Replace it in the fall, he said, and there’s a risk of moisture building up over the winter.

But he does recommend that equipment be greased in the fall. “That way you push out any moisture residue that’s been in there during the summer,” he said.

Lawn mower blades Lokensgard said blades need to be sharpened regularly. “A mower blade doesn’t have to be razor sharp,” he said.

“About once a year should be sufficient.

But if you hit something like a rock, then it should be sharpened.”

Kranz recommends sharpening blades more often when the mower is heavily used. “As much as we’re using them this

summer,” he said, “I’d recommend sharpening two or three times a year.”

Overall attention to maintenance should be stepped up in summers like this one, when lawns are being mowed as often as twice a week. “When it’s real warm, it’s harder on equipment,” Lokensgard said.

Likewise, a long winter like the one we just had can be hard on snow removal equipment. The same maintenance rules apply. “What you do to trimmers and mowers in the fall, you should do to snow blowers in the spring,” Kranz advised.

Routine preventive maintenance can add years of usefulness to yard work equipment. Sometimes, though, major repairs are needed, and owners must be make a decision between fixing their equipment or replacing it.

“During hard times like this, ” Lokensgard said, “people tend to fix their equipment rather than upgrade. We give them options.”

The bottom line is maintenance — whether done at home or in a shop — saves money in the long run.

“If people don’t have time to do this,” Kranz said, “that’s why there’s shops like us around.”

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No more water waste ore than half of all water use inside a house takes place in the bathroom. How efficient is yours?

Water managers in at least 36 states in the U.S. expect water shortages to occur over the next few years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website. More than half of all water use inside a house takes place inside the bathroom. How efficient is yours?

The average American family of four uses 400 gallons a day — but can save up to 30 percent on water bills by using water-efficient products. Thes factoids at right from the EPA and the Alliance for Water Efficiency can help homeowners save water, money and energy.

M

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Fall Home Improvement 21 If it takes a long time for the shower to heat up, collect the pre-showering water for other uses, like watering houseplants.

Keeping waste materials (including toilet paper) out of the toilet can reduce water usage.

Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, that's an indication of a lea that needs to be fixed.

It's not always more efficient to take a shower rather than a bath, especially if the tub is only filled halfway. A shower that lasts 15 minutes or longer is always onsidered non-efficient by the Alliance for Water Efficiency, even if a low-flow showerhead is used.

Don't forget that water waste is also energy waste because of the cost of heating water.

Running the faucet for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.

The EPA recommends that homeowners replace toilets installed before 1994 (1992 in Texas and California) with high-efficiency toilets.

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Something as simple as turning off the tap while brushing teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water a day.

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77599

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

22 Fall Home Improvement

Hutchinson Leader/Litchfield Independent Review

Sunday, September 4, 2011

How to prevent ice dams AIR LEAKS ARE THE CAUSE , SO PLUGGING THEM OFTEN HELPS f this winter is anything like last year’s, homeowners might see the return of a common Minnesota winter pest: ice dams.

Ice dams are a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow water from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause dam-

I

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

Large icicles are often a sign of an ice dam. In this photo, snow melt caused by attic heat loss and warming of roofing collected at a roof eave to create an ice dam.

Time to Schedule Fall Clean-Up.

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Do I Need a Building Permit?

If you are planning a home improvement project and are wondering if a permit is required... please call the Hutchinson Building/Zoning/Planning Department at (320) 234-4216; visit the City’s web site at www.ci.hutchinson.mn.us; or stop by the City Center at 111 Hassan St. S.E. Our friendly staff await your questions!

76777 HI

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age to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas.

Patrick Huelman, associate Extension professor, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, says it takes three things to have an ice dam: snow cover on the roof, outdoor temperatures at several degrees below freezing and a melting roof above a freezing roof.

“The freezing roof is generally at the overhang where it is approximately at outdoor conditions, while the melting roof is usually heated by heat loss from the house,” Huelman said.

According to the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Office of Energy, ice dams occur when heat leaks into the attic and melts the underside of the snow on the roof. The melted snow then flows down the roof surface until it reaches a cold spot (such as the eaves or soffit) where it forms a frozen dam, behind which more snow melt and ice pile up.

The ice build-up can back up under the shingles, damaging them and allowing water to leak to the ceilings and walls below.

Anywhere there is a penetration into the attic space (around wires, plumbing vents, light fixtures, chimneys, knee walls), pres-

Sunday, September 4, 2011

ents the potential for air leaks. Even homes that are only a few years old may not be properly sealed. To avoid these types of problems and eliminate most ice dams, attic air leaks must be sealed with caulking or expanding spray foam. Typical attic insulation alone will not stop air leaks or prevent ice dams.

An energy audit with an infrared scan can pinpoint trouble spots. If snow and ice must be removed, hiring licensed roofing contractors who use steamers is strongly recommended.

Also, Huelman recommends attic ventilation. “This can help marginal ice dam formation, but won’t completely eliminate the melting condition for homes with more severe heat loss. Snow removal should be a last resort. It is dangerous, hard on the roofing materials and can be expensive.”

Also tough on roofs are heating cables, which will shorten the life of a roof and cost money to operate.

For more information on ice dams, visit the Office of Energy Security's website at www.energy.mn.gov.

Source: University of Minnesota Extension Service, Minnesota Department of Commerce

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