2021 Fall Home Improvement

Fall

HOME GUIDE • New Construction • Remodel • Restoration • Landscaping • DIY Projects • Design

2021

WHAT’S INSIDE: Painting Team Tackles jobs big and small page 3

Metcalf at Home In his own gym page 6

Backyard Butterflies Lozano nurtures Monarchs page 11

Think Spring Now! Plant bulbs this Fall page 14

Millwork Provides Custom Home Look page 17

What’s Underfoot?

Current Flooring Trends page 20

Decorating Easy as 1-2-3-4 page 22

Appliances Playing Hard to Get page 26

Maintenance Matters!

Handy Seasonal Maintenance Checklist page 30

ST R

Publications

A Special Edition of the STAR Shopper Brought to you courtesy of the many advertisers throughout this publication. Thank you for supporting them.

Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 3

Painting team tackles jobs big and small Owner Sue Smith turned side hustle into full-time career

BY ELLARRY PRENTICE STAFF WRITER

GREY EAGLE – Sue Smith’s business started as a friendly offer to lend a hand.

Hundreds of jobs and a quarter of a century later, it is still going strong with a team of women in spackled shirts.

Smith is the founder and owner of Sue’s Painting & Staining. The Albany-based business provides interior and exterior painting and staining.

In a few days or less, Smith and her team of experienced painters can transform the appearance of walls, ceilings, millwork, doors, siding, windows, decks and railings at residential and commercial properties.

“Whatever goes with the house,” Smith said of what she and her team can paint or stain.

Whether it is a small bathroom at an existing residence or an expansive new home, the team has the “womanpower” and supplies to get the job done. They have painted houses as big as 5,000 square feet; one of their upcoming jobs will involve painting 30 interior doors.

You could say the business found Smith, not the other way around. When someone told her they were looking for someone to finish trim work on an addition to their house, Smith offered to tackle the project.

“They said, ‘What about painting it?’ I said, ‘Well, I could do that, too,’” Smith recalled.

At the time, Smith was working four 10-hour shifts a week at Fingerhut in St. Cloud and was looking to stay busy on the fifth day of the workweek, when her kids were in school.

Soon, word spread about Smith’s painting skills, and she was asked to do more jobs.

“I was getting a list that was getting big,” Smith said.

Deciding to make her side hustle a full-time career, Smith left Fingerhut for the brush and can. She has been painting and staining for about 25 years.

Smith likes the variety of

PHOTOS BY ELLARRY PRENTICE

Natalie Kohout (from left), Christine Steichen, Sue Smith and Marsha Blonigen take a break from painting a house Sept. 9 on Birch Lake in rural Grey Eagle. The team does about 150 painting/staining jobs per year.

her work.

“It’s nice to move around.

It actually gets boring when you’re stranded at a job forever,” she said.

She also likes being able to work year-round, especially on outdoor projects when the weather is nice.

Smith’s daughter, Christine Steichen, who lives in Sauk Centre, acquired her mother’s knack for painting and staining.

She started helping her mom on summer breaks during high school and has worked with her full-time for 15 years.

“I just like how you can clean stuff up and see what you did in a day,” Steichen said of the results. “We usually love when our project’s finished,” added Smith.

Like her mom, Steichen is fussy about her work. It is important to her that each

Beautify your home t!! inside and ou

surface they cover looks just right.

Other full-time crew members are Marsha Blonigen and Natalie Kohout, both of Albany.

The crew typically works within a 20- to 30-mile radius of Albany, but sometimes travels farther on a referral or if requested by repeat customers.

The painters do about 150 jobs per year. The average painting or staining job takes about two-and-a-half to three days to complete, Smith said.

Painting team page 4 Sue Smith paints a deck Sept. 9 at a lake place north of St. Rosa.

Smith, who lives in Albany, has been staining and painting houses for about 25 years.

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Page 4 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

PHOTO BY ELLARRY PRENTICE

Natalie Kohout (from left), Marsha Blonigen and Sue Smith paint a deck Sept. 9 in rural Grey Eagle. They had just finished painting the house a sage green.

Painting team from page 3

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Smith’s “signature” touch is painting a quarter-inch transitional line where the wall meets the ceiling. She accomplishes the technique completely freehand with just a brush, no painter’s tape.

“I bring my ceiling color onto the wall about a quarter-inch, and then I start my color below that,” Smith said.

Getting precise, even lines where the wall meets the ceiling can be tricky.

Smith started adding a band of ceiling color around the top of rooms after observing how popcorn ceilings often make it difficult to achieve a smooth transition. The texture often causes bumps and paint seepage blobs.

Steichen is impressed by her mom’s technique, which requires a steady hand, a firm grip and an eye for detail.

So are their customers, she said.

Extending the ceiling a little down the wall creates the illusion of molding,

gives low ceilings a lift and makes rooms appear larger.

“I think it gives it a cleaner look. If there’s vaults, it accentuates that really nice,” Steichen said.

COVID-19 did not slow down Smith’s Painting & Staining. New home construction, Smith said, remained steady despite the pandemic and the high cost of lumber. The team stayed safe by working in vacant spaces such as newly-constructed homes and seasonal cabins.

“It was a busy summer of new houses,” Steichen said.

Popular wall colors among their customers are white, gray and pewter.

Light colors are popular with earthtoned trim, according to Steichen. Steel blue, she said, is a popular exterior color.

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 5

Marsha Blonigen paints a railing on a deck Sept. 9 near St. Rosa.

Painting Team from page 4 Smith gives free estimates and is happy to assist customers in selecting paint colors.

“We give suggestions with what they like,” she said. “I try to help them; that’s the least I can do.”

Smith’s favorite paint colors keep in line with current trends.

“If they like a gray, we have a favorite gray. If they like a tan, we have a favorite tan,” she said.

Two paint colors Steichen likes are Silverado Sage and Sir Drake from the

Magnolia Home collection.

“That was super pretty with the white line on top,” she said.

Sometimes, customers know exactly what they want, but with so many color choices, some customers do not even know where to begin. That is where the experienced painters come in.

“Some people don’t think of this or that. We see stuff in the trade,” Steichen said.

In addition to painting, the women do a lot of exterior staining on cedar structures and decks, which are powerwashed before the stain is applied.

“We all work together real nice,” Smith said. “The job goes slicker that way. Then it’s on to the next job.”

Silverado Sage

PHOTOS BY ELLARRY PRENTICE

Christine Steichen, of Sauk Centre, paints a garage Sept. 9 on Birch Lake in rural Grey Eagle. Steichen paints full-time with her mom, Sue Smith, owner of Sue’s Painting & Staining.

Sir Drake

Two paint colors Steichen likes are Silverado Sage and Sir Drake from the Magnolia Home collection.

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Page 6 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

Metcalf at home

in his own gym

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY DIANE LEUKAM

Jim Metcalf is pictured Sept.

17 in his home gym, a 24- by 36-foot out-building on his property in Sauk Centre. He began building a gym in his house 30 years ago with a weight bench and weights.

SAUK CENTRE – Jim Metcalf building a gym in his house 30 bbegan e yyears e ago with the addition of a weight bbench e and some weights.

As a former police officer who focused ffo o on his own physical fitness, hhe’s e now helping others do the same.

He trains people out of the gym he has H inside in n an out-building on his property inn Sauk Centre. Some of his clients, he said, sa a have gone on to create their own home gyms. ho For him, it was a matter of convenience. ni i “It’s always there, you don’t have too wait for other people to get off the equipment,” eq q he said. “It’s available at any an n time.”

He also said working out at home takes the ego out of things. tak ta “Ego gets in the way of a lot of good tthings that can be done in a gym,” he th said. sa a “People lift more than they should when they’re out in public.” w Whether they’re working out in a public gym or working out at home, pu Metcalf said safety needs to be the top M ppriority. r And, safety in weight lifting comes with making sure people have the cco o form. pproper r He encourages those new to lifting to hire a trainer in town. Trainers, he

said, focus on form and teach people proper lifting techniques. Technique is key to preventing injuries.

Metcalf lifts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, doing a fullbody workout every other day. His home gym consists of a bench, a ton of weights including bumper plates, metal plates and dumbbells. He has a rowing machine and a glute ham developer as well as a multitude of bars for the weight bench, each of which is for a different kind of lift.

Strength training, he said, is important no matter your age and he’s trained people from age 12 to 67.

“I think as we get older, we need to maintain some of that strength to make life a bit easier,” he said. “There are so many benefits to it … it’s a very important part of your overall health.”

For him, working with clients is about seeing the difference it makes in their lives and watching the gains they make.

He’s had a mother-and-daughter team training in his gym at 5:30 in the morning.

“It’s a pretty neat thing to see,” he said.

Those two went on to build their own home gym which, he said, is equally rewarding.

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 7

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Jim Metcalf explains that most of the work in his gym is done with these racks, where weights can be lifted using barbells that rest on J-Hooks.

Metcalf from page 6

He’s also trained track athletes who advanced to state, and football players. The workouts, he said, may look different depending on their purpose but overall, some of the key components remain the same.

“Strength is strength and we’re just trying to get them stronger,” he said.

For older people, and especially for women, he said strength training can build stronger muscles, bones and ligaments. Additionally, the more muscle someone builds, the more calories they burn when they work out. Building muscle can increase energy, improve posture and reduce the risk of injury while increasing self-confidence and self-esteem.

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“A lot of people go for walks, but the strength aspect of overall fitness has not been stressed enough, especially in older people,” Metcalf said.

As he helps clients work out and as he works out himself, he focuses on compound lifts that use as much of the body as possible at once. In a squat he focuses on joints – the ankle, knees and hips.

“The different parts of your body are always working together,” he said.

When it comes to working on the bench, he encourages home gym enthusiasts to use caution and make sure they buy the proper equipment.

“If you’re going to get hurt or really seriously injured, it’s going to be on the bench press,” he said.

Having a spotter to assist is ideal.

But, he said, some racks include safety bars to lessen the risks.

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 9

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 11

Backyard butterflies

Lozano nurtures monarchs before encouraging them to fly away

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

MELROSE – Connie Lozano helps the butterflies.

This year, she is aiding in the cocooning and emerging of nearly 100 monarchs.

Lozano has a large plastic container she keeps in her room, next to the window, letting in a little breeze and the sun’s rays.

She often awakes to fully-formed butterflies drying their wings for a day before they’re ready to re-enter the natural world. The monarchs are special to her, they’re the butterflies that migrate to Mexico every year where they’re known as Monarca.

For her, the opening of each cocoon brings a spark of joy.

“This is what I start to do and I feel so excited,” she said.

The butterflies seem to like her as well. She had one in her hand, ready to be released and as she told it to go, it fluttered off. When she told it to come back, she said, it landed on her forehead.

“Every day there’s a butterfly that’s ready,” she said.

She watches as the eggs blossom into caterpillars and the caterpillars seek out a place to cocoon and then, eventually, the butterfly emerges. Once their wings are dry and they start to fly in the box, she releases them into the world.

Lozano first began helping the butterflies at the urging of a friend, JoAnn Meyer, who saw her fascination and love of the creatures. She began collecting milkweed to bring into her container, taking special care not to disrupt any eggs on the leaves.

Along with the plants come the tiny caterpillars. She feeds the caterpillars daily with leaf cuttings of milkweed and each year, she releases around 60 butterflies. This year has been prolific and she’s so far released 86 butterflies and still has more caterpillars.

Connie Lozano lets a monarch rest on her hand before it flies away.

A monarch returns to Connie Lazano and perches on her forehead before flying away.

ALL PHOTOS SUBMITTED

“I save lives and I feel good,” she said. “I save the butterflies.”

She checks on them every day and to feed them, switches out dried milkweed for fresh. In one day alone, she had eight emerge from their chrysalis.

“They’re so beautiful and I feel so excited,” she said.

She does her work from August through September and then, she washes out the container and awaits the following year to do it all over again.

Monarchs page 13

Connie Lozano prepares to release the monarchs.

Photo Getty Images

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 13

Monarchs from page 11

Monarchs - the butterflies we love!

Fresh milkweed feeds the caterpillars.

The life-cycle of these amazing beauties.

Caterpillars munch on milkweed leaves inside Connie Lozano’s butterfly container.

A caterpillar fattens itself for its transformation.

Butterflies emerge from their chrysalis and dry their wings before readying to return to the natural world.

Dried chrysalis hang from the top of the butterfly container. The butterflies emerge once the chrysalis darkens.

Monarch butterflies prepare to fly south.

Think Spring now Page 14 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

Plant bulbs in the Fall

soil. Bulbs require soil that’s well-drained and prefer to

BY SARAH COLBURN be planted in sunny spots. When it comes to colors, there STAFF WRITER are options galore. While Meyer herself often opts for pasAchieving a yard that blooms each spring as the snow tels, her husband opts for bright reds, oranges and yellows. begins to melt away takes a little bit of effort and planning Blues, she said, can recede into the landscape but when planted next to yellows make a perfect color combination. now, in the fall.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to fall Planting bulbs in the fall ensures beautiful blooms of pink, yellow, blue, purple and red begin to peek through bulb planting, is creative critters that harvest them for fall snacking. To prevent squirrels from digging, Meyer recomwith the winter thaw.

“You have to do a larger, mass planting in order for mends placing a plastic mesh covering over the top of the them to have a show,” said Mary Meyer, professor emeri- bulbs, similar to the kind people use to protect fruit trees tus at the University of Minnesota. Meyer has worked as a from the birds.

University of Minnesota extension educator for years.

She plants 50 to 75 of one bulb variety for the most Spring page 15 prolific look. Organized gardeners, she said, can get six to eight weeks of spring flowering if they choose bulbs that bloom in early-, mid- and lateseason.

Though smaller bulbs can often be overlooked, they tend to do best in Minnesota climates. She recommends planting Crocus, Snow Drops, Gloria the Snow and Pushkinia. Those bulbs, she said, do well with harsh winters and aren’t as finicky as tulips. In addition, she said the bulbs grow over time and the blooms become more plentiful year after year.

Planting them right now in the fall, she said, is key. Planting them early, as early as bulbs are available in the stores, she said allows them to get their roots established before the cooler weather sets in. Some bulbs will pop up through the soil during the fall months but won’t produce flowers until they’ve gone through a winter. With the current drought conditions, she said, it’s important to give the bulbs an inch of water a week if it’s Plant bulbs in large groupings for the showiest results. not raining.

Daffodils are hardy bulbs that hold up well to Overall, bulbs don’t like wet conditions but The planting depth and spacing are different for each Minnesota winters and produce bright yellow the problematic wet conditions for bulbs come bulb. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA not from rain, but from sitting in ill-draining EXTENSION SERVICE blooms each spring. PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 15

Different bulbs produce different blooms.

Pictured from left, daffodil, tulip and crocus bulbs. Healthy bulbs have a papery-like outer casing.

“I have not found anything that will fool the squirrels otherwise,” she said.

Daffodill bulbs are Some varieties of flowers are less palatable to animals such as daffodils. Daffodils ready to be planted. contain alkaloids, she said, and that makes them unlikely to get eaten. Things like crocus and tulips, however, she said are fair game and should be protected.

Meyer has shared other tips for successful planting in a document she wrote for the University of Minnesota Extension Service, titled, “Planting bulbs, tubers and rhizomes” which can be found at: https://extension. umn.edu/how/planting-bulbs-tubers-and-rhizomes.

MEYER’ S TOP TIPS: • Hardy bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, iris, crocus and lilies can be planted in the fall.

• Tender bulbs such as dahlias, begonias and gladiolus are planted in the spring.

• Check over bulbs carefully for cuts and bruises and signs of disease that make them unlikely to grow.

• Bulbs should be firm with a papery skin.

• Bulbs should be stored in a dry place away from direct sunlight.

• Plant bulbs in well-drained soil. Wet and heavy soils can cause bulbs to rot.

• Plant hardy bulbs in September, giving the roots time to grow.

Bulbs can be watered up to an inch a week if it’s not raining.

• Tulips can be planted up until the ground freezes, but starting them earlier allows for greater root development before the winter freeze.

• Most bulbs like sunny locations. Plant bulbs in garden areas that don’t require a lot of regular watering in the spring.

• Avoid low-lying areas for planting as they are vulnerable to frost.

• Note that bulbs planted near building foundations with southern or western exposure can warm earlier and early bloomers can be more susceptible to cold.

• Bulbs can be planted under trees or near shrubs as most bulbs are done blooming by the time the deciduous leaves begin to provide too much shade.

• Plan out your bulbs, choosing a variety of early bloomers, midbloomers and late bloomers to provide 6-8 weeks of flowering.

• Do a mass planting of one type of bulb in an area for the best effect. Mass plantings account for some bulbs to be lost to critters but still allow for a spring show.

• Hardy bulbs can be left in the ground for three to four years and will continue to produce blooms each spring. Every three or four years, they may need to be replaced or divided.

• Once the flowers begin to fade in the spring, cut the blooms but keep the leaves green and healthy. Don’t remove leaves until they have withered and yellowed to ensure good blooms for the next year.

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Fall

HOME GUIDE

These ceiling beams bring down the height of the room visually in order to create a welcoming, open space with lots of style.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. ROSA LUMBER

September 24, 2021 | page 17

• New Construction • Remodel • Restoration • Landscaping • DIY Projects • Design

Millwork provides custom look to home spaces

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

Brady Taffe, Sales 320-760-1681

brady@tricountyfoam.com 320-852-7050

ST. ROSA – Today’s homes often combine a mixture of crisp, white painted wood with the warmth of stained woods.

In contrast to years gone by when homes were finished with all onecolor stain, today’s homeowners are requesting a mesh of finishes throughout the home, or even varying them room by room to create distinct looks and feelings in each space.

“It spices up the look when you use a combination of stains through the house,” said Jason Arnzen, project manager for St. Rosa Lumber. “It gives you more variety and adds a custom look.”

The last 10 years, he said people were trending toward rustic barnwood looks and, in the last five, he’s seen more of a move to painted white millwork. He said the company still sees quite a few shiplap ceilings and accent walls, but the finished project leans more toward fresh instead of rustic.

One of the most popular things he’s seeing is painted casing and millwork with a stained door. Or the opposite look, a painted door paired with stained millwork and casing.

Trims, casings and baseboards

are also getting wider. In the 1990s, Arnzen said most of the homes featured 2 1/4-inch-wide casing and 2 3/4-inch baseboards. Today’s homes typically include 3-inch to 3 1/4-inch casing while the baseboard trim runs anywhere from 4 to 6 inches.

“The taller the ceiling, the taller the baseboard,” he said.

For standard 8-foot ceilings he recommends a 3 to 4-inch baseboard so it doesn’t overwhelm the space.

The profile of the trim is also changing. The last five years he’s seen a ton of flat, simple trim. Customers often opt for a 1x4 on top of a 3-inch-wide casing and let it overhang 1/2 inch on the top and bottom.

“That’s been the trend compared to the colonial style of past years, with all the grooves and fluted trim,” he said.

Less common but always in style, he said, is crown molding. While the look will always be classic, he said, it brings with it an additional cost so it’s not as standard.

His company has been focusing on what they’ve coined “de-oaking” for the last decade. They rip out oak casing, oak baseboards and oak doors and replace them with stained or painted poplar.

Millwork page 18

Page 18 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. ROSA LUMBER

The stained mantle, bookshelves and cabinet tops in this home mesh with the white shiplap ceiling.

Providing pops of the same elements throughout a space helps tie the various finishes together.

Millwork from page 17

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However, in the last year he has had architects bringing back oak – a new style of oak. This style is currently used on the west and east coasts and those trends, he said, don’t usually hit the Midwest until five years later. It’s a blonde oak; professionals give it a glazed finish with very light stains, almost like a whitewashing or pickling.

Though the lighter look is just entering the Midwest market, he said customers have been toying with gray stains and he finds people either love it or hate it.

No matter the color choices, Arnzen is seeing rooms finished, each with their own theme. He’s seen customers choose to finish an entire bedroom with painted millwork and doors including the master

suite, ensuite and closet and then do stained wood in the rest of the house.

He’s also finished homes where every bathroom had its own stain or paint color theme; the cabinetry, trim, jambs, casing and baseboards were one color in that particular room and each room had its own finish, creating very different looks in each bathroom.

When toying with colors and finishes throughout the house, the details are important.

“The trick is how to make it work together,” he said.

The door jamb and casing may match on the hallway side and then be completely different inside the room making the door two different colors.

He encourages customers to tie their spaces together with similar pops of stain or paint. If they have painted kitchen cabinets, the island

Millwork page 19

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 19

Millwork from page 18 could be stained and if the island is stained and the kitchen is open to the staircase then the staircase railing could be stained.

“They find ways to tie everything in,” he said.

“You don’t want to just plop something in there that doesn’t match the rest of the existing house. You have to have enough of everything to tie it together.”

The detail work inside homes is extending to the ceilings.

Where the company used to do tons of wood, stained ceilings, Arnzen is seeing a move to white, shiplap, painted ceilings, smooth sheet-rocked ceilings and vaulted ceilings, or two-story ceilings with wood beams. Beams, he said, can be a nice addition in large spaces.

“Beams are great to incorporate in large rooms,” he said. “They bring the ceiling height down and make the room feel warm and cozy. The beams add character and are timeless.”

For those doing sheetrocked ceilings, he said, the trend is toward smooth walls and smooth ceilings instead of knockdown or orange peel. The smoothness, he said, is something that requires skill in mudding and taping.

“You have to take your sheetrock to the next level,” he said. “Smooth gives it a nice clean look and that’s

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. ROSA LUMBER

This mix of stained woods on the island and the stove hood blend well with the creamy cabinetry and white window and door trim in this modern home.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. ROSA LUMBER

When it comes to adding warmth and dimension, wooden ceiling beams are all the rage. A mix of dark-stained window casing and jambs in this home, combined with white cabinetry and trim work, bring a mix of visual elements that keep the space interesting.

Page 20 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

What’s underfoot?

Tile is still popular, now in bigger sizes

BY SARAH COLBURN STAFF WRITER

Tile has long provided a sophistication to home flooring and accents, and the trends in tile are changing as home styles change.

Joe Hennen of Hennen Floor Covering in Freeport said tile is available in a multitude of hues, colors, patterns and options that can fit any space.

“There is not one standard tile for every house,” he said.

The functionality of tile, he said, is second to none.

“Nothing wears better or can handle traffic,

Tiles mimic the look of natural stone or marble while providing the durability and cleaning convenience of ceramic tile.

grit, sand and moisture [better] than tile,” Hennen said.

Ceramic tile and porcelain tile are extremely durable and provide different looks and patterns.

Both hold up equally well and, because of the density of porcelain tile, some versions of it can be used in exterior areas that are prone to freezing.

Today’s ceramic tile, he said, can mimic the look of natural stone, slate or granite, but provide optimal durability and the ease of ceramic maintenance.

These 12- by 24-inch tiles create a subtle look in a bathroom.

Today’s shoppers are often opting for larger tiles like these 24- by 24-inch squares to create a statement.

Pebble flooring is becoming popular in today’s showers. The look can travel up the wall as an accent as well. PHOTOS COURTESY OF HENNEN FLOOR COVERING

Tile page 21

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 21

These 12- by 24-inch ceramic tiles are arranged in a herringbone pattern.

Tile

from page 20

Though Hennen said oftentimes customers find the looks they like on Pinterest or various websites including Hennen’s own site, they often find even more looks in store.

“They sometimes don’t know (exactly) what they want until they page through different samples and look at things,” he said.“There are so many neat things you can do with different patterns and different layouts.”

The true samples give customers a better idea of how the actual installation will look.

Whereas 12- by 12-inch tiles have been a popular flooring option for years, Hennen is seeing customers trend toward larger flooring tiles, 12- by 24-inch tiles and some, even larger. The larger tiles have the added benefit of less grout to clean and, Hennen said, they make rooms look larger. The tiles themselves are often installed in subtle patterns and can provide a clean look that isn’t as busy. Customers, he said, are also beginning to move away from gray and opt instead for warm, neutral earth tones.

Showers are the most popular area for tile installation, though foyers and kitchens have always ranked high and still do.

Hennen is seeing clients run those larger tiles vertically in the shower and pair them with an accent of glass tile, stone or pebble. That accent can then be used in the flooring. Customers who opt for a pebble accent, for instance, may run that accent into the flooring and create a full floor of round or flat pebbles. The pebble flooring, he said, comes in all different colors and looks.

“It’s just something a little unique, a little different,” he said.

Nickle has been a popular finish for the metal edging, but it’s also available in white, black, brass and oil-rubbed bronze. He’s also seen the metal used at the back and around the surrounding trim for shower niches that hold bottles. That, he said, adds an extra finished look to the space.

When it comes to kitchen tiles, Hennen said, customers who have the space can create various patterns and designs in the kitchen. Other times, though, the simplest tile creates the best overall look, and subway tile is extremely popular right now.

One of the hottest trends that’s just appearing is the addition of metal edging instead of bullnose when it comes to finishing out the tile. Anywhere bullnose would have originally gone, he said, customers are replacing it with metal.

“It just kind of sharpens up the space.” Joe Hennen

25

Subway tiles can be a good solution for those with busy countertops.

“You don’t want them to fight,” he said.

The granite, he said, should serve as the showpiece and the tile work shouldn’t distract from that, but rather, complement it. He often recommends customers pull a lighter color out of the granite and add it as a backsplash in a solid-color subway tile.

No matter the application, he said, there are hundreds of tile styles and patterns that can fit any space and provide a strong, durable finish for decades to come.

Page 22 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

Decorating your home is easy as 1,2,3,4

BY DIANE LEUKAM STAFF WRITER

Twins Jacqui Schmidtbauer and Jenni George own Merchants on Main in Sauk Centre and J Décor 54 in Osakis. They offer a wide variety of home décor and encourage creativity. Really, anything goes.

Fall colors definitely work, but Jacqui, who can fall back on her degree in interior design, said a lot of people are opting for whites, grays and blacks and keeping that up all year round.

“Area rugs, too,” she said.“People don’t think to swap out their rugs, but that’s an easy change too. So many of those are seasonal; you can get fall, Christmas, spring and summer ones.”

Other seasonal decorations can be added, such as pumpkins and gourds and handmade crafts.

Whatever the choices, it’s best to be chill.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment,” Jacqui said. “After three months, you’re going to swap it out any way; that’s the beauty of living in Minnesota.”

PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

There are many creative ways to decorate, but giving the entrance of your home a quick lift for the fall season is as easy as 1,2,3,4.

1. Fill a large flower pot with fall foliage 2. Place a wreath on the door 3. Switch out the rug to fit the season 4. Add a vertical sign.

1.

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Decorating page 23

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 23

Decorating from page 22

PHOTO GETTY IMAGES

Decorating page 24

GET READY FOR FALL!

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E-mail: joan@allstar-title.com www.allstar-title.com

Alexandria Office | 320.460.8250 302 Kenwood St., Suite 118 • Alexandria, MN 56308 Long Prairie Office | 320.732.3111 103 2nd St. S • Long Prairie, MN 56347

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Page 26 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

Appliances: Playing hard to get Mergan sounds off on current situation

BY KATELYN ASFELD STAFF WRITER

Jim Mergen, owner of AMPS, Inc., pulls out the third rack in a dishwasher Sept. 13 in the business’s showroom in Albany. The third rack is becoming a popular feature in dishwashers; it allows a user to wash larger cooking utensils easier. PHOTOS BY KATELYN ASFELD

ALBANY – Nearly every industry and person has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in one form or another. The home appliance business is no exception. Appliance dealers, like AMPS, Inc. of Albany, have been challenged to get the big-ticket home appliances they need to meet the demands of their customers.

The company provides sales and service to major appliances, electric motors and standby generators.

They also install satellite, television and antennas and sell televisions, electronic components and accessories.

“Ordering the product from the manufacturer isn’t the problem,” said owner Jim Mergen.

“Everything is in very limited supply, so we don’t know when we are going to get the product.”

The time frame to receive a product can be between three and 18 months.

“I have appliances that are on backorder since June of 2020,” Mergen said. “You just don’t know when you’re going to get something.”

Mergen believes the lack of supplies is the main cause for the large backorder of appliances, but a variety of other factors, such as fewer employees, COVID-19 safety protocols, clogged ports on the West Coast and others could play a role in the slow supply chain. The price of raw materials is also going up.

During the COVID-19 shutdown, people relied more on their ranges, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers; many Americans wanted to fix or replace those items, increasing the demand.

An increase in home buying and building also increased the appliance demand.

Jim Mergen, owner of AMPS, Inc., in Albany.

The appliance shortage issue is with all appliances, not just one specific item, Mergen said.

Before the pandemic hit, it was average to receive appliances within two weeks of ordering them and parts within the next day. Now, it is difficult to know when an item will arrive.

Customers have been very understanding of the situation, Mergen said, and very “ingenious about how they are getting by,” as they wait for a part or appliance to come in.

Home builders are being proactive about ordering their appliances early, knowing it can be months before they receive what they need.

Mergen suspects the industry will continue to be slow the rest of this year and continue into next year.

“There’s hints of it (the shortage) getting better, but it’s going to be very slow getting there,” he said.

Appliances page 27

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 27

Appliances from page 26

Trends . . .

Certain appliances continue to evolve into more refined pieces and others, like the microwave, remain relatively unchanged.

In the kitchen, the most common style of refrigerators is the French door, bottom freezer style. Some styles come with an ice maker built into the door, saving precious refrigerator space.

“It is probably the No. 1 seller and the hardest to get,” Mergen said.

The biggest change to dishwashers has been the noise level. They are now much quieter than they used to be due to a better-balanced motor, a stainless steel inner tub and a type of insulation on the outer side of the tub. A third rack to wash larger utensils is also a popular feature.

Ovens with convection and air fry features are popular. Glass tops are popular for cooktops, with multiple sizes (6-inch, 9-inch or 12-inch) of burners combined into one and the user is able to select which size to have on.

In the laundry department, top and front load washing machines are both a common choice among customers, with the front load unit being the most efficient. Manufacturers and consumers alike are finding, however, top load washing machines do a better job of washing really dirty clothes as they use more water and have more vigorous wash action.

French door, bottom freezer style refrigerators, like this one, are the most popular style and hardest ones to get from manufacturers, said Jim Mergen, owner of AMPS, Inc. in Albany. Appliance dealers like AMPS, Inc. have been dealing with backorders and inventory shortages since last year due to a variety of factors.

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Page 28 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

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MAINTENANCE MATTERS

30 • September 14, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

BY KATELYN ASFELD STAFF WRITER

When the air begins to chill and the leaves begin to turn, thoughts turn to what we can do to prepare for winter.

Here is a handy fall checklist to prepare for the cold days ahead!

Seasonal Maintenance - Indoors

Seasonal Maintenance - outdoors

❑ Change HVAC air filter ❑ Replace fire and/or carbon monoxide alarm batteries ❑ Sweep the chimney ❑ Condition leather furniture ❑ Check weather stripping and replace as necessary ❑ Check and clean septic tank filter, if applicable ❑ Stock up on water softener salt

❑ Clean out rain gutters ❑ Clean and store grills and barbecues in garage or shed. Keep propane tanks outdoors and cover with a tarpaulin or plastic bag. ❑ Winterize garden tools by dipping them in sand mixed with motor oil before storing them. This cleans them and also lubricates them. ❑ Unhook your hoses, empty all water from them and store in shed.

Maintenance page 31

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Fall Home Guide Special Edition | September 24, 2021 • Page 31

Maintenance from page 30 ❑ Lawn mowers – tune up, clean grass clippings off, consider adding gasoline stabilizer to remaining fuel. ❑ Get rid of potted plants, wash out pots and plates and store in garage, shed or basement ❑ Lawn furniture – wash and store in garage or cover for winter. Fabric cushions should be removed, washed and stored in shed. ❑ Clean, check-up and begin preparing winter storage for lawn mowers, boats, motorcycles, campers, ATVs and other equipment. ❑ Check and spray for wasp/hornets’ nests ❑ Blow out lawn sprinkler system ❑ Wash, disinfect and restock bird feeders, bird houses and bird baths ❑ Swimming pools, garden ponds: Keep pool water chemistry balanced – between 7.2-7.6 pH, alkalinity between 80-120 ppm and calcium harness between 180 – 220 ppm. Store wall fittings, pool cleaners, solar blankets, skimmers in shed.

Use filter pump or submersible pump to lower the water level of the pool and drain out all the filters, pumps, chlorinators and heaters. Make sure chlorine level is below 3.0 ppm and cover pool. ❑ Garden ponds – turn off pump and take away all parts that emerge from the water surface. Remove all potted plants and cut foliage to the root ball. To keep fish alive, keep a hole open in the ice during the winter to allow the toxic gases to escape and oxygen to enter pond.

Clip these handy maintenance tips and be ready for the change of seasons with peace of mind.

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Winterize Your Yard Flower gardens: ❑ Cut back perennials to soil level and mulch them to protect from the cold ❑ Pull up dead annuals and discard, mulch annual beds with a 3- to 4-inch layer of chopped leaves or similar material. ❑ Dig up tender bulbs such as Amaryllis, canna, gladiolus, begonia, dahlia, colocasia (elephant ears), caladium and brush off excess dirt. Do not wash bulbs as it may cause rot during storage.

Mulch bulb beds with evergreen boughs to protect the soil from shifting and cracking during the winter. Store bulbs in a breathable container, placing newspaper in between layers of bulbs.

Store bulbs in cool, dry area. ❑ Mulch or compost around rose bushes to keep the base warm Vegetable gardens: ❑ In a small vegetable garden it is best to remove all plants that had symptoms of a plant disease during the growing season and place them in a compost pile. ❑ For large gardens, infected plants can be cut down and buried in the garden soil. In this case, the gardener should use crop rotation, and avoid planting any plant from the same plant family as the diseased crop on the site for the next 3 to 4 years. ❑ Leaves from deciduous trees can be placed on the soil of a vegetable garden to prevent soil erosion over winter and provide shelter to native pollinators. ❑ Clean up plant debris in harvested beds, mulch or sow cover crops on empty beds to protect the soil over the winter. ❑ Repair trellises, clean out cold frames, store cages, fencing, pots, etc. ❑ Renew beds for fall planting by adding more organic matter, such as compost and fertilizer.

Lawn maintenance: ❑ Mowing – Last week of April through early November ❑ Sodding – Mid-August to late October ❑ Watering – May through late October ❑ Seeding – Early August to late September; Mid-November ❑ Fertilizing – Early August through mid-October ❑ Aerating – Mid-August through mid-October ❑ Dethatching – Mid-August through September – Thatch is a tightly interwoven layer of living and dead tissue existing between the green vegetation and soil surface. Excessive thatch – more than half an inch – can harbor disease organisms and insects, making the lawn more susceptible to damage from disease and drought. Prevent thatch accumulation by

fertilizing in September, and aerating your lawn a week after fertilizing. The best time to aerate is between late August and early October. If thatch buildup is severe, thatch can be removed using a vertical mower after aerating the lawn. The best time to vertically mow is between late August and early October. ❑ Broadleaf weed control – September through late October ❑ Dormant seeding – If your lawn is sparse and in need for repair, you can seed grass seed.

Trees and shrubs: ❑ Transplant shrubs or young trees to new locations on the property in early fall. ❑ If rainfall is sparse, deeply water trees and shrubs—especially evergreens—before the ground freezes. ❑ After the ground freezes, spread a winter mulch up to 6 inches thick of organic material such as chopped leaves. ❑ Fertilize young trees and shrubs that have been in the ground for at least a year. There's no need to fertilize old, established trees and shrubs, especially if they're mulched. ❑ Winterize shrub roses by mounding mulch over the lower parts of their canes. In cold regions, shelter them with a burlap screen. ❑ Prevent sunscald of young, newly planted and thin-barked trees by wrapping trunk with white guards to reflect the sun and keep bark at more constant temperature. ❑ Prevent discoloration and winter injury to evergreens by wrapping trees in burlap, leaving the top open for air and light penetration. ❑ Check new plantings for cracks in the soil and fill them with soil. ❑ Trees pruned in fall before going dormant may produce young sprouts that will not have time to harden off before winter and will be killed by the cold temperatures. The best time to prune out cankers and galls is in January or February when temperatures have been consistently below 32 . ❑ Examine leaves before they change color for evidence of a leaf spot disease and look for branches with wilting or dead leaves. If a leaf spot disease is found, leaves should be raked up and removed or mulched into the lawn with a mulching lawn mower after normal leaf fall.

Discolored, cracked or blistered bark on branches could indicate the presence of a canker infection on the branch. A large, tumor-like growth on the branch would indicate a gall. If galls or cankers are found, mark the branch with paint or flagging tape to indicate the presence of a problem.

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Page 32 • September 24, 2021 | Fall Home Guide Special Edition

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