Saturday, April 2, 2016 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal
Real estate
A little prep can help sell a home quicker page 6 n Jamie Kidd on composting, page 2 n Add a hint of spring to your home decor, page 4 n How to find the right Realtor, page 6 n Removing rings around the toilet base, page 9
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Turn yard wastes into nutrient-rich compost It’s spring. It’s not spring. It’s spring. It’s not spring. We had warm days, and our plants were budding, blooming and showing every sign of spring. Then, it turned cold, and we had snow in some areas of northeast Kansas. Just think how boring it would be to live in any other state. Sometimes, it’s just down right frustrating guessing what the weather will be doing. One thing is for sure: Spring has arrived, and it’s time to clean out all those dead plant parts, shred them and toss them into the compost pile. The last of the persistent leaves and any other yard waste can go there, too. Instead of the weather, let’s talk about composting, how to do it and why.
Why compost?
Compost returns organic matter to the soil in usable form. Increased organic mat-
Jamie Kidd Jamie KiDD
jamiehan@ksu.edu jamiehan@ksu.edu
ter provides essential nutrients for plant growth, helps break down heavy clay soil by opening air spaces and aids in moisture retention in sandy soils. It also keeps yard waste out of the landfills.
What is compost?
Compost is a mixture of soil and decayed organic matter. When processed correctly, it becomes weed seed free, smells rich and earthy not offensive, is rich in nutrients, and has no recognizable components. Converting your garden, fruit and vegetable
wastes into compost is something you can do very easily. Shredding large prunings and downed limbs is another way of recycling damaged or overgrown plants. Compost is the result of the activity of billions of tiny organisms that utilize the two main components of organic matter: carbon and nitrogen. They consume carbon for energy and nitrogen for growth and reproduction. The portion they can’t digest remains as humus, or partially decomposed organic matter. As these tiny organisms feed and reproduce, the compost pile will heat up. The inside temperature may rise to 150 to 160 degrees, inactivating weed seed and harmful disease organisms.
Getting started
Here are some things to consider: n Find a spot in your yard
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
n The Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners will provide a compost demonstration at 9:30 a.m. April 9 at the south end of the Kansas Expocentre grounds, near the vegetable garden and the train. The Master Gardeners will talk about how to compost and be more “green” to protect the environment. The program is open to the public. n The Master Gardener Plant Sale Extravaganza will be from 9 a.m. to noon May 7 in the parking lot of the Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. where water doesn’t stand and is out of the way. n Compost can be in a loose pile or in an enclosure such as a woven wire or wood slat fence, cement blocks, scrap lumber or wood pallets.
KIDD continues on 3
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Kidd: Compost pile requires equal parts of carbon, nitrogen materials Continued from 2 n For most households, a pile 5 feet by 5 feet or 5 feet in diameter is sufficient. A 3-by-3-foot bin also will work very well. You’ll be amazed by the amount of material you can process. A single 3-by-3-foot compost bin can handle about a hundred bags of leaves, most of the weeds pulled during the season, grass clippings gathered occasionally and some kitchen waste. n Organic materials that can be composted include grass clippings without herbicides, weeds, garden refuse, hedge clippings, straw, corncobs, sawdust, old hay or mulch raked from flower or vegetable gardens. Avoid using severely diseased vegetable or flowering plants. Avoid kitchen scraps such as egg shells, meat, bones, peanut butter and salad dressings. They may attract dogs or other animals.
n Start with a 2- to 3-inch layer of soil or sand. Add a layer of organic matter — such as 2 or 3 inches of fine material like fine thin grass, or 6 to 8 inches of coarse material like straw. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of manure, or sprinkle 1 to 2 cups of compost activator per square yard or 1 to 2 cups of garden fertilizer per square yard. n Repeat this process, and water each layer. Dish the top of the pile to catch rainwater. Dry piles won’t decompose properly. n Turning the pile often will produce compost in about a month. Little or no turning will take four to six months. There should be almost equal parts of carbon and nitrogen materials to prevent the pile from smelling. Carbon materials are dry and brown. Nitrogen materials are green and moist. These might both be grasses, hedge clippings, etc. Foul odors can
indicate an imbalance in these materials. You’ll know your pile is working if it begins to shrink in about two weeks. If it hasn’t, loosen the pile with a shovel or fork to provide more aeration or add moisture if the compost is dry. In four or five weeks, check to see if the inside is heating up. Push a wire or stick deep into the pile and see if it feels warm. If not, repeat the loosening and watering processes.
Quick composting
Finely shredded materials premixed with soil and/or fertilizer, moistened and placed in an enclosed bag or bin will result in compost in about a month. It isn’t necessary to turn the pile, but turning it will speed the process. In warm weather, compost can be ready with this method in two to three weeks. Jamie Kidd is a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.
Metro Creative connections
Converting garden, fruit and vegetable wastes into compost is something that can be done easily; however, avoid adding kitchen scraps.
4 | Saturday, April 2, 2016 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com
Add a breath of spring to your home decor By Mary Carol Garrity Tribune News Service
One of the ways I embrace spring is to welcome signs of the season into my home’s decor. n Pop plants in pretty containers. In the spring, I can’t resist buying live green plants, putting them in pretty cachepots and tucking them here and there in my home. My new love is African violets, and I have a pair of them at the center of my dining table. n Treat yourself to topiary. For brown thumbs like me, preserved boxwood
topiaries are a perfect pick. Whether they are live or faux, these artfully shaped plants add a structural elegance to a display. We like to cluster groups of different sized boxwood topiaries together to make a bright display, perfect for a centerpiece, side table or kitchen island. n Set your table for spring. One of my favorite tricks is to get a yard and a half of a seasonal fabric, hem it, then place it on the diagonal at my table’s center. This little swath of textile sets the stage for a lovely spring table setting, while still letting the
beauty of the table show through. n Showcase spring flowers. Pull out your beautiful containers and fill them with spring flowers. English footbaths are some of my favorite decorating tools. I use them yearround to hold everything from florals to potted plants to tumbles of apples, gourds or pinecones. If you don’t have any narrow mouth vases, you need to get some. They are an essential for those of us who are hopeless at arranging flowers. Snip some blooms from your garden or pick up a bou-
quet, and use just two or three stems per vase. My favorites? Hydrangeas. I like to cluster several of the smaller vases together for a big impact. Urns are another allseason decorating essential. In the spring, use smaller urns to hold bulbs, like tulips or daffodils. When the weather warms up, you can use the urns in your outdoor decorating. n Dress up a hurricane. Glass hurricanes are cornucopias, just waiting to be filled with the best things of the season. In the spring, I like to use my hurricanes as little stages for whimsical displays.
Tribune News Service
Narrow mouth vases are essential for those who are hopeless at arranging flowers.
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Prep necessary to sell home fast By Shanna Sloyer
Special to The Capital-Journal
Spring is the best season to sell a house, and Carrie Calhoon, president of Sunflower Association of Realtors, says this year is a particularly good time to sell. “There’s a shortage of homes on the market right now. If a house shows right and is priced right, it’s selling,” Calhoon said. Putting a house on the market requires some work and preparation if you’re hoping to sell quickly and at your asking price. “A buyer’s first impression of your house is based on the outside,” she said. Depending on the season, keep the lawn mown or raked, and plant grass and flowers. Sweep the front porch. If the exterior of the house has any peeling paint, take care of the problem. She also recommends inspecting the dirt work around the foundation of your home and adding dirt when necessary. Updates to your home make the most impact and increase the value, but a complete renovation may not be in the budget. Calhoon suggests focusing any updating or upgrading efforts in the kitchen and bathrooms. Even simple upgrades, like changing out hardware, painting cabinetry and replacing worn countertops, make your home more attractive to potential buyers. Homeowners Chad and Rachel Wells recently sold their home in a day.
FINDING THE RIGHT REALTOR
Have a plan before launching your search for a Realtor. Here are some tips: n Get referrals from friends and family. n Do research on the Internet. Google the Realtor’s name. n Go to the realtor.com website. n Interview more than one Realtor. In a sellers’ market, make sure you aren’t leaving money on the table. A Realtor knows the market and how to price it correctly. Questions to ask potential Realtors — and key points to remember — include: n Meet with a minimum of two or three Realtors at your home. You can meet Realtors by going to open houses. n Are you a buyer’s or seller’s agent? n What sets you apart from other Realtors? n Remember, cheaper isn’t always better. n As a consumer, know you have options. n Have a conversation about commission and how they intend to market your property. n Ask if they have support staff or if they work alone. n Ask if they’re more familiar with a particular part of town. You’ve chosen a Realtor, now what? n Listen to your Realtor about what will turn people off and what people will like about your house. n Be willing to make the changes necessary. n Take personal items stored away. n Minimalist approach will work best. Neutral colors are best. n Vacant property: Make arrangements to stage your vacant house. A lawn chair isn’t a staged house. Define the space. At least two rooms need to be staged. n Repairs: Determine who you are selling to — an investor or a homeowner. If you are unwilling to make the repairs, you will be selling to an investor. n Basic items, such as plumbing and light fixtures, need to work. All the basics need to work — roof, paint, gutters. n The carpet needs to be clean and in good shape or be prepared to offer carpeting allowance. Dirty carpet makes people think the rest of your house is dirty. Source: Sunflower Association of Realtors
Prior to selling, the Wells replaced the kitchen counters and installed a backsplash, added all new stainless steel appliances and installed new oilrubbed bronze fixtures throughout the house. In the bathrooms, they replaced the dated master bath vanity and switched out the standard bathroom mirrors with updated framed mirrors. Other relatively inexpensive additions included install-
ing ceiling fans in secondary bedrooms and built-in storage shelving units in the basement. “It had a lot to do with the layout of the house,” Rachel Wells said of the quick sale. “It’s an open concept home, and having the updates and the basement finished, as well as the neutral paint colors, it’s not a place you have to move in and paint.”
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Submitted by Rachel Wells
Homeowners Chad and Rachel Wells recently sold their home in a day. Prior to selling, they replaced the dated master bath vanity and installed updated framed mirrors.
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Home: Painting easy way to freshen up Continued from 6 Painting is an easy and inexpensive way to freshen up the interior of your home. Use light or neutral tones such as gray or tan, and keep in mind that your paint choice should work with any color furniture a potential buyer might own. Decluttering and depersonalizing also are important steps to take to encourage buyers to focus their attention on the house and not its contents. Calhoon advises her clients to minimize family photos and other distractions, such as personal collections or displays. “Buyers will spend time looking to see if they know you instead of focusing on the size of the room and features,” she said. Calhood also recommends moving out bulky furniture, like overstuffed recliners or large tables, to make rooms appear more
spacious; taking down dated or faded drapes; and cleaning storm doors and windows. Keep countertops and sinks clean, and consider leaving out some cookies and bottled water for potential buyers to snack on while they walk through the house. “People are going to look in your closets, so keep things organized and clean so that they look spacious,” she said. “This includes garages and storage spaces, too.” On the day of a showing, open windows to let the breeze in, leave the lights on and pull back the curtains to invite as much light as possible inside. If you have specialty rooms, such as a screened sunroom or porch, play up its features. “You want it to be light, bright and airy,” Calhoon said. Finally, your choice of Realtor can influence how quickly your home sells and whether or not you
Submitted by Rachel Wells
The Wells also replaced their kitchen counters, installed a backsplash and added all new stainless steel appliances. get what you’re asking for it. Research Realtors online or ask for recommendations from other homeowners who recently
have purchased or sold a home. Interview two or three Realtors until you find someone with whom you feel comfortable. “I would encourage
people to always use a Realtor,” Calhoon said. “The National Association of Realtors shows that, on average, homes sell for a higher price and have
smoother transactions if a Realtor is involved.” Shanna Sloyer is a freelance writer from Topeka. You can reach her at ssloyer@yahoo.com.
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Ring around toilet bowl base may signal loose connection By C. Dwight Barnett Tribune News Service
Q: I have a ring around the base of my toilet that keeps getting darker. I’ve cleaned the floor with all kinds of cleaners but the ring keeps coming back. Is there something else I need to be doing? A: There are a few things that can cause a ring to form around the base of the toilet bowl. One is simply a failure to clean regularly, but this is not the problem you are having. Another is condensation forming on the cold porcelain of the toilet and collecting on the floor, but the most likely cause is a loose connection between
the bowl and the sewer flange. The toilet bowl is attached to the floor with two bolts, one on each side of the bowl. If the bolts weren’t tightened properly, the bowl can move when it’s used. The movement can cause a leak to form where the wax ring seals the neck on the porcelain bowl to the flange on the sewer pipe at the floor. You can check to see if the bowl is loose by facing the toilet and placing your knees or hands against the sides of the bowl. If you can rock or move the bowl, then there is a problem. When I find this problem, I advise the client to have the toilet wax ring replaced. This may require
a plumber because of the amount of water that has to be removed and the weight of the toilet that has to be moved without doing additional damage. If the ring has been leaking for a long time, the floor under the toilet may be damaged as well. There should be access to the floor from a crawl space or basement. From there, the flooring can be easily repaired without having to replace the bathroom floor covering. Brace the decayed flooring from underneath and replace the toilet flange using longer and stronger bolts. A new wax ring is installed, and the toilet is reinstalled on the new ring.
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