PRING S Home & Garden A Special Supplement To
The Progress-Index
IInside: id Tips to improve your kitchen without renovation Tips to clean your deck and patio Four reasons to keep up with home maintenance
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Tips to improve your kitchen without renovating it
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When it comes to your kitchen, don’t settle for anything less than top-notch, flexible appliances and an ideal use of the space you have.
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The kitchen is perhaps the most functional room of any home, but often it doesn’t feel large enough or flexible enough. And great cooking starts with a comfortable kitchen. While renovating your kitchen may not always be practical, there are steps you can take to improve it without breaking the bank or your kitchen walls. Here are a few ways to make the most of your kitchen:
Evaluate Your Kitchen
It’s time to weed out the good, the bad and the ugly. When is the last time you M2
did a thorough inventory of your kitchen gadgets? After several years without an assessment, it’s possible you’ve acquired a substantial collection of electric openers, dicers, slicers and spinners. If all these tools help you cook, that’s fabulous. If not, they are simply taking up valuable cabinet, cupboard and countertop space. Take a look at what you have and eliminate anything that’s duplicative, broken or somehow unnecessary.
Is it time to replace your home’s windows? STATEPOINT
Looking for a home improvement project that is both a short- and longterm investment? One easy upgrade that can help you save money on your energy bills today, as well as increase your home’s value in the future, is to replace your windows. But how do you know it’s time to give your current windows the boot? An annual perfor mance check is good practice, say experts. “Virtually every building component in a home needs to be replaced at some point, and windows are no exce ption,” says Matt Minerd of Simonton Windows, a leading vinyl window and patio door manufacturer. With that in mind, Minerd is offering some do-it-yourself tips to discover how well your cur rent windows and patio doors are functioning: • Examine the inside of your windows and patio doors for hot and cold “drafty” spots or areas. This indicates air infiltration, which can lead to reduced energy efficiency. • Check every window for adequate weatherstripping and caulking around the units, which help eliminate air infiltration and ensure a weather tight, secure seal. • Look for “bur nt out” or faded areas on your fur nishings and carp e t i n g . T h i s c o u l d i n d i c at e t h at h a r m f u l , d a m a g i n g U V r ay s a re entering your home through windows and glass doors. You may want
to consider more energ y ef ficient options containing Low E, which is a special glass coating designed to reduce heat transfer. • If your windows no longer open or close easily, or if they need to be propped open, it could mean key components within the units are damaged or need adjustment. It could also mean the unit needs to be replaced entirely. • If you have wood windows, look carefully at the frames for signs of rotting, warped wood or other problems with the frame itself. These are an indication the window has exceeded its lifespan. Should your evaluation tur n up one or more problem areas, and it’s time to replace your windows, do yo u r h o m e wo rk . W h i l e p r i c e i s impor tant, it shouldn’ t be a sole decision factor, as functionality is a critical consideration. Look for low-maintenance materials that offer energy efficiency. For example, vinyl is an excellent insulator and many people choose lowmaintenance vinyl frames with a Low E glass coating and an Argon or Krypton gas fill. These harmless gasses are denser than air and serve as an excellent thermal barrier. When the time is right, consider replacing your windows for a home w i t h g re at l o n g - a n d s h o r t - t e r m returns on investment.
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Tips to spring clean your deck and patio I
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t’s the time of year when sprucing up your deck and patio becomes a top weekend priority. Whether you use the space for entertaining or for solitude, you’ll want it clean, comfortable and safe this spring. Take time to dust off your outdoor furniture and wipe down cushions that have been in storage all winter. Inspect flower pots, bird feeders and other outdoor décor to ensure they withstood the cooler months. Replace anything that is damaged. Before setting furniture and décor back, give the surface below a good clean. Whether you’re dealing with cement, brick or wood, the quickest and most thorough way to deep clean and restore surfaces to a like-new condition is with a pressure washer. Knowing how to use one properly is important for a quality job and for your safety.
Usage Tips • Different surfaces require different cleaning techniques. Ensure you’re following the instructions for the surface you’re cleaning.• Always read and follow the operator’s manual and all operating instructions. • High-pressure spray can cut through skin, so never spray people or animals. Wear closed-toed shoes and goggles while pressure washing. • Assume a solid stance and firmly grasp the spray gun with both hands to avoid injury if the gun kicks back before squeezing the spray gun trigger. • Never spray near power lines, service feeds, electrical meters, wiring and windows. • Check the engine oil level each time you use a pressure washer. When changing or adding oil, don’t overfill the engine crankcase. Doing so can cause smoking, hard starting, spark plug fouling and oil saturation of the air filter.
Buying Tips Buying a pressure washer for the first time or replacing an old one? Here are some guidelines: • Pressure washers are categorized in groups based upon frequency of use and the types of products and surfaces they are best suited for cleaning. Selecting the right pressure washer for
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Look for a versatile pressure washer that can be used for a variety of tasks. your needs depends on what you’re going to clean, how often you plan to do so, and how much time you want to spend. Ask yourself these questions before making a purchase. • Look for a versatile pressure washer that can be used for a variety of tasks. For example, the new Briggs & Stratton POWERflow+ pressure washer has both a high pressure and a high flow mode for different spring cleaning chores. Deep clean your patio and driveway in high pressure mode or clean more delicate surfaces and rinse away debris in high flow mode. • Consider going green with a model having reduced environmental impact. If you have an older pressure washer, a newer model could offer lower emissions and better fuel efficiency. • Learn more about pressure washers before making an investment. For a buying guide and instructional videos, visit www.BriggsAndStratton.com. With a deep clean, you can restore and refresh your home’s outdoor spaces and make them a friendly place to relax and have fun.
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Your roof can add color to your home’s exterior
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he color of your home’s exterior can really make or break its curb appeal. And experts say that many homeowners are gazing upward to their roofs to make a statement. “Whether you go with a timeless look or you shake things up with something more modern, the color of your roof can really be an area for true self-expression,” says national color expert Kate Smith, of Color Marketing Group and owner of Sensational Color. “Roofing colors should reflect a homeowner’s personal style and tie in with the overall home exterior.” If your roofing has had a rough season, or you simply want to change things up, take advantage of the warmer months, which are an ideal time for big home improvements. Smith, who provides color consultancy for DaVinci Roofscapes, is offering homeowners some insight into style trends: • Think Top to Bottom: Take a “top down” approach to adding eye-pleasing color palettes to your home’s exterior. Start with the roof color, then work your way down the house to consider the siding, window frames, front entry door and trim • Go Classic: The most timeless roofing colors used on American homes include black, gray and cedar. Black, in particular, is always a safe bet. “It’s no surprise that black, which denotes power and authority, never goes out of style for any use,” says Smith. “From the little black dress to the luxury black car to a crisp black tuxedo, there is an upscale feeling about black that crosses product and category boundaries. • Be Trendy: Consider colors that are gaining in popularity in today’s roofs. Those include shades of green, clay and terracotta. • Complement: Consider the style of architecture and the setting of the home. For example, terracotta or clay colors are well-suited for a Mediterranean style home. Green roofs work well in wooded settings or can easily ‘soften’ the look of a home in an exposed location. • Look Back: Bright colored roofs historically were quite common. A range of reds, greens and even golds were used on all styles of homes in the past. • Blends: Consider blending multiple colors. A mixture of two to eight colors is ideal. You can get a good sense of how they will look using free online resources. • Customize: If you can’t find the roofing color that perfectly meets your needs, don’t M4
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Start with the roof color, then work your way down the house to consider the siding, window frames, front entry door and trim. stress. Some roofing companies, such as DaVinci roofscapes can custom create any color imaginable. • Be Informed: Free online resources can help you make the right selection. For example, the DaVinci Color Studio features tools that let you simulate the look of different color, material and product combinations. Additionally, a free download of Smith’s ebook, “Fresh Exteriors Color,” a comprehensive guide to color selection, is also available at www.DaVinciRoofscapes.com. Don’t feel locked into drab or standard colors on your home’s exterior. With the right information, you can confidently give your home curb appeal this home improvement season.
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KITCHEN
Continued from Page 2
Improve Functionality
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Regular home maintenance can benefit your family’s health, safety and pocketbook
Four reasons to keep up with home maintenance
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fter a busy work week, it can be hard to get motivated to complete chores and tasks around the house. And knowing what tasks to do and when to do them may not come intuitively for everyone. But neglecting home maintenance is a mistake, say experts. “Regular home maintenance can benefit your family’s health, safety and pocketbook,” says Elizabeth Dodson, Co-Founder of HomeZada, a digital hub to store pertinent information about your home. “Consider creating a home maintenance schedule to stay organized and motivated.” With this in mind, here are several examples of how to maintain your home and why it’s important:
Avoiding Replacements
erator’s ice maker can eventually cause a leak that could damage the refrigerator and its contents. Annually clean water lines to prevent the need for a major appliance replacement. • Lubricate your garage door for smooth operation and to delay the need for parts replacement.
Re-think your appliances. These days, you don’t need to settle for antiquated appliances that perform just one function. Innovations are making cooktops and ovens more functional and versatile, providing g reater opportunities for spatial kitchen layout. For example, you could pair a gas cooktop with an electric oven or install electric ovens side by side. C o n s i d e r ap p l i a n c e s f ro m s u ch brands as Verona, an Italian manufacturer that applies extensive cooking expertise to built-in ovens, cooktops and ranges. Inspired by classical Italian designs, their hand assembled cooktops and ovens offer a choice of fuel type so you can mix and match radiant, induction and g as heat sources. Flexibility is also being built into today’s appliances. For example, ILVE cooktops come equipped with an exclusive, one-of-a-kind removable
griddle that allows for numerous food preparation options on an all-in-one cooking surface. You can steam, grill, war m and more with the included griddle — eliminating the need for additional space-hogging appliances like steam ovens and warming drawers. This is a great way to be a more flexible cook in a small amount of space.
Maximize Storage
Creative storage solutions will increase your work area and cabinets, while affording more space to move around. For example, an over-the-door spice rack can give you more room to prep food. A wall-mounted wine rack that holds both bottles and glasses can free up cabinet space and reduce the furniture footprint of your kitchen. Magnetic panels on the wall can be used to store pots, pans, knives and metal utensils. When it comes to your kitchen, don’t settle for anything less than top-notch, flexible appliances and an ideal use of the space you have. Whether you’re a serious chef or a casual cook, your kitchen can benefit from key upgrades and a thorough organizational sweep.
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Improving Safety • Lint build-up in dryer ducts is flammable and a common cause of house fires. An annual cleaning eliminates this dangerous situation. You should also regularly clean your dryer’s lint filter after every couple of loads. Likewise, you can prevent fires with checks on electrical and gas equipment and fireplaces. • Maintain the air quality of your home by replacing or cleaning the filters on your
• Mineral deposit build-up in your refrig-
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What every homeowner needs to know about mold and windows
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hat’s growing on your windows? If you have wood windows, or even dirty window sills, the answer could be mold. “When materials in the home, such as wood window frames or wood window sills, come in contact with moisture for an extended period of time, mold can grow,” says John Stark, marketing manager for Simonton Windows. “The key is the presence of an organic food source.” And mold growth can be hazardous to your health, causing respiratory problems and allergic reactions. So how do you reduce your home’s risk for mold? • You may see your windows “sweat” during the winter or summer months because of varying humidity levels inside the home. Without proper ventilation, moisture can accumulate on windows and walls from daily household activities such as hot showers, boiling water and opening dishwashers after a cleaning cycle. Use ventilation fans and dehumidifiers to minimize condensation and help reduce humidity in the home. • If your windows have major air leaks, don’t close properly or are failing to act as a solid barrier to the environment, then it’s time to replace them. Opt for vinyl window frames • Keep window frame surfaces clean. Even if tiny particles of organic debris are found on or around the surfaces of a vinyl window in a moisturerich area, you could potentially find mold growth. What makes up this debris? It can be anything from fragments of pollen to animal dander to insect pieces to normal household dust. • Reduce the chance of condensation in your home. Use ceiling fans, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom to increase ventilation. Leave interior room and closet doors open. Consider reducing the number of house plants in your home. • If your blinds or window coverings M6
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Without proper ventilation, moisture can accumulate on windows and walls from daily household activities such as hot showers, boiling water and opening dishwashers after a cleaning cycle. Use ventilation fans and dehumidifiers to minimize condensation and help reduce humidity in the home. are closed all the time, condensation can get “trapped” in between the window treatments and the windows, creating a damp environment that may encourage mold growth. Routinely open window coverings to increase ventilation near windows. Additionally, ensure air vent deflectors are placed on floor vents to reroute air into the room rather than straight up against a window. While installing vinyl windows in the home is a smart start, homeowners also have to do their part — keep the home well ventilated and clean during all seasons to reduce mold.
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Five quick fixes for big improvements around your home STATEPOINT
When it comes to home improvement, you don’t need to do a complete overhaul to make a big impact. A “less is more” approach may serve you better, say experts. “Sometimes quick fixes are the ones you need most,” says Lou Manfredini, host of “HouseSmarts TV” and home improvement contributor on NBC’s “The Today Show.” According to Manfredini, there are five small projects you can do yourself that can make a huge difference in your home: • Clean the Disposal: Your kitchen sink and disposal work hard, but sometimes they can stink. Every few months, eliminate odor and freshen things up by pouring half a cup of general purpose disinfectant cleaner down the drain. Using a small nylon pipe cleaning brush or clean toilet brush, reach in between the sink drain assembly and scrub the sidewalls of the pipe below it, paying special attention to the underside of the rubber flap on the disposal. • Patch in a Snap: Unsightly holes in walls
MAINTENANCE Continued from Page 5
home’s heating system quarterly, or as needed. • A regular schedule of battery replacement in your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors could be life-saving.
Reducing Utility Bills • Periodically ensuring that your home is properly sealed and insulated can lower utility bills. Use weatherstripping to close gaps around windows and doors. • On an annual basis, inspect heating and cooling equipment to ensure it’s running optimally. • Ensure your fireplace damper closes and opens properly. When your fireplace is not in use, keep the damper closed to maximize your climate controlled environment.
Improving Value A house in worn condition can lose 10 percent of its previous appraised
can ruin the look of a room. Luckily, patching those holes doesn’t have to be time-intensive. For holes smaller than a dime, apply wall spackle with a putty knife. For larger holes, you may need to use a self-stick metal patch to cover it, and then apply spackle to smooth it out. “Achieving professional looking results quickly and on-budget requires the right products,” says Manfredini. Use a high-quality wall patch like 3M Patch plus primer spackle and primer in one, now available in a kit for holes up to three inches wide. It applies smoothly and has a built in primer, so once the wall is dry and sanded, you can paint immediately, cutting the repair time in half. More information can be found at www.3MDIY.com/patch. • Peace and Quiet: Plagued by squeaky wood flooring? Try pouring baby powder over the noisy area. Then, wrap a block of wood in a dish rag and tap the boards down with a hammer to drive the powder between the tongue and groove of the flooring and
value, whereas proactive maintenance can increase the appraised value each year by one percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. And you don’t have to invest a ton to improve your home’s value. Plenty of projects offer great returns on investment. This becomes especially important if your home is on the market. From replacing elements of your home’s exterior to updating your kitchen, your realtor can offer suggestions for updates that can help you sell. Consider new tools to help you track home improvement projects in one place. For example, by signing up for HomeZada, you will automatically receive comprehensive home maintenance checklists, as well as automated alerts and reminders when it’s time to complete a task, so you never miss anything important. Additionally, the site provides howto videos and other free resources for do-it-yourselfers. For more information, visit www.HomeZada.com. Don’t let key maintenance tasks fall by the wayside. Let new tools help you keep your home safe and up-to-date.
tighten the nails holding it in place. “It may not work in all instances but I’ve had great success with this process,” says Manfredini. • Accent with Paint: To update a room without investing much time or money, paint one wall an accent color. Half of all paint sold in the US is white, so why not add bold color to your home like blue, red or even tangerine? Prep by lightly sanding the entire surface. Patch any holes and then paint using a paint and primer in one. Two coats will give you the depth of color you want and should take only an afternoon. • Light it up: To save money and help the environment, switch to LED light bulbs. With all the improvements in color, they can now mimic the warm lighting associated with incandescent bulbs, using two-thirds less electricity. You don’t have to spend lots of time or money to spruce up your home this spring. Small projects can go a long way towards make it look great.
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Unsightly holes in walls can ruin the look of a room. Luckily, patching those holes doesn’t have to be time-intensive.
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• New High Spout/Pull Out Faucets • UV Air Treatment to Reduce Mold & Bacteria in Your Home • Energy Saving T-stats • Grab Bars • Comfort Height Toilets • Outside Garden Hydrants • Walk-in Showers • Tankless & On-Demand Water Heaters • Handheld Shower Heads Has your cooling system been checked this year? CALL US TODAY! Quality Service and Satisfied Customers
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Fast facts about grass METRO SERVICES
A lush, green lawn is coveted by many current and would-be homeowners. Not only can a beautiful landscape make a home feel more welcoming, but it also increases the resale value of a property. Frequent watering, proper fertilization, pest management, and mowing are all essential components of lawn maintenance. But there is more to those beautiful blades of grass than just aesthetic appeal. The following are some interesting facts about grass that even the most devoted lawn enthusiasts might be surprised to learn. • Grass is defined as any plant of the family Gramineae, a group of vascular plants that grow across the globe. • There are as many as 10,000 varieties of grass in the world. These range from grass to rice to wheat to bamboo. • Many grasses are annual or perennial herbs with fibrous roots and rhizomes. • Grass can withstand many different climates and has been discovered at the North Pole and at the equator. • Twenty percent of Earth’s vegetation is
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comprised of grass. • Grasses have been transformed into paper and home decor items. Bamboo, which is a type of grass, is frequently used for flooring because it is durable and sustainable. • Grass is mostly comprised of water, which makes up about 80 percent of grass and 90 percent of grass clippings. • A typical lawn will have about six grass plants per square inch. Some lawns may have millions of grass plants. • The average lawn releases enough oxygen to sustain four families of four.
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Keep Safety in Mind this Spring! PLEASE DO NOT POST SIGNS on utility poles. The nails and staples used to hold signs can puncture a lineman’s protective gear exposing that person to electrical shock or cause him to fall down the pole if the climbing hooks hit a nail or staple. Help keep our workers safe! Cleaning gutters or trimming tree limbs? Be sure to look up for power lines before you place your ladder against a tree or your house. Do not use long-handled tools unless you see they are clear of electric lines Planting trees and shrubs? Adding a deck or installing outdoor lighting? Call 8-1-1, Miss Utility of Virginia to have underground lines marked before you begin your project. Teach children to stay away from power lines, underground transformer boxes and the dangers of mixing water and electricity!
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