Gardens provide private country feel to city home
HUNTINGTON -- The Reed home is typical of a house built in the early 20th century. Dutch Colonial in design, it sports hardwood floors, high ceilings and arched doorways. Like many houses of this era in our community, it has been given tender loving care -- particularly when it comes to the outside gardens.
You're watching TV and you hear the garbage disposal acting up. Better call the repairman. Or maybe the faucet breaks or a toilet backs up. Time to call a plumber? The refrigerator quits, the lights go out, and the thermostat isn't working. Time to call in a professional? Not so fast! Often, when minor problems occur, homeowners are quick to spend lots of money needlessly when they could easily correct the problem themselves by picking up a book -- instead of a phone. Today, there are hundreds of publications written to help homeowners do simple repairs and undertake routine maintenance themselves. A trip to the bookstore or library could save you hundreds of dollars in emergency service calls. Home centers offer free brochures and fix-it seminars, too. So the next time something breaks or goes out or you hear ker-plunk in the middle of the night, first try reaching for a book instead of a phone. And that's the On The House tip for today.
Many factors should be considered when adding a new room to a home
Winter-weary folks with cabin fever are always encouraged when the month of March rolls around. This is because March often translates into action time for spring projects dreamed up on cold nights. Many of those dreams will call for renovation, repair and additions to the old home place. One major project that has more than one household looking at their financial resources is a room addition. There's nothing like a severe winter to bring home the realization that more space is needed for the family.
Click here for a look at upcoming home improvement workshops and clinics.
QUESTION: I will be attempting to remodel my bathroom myself since I am on a limited budget. Is there a book that you can recommend that will help? -- Clarence
Most designers, architects and contractors are now equipped to draw home building and home remodeling plans in three dimensions. Highly sophisticated computer aided drawing "CAD" software is used to show cabinetry, roofs, wallpaper, paint colors, flooring and many other building elements so accurately, with such detail, and in such a realistic way, that the finished drawing is often interoperated by the novice as a fine sketch or even a photograph. Additionally, CAD drawing programs allow the user to rotate drawings 360 degrees on both their horizontal and vertical axis thus allowing the novice to preview every nook and cranny of a project inside and out as if the project has already been built. CAD drawings were in their infancy less than two decades ago. Yet, today these programs are more sophisticated and easier to use than ever before.
Ever since the "Roaring Twenties" ceramic tile floors have been the cat's pajamas. But if you've already got a vinyl floor that's looking kind of worn and shoddy how are you going to say "twenty-three skidoo"? Tear it up? Throw it out? Start from scratch? You don't have to. Here's why - and what to do. Even if your floor is worn, as long as it isn't loose and coming up, you can put new ceramic tile directly on top easily. First, use a belt sander to score the vinyl surface. Then apply two coats of bonding agent to help the adhesive hold better. Next carefully lay out chalk lines. Start laying tile from the center working outward toward the ends. Keep it simple; use pre-mixed mortar, working on small areas at a time. Let it dry a full day before you grout, then use diluted white vinegar on a damp cloth to remove the haze and make it shine. You won't believe the difference. Your little bungalow soon will be looking like the Hearst castle -- and you'll be putting on the Ritz. And that's the On The House tip for today.
Click here for a look at upcoming home improvement workshops and clinics.
If you're like most Americans, one of your concerns may be lack of storage space. For added room, sometimes all you need to do is more fully utilize what you already have. For example, as we've pointed out in the past, you can add an extra clothes pole to your closet for under $15 and double its hanging capacity. Doing so might eliminate the need for a dresser, and result in a more spacious bedroom.
