Home & Yard Handbook

How to take 10 Years off the appearance of your palace

It’s Spring! Hooray! As I walked around the yard picking up fallen twigs and debris blown my way, I looked at the old place and decided that there are a few things that I should think about to give my home a facelift. While in the budgetary mode, a few simple changes can still be made.

Assess what needs attention. Is your home suffering from year old dirt on your siding, windows, and roof? The simple fix to clean just about anything, is a power washer. Power washers can be rented, but they are a relatively inexpensive purchase. Start at the top of your home and spray your way down. The roof can be washed and cleared of dirt and debris, work on the gutters too while there. If the paint is not in good shape, stand about 3-4 feet away while spraying.. you don’t want to loosen the paint even more. Wash the siding using a sweeping motion and let the water run down, until all the dirt is removed. While you have the sprayer out, wash the deck to remove stains and mildew.

Clean the yard. Pick up sticks, rake autumn’s leftover leaves, and clean up debris. Walking around the yard with your wheelbarrow , rake and garden clippers, visually decide what needs attention. Is it the garden? Does your house need painting? Is your patio furniture looking shabby?

Paint your shutters. A fresh coat of paint on the shutters will give your home a lift. Try a new shade of dusty aqua on a grey house, or a deep, blackish green on a brick home. While painting the shutters, also give your front door a color change. Try something new. Add a bright color, maybe orange or sunny yellow. Do your window boxes need a boost? Plant your window boxes with herbs this year. It is convenient to have your herbs close and off the ground when cooking. One year, I planted mine with different varieties of parsley. They were lush and full, and so easy to care for.

Edge your lawn. Place a stake at one point and then a stake at another point. Tie a string between them to make your straight line. Follow it with your garden tool to scribe an edge. If you have a sidewalk that has grass growing between the grooves, easily remove the grass with an old steak knife or sprinkle salt between the cracks. Use new mulch around your shrubs. Some towns offer it free. Call your town to find the location, bring some heavy plastic bags and a shovel and you are in mulch heaven.

How does your porch furniture look? Buy new throw pillows for the chairs, Pier One has so many to choose from. Remember they don’t have to match. Mix it up. Be creative. Try fresh, bright colors like grass green or orange. I made new slipcovers for my pillows from remnants in my fabric caboodle, using all mismatched stripes.

The most important fix to add Spring freshness to your home is buy a new door mat. There are so many to choose from this year. At your home stores, you can find florals, stripes, and amusing designs- more than a boring black ”welcome” mat. I found one that mimics a post card- too cute!

Have fun with your home’s appearance. Add color, bright color, this year. You will improve your home’s curb appeal, while taking years off your home’s face. 

Lana Torre is the owner of Evergreen Interiors and recipient of multiple Interior Design Awards including several Best of Show for Homearama.  Contact Lana at 223-8776 or email her lana@homeandyardhandbook.com.

Greener Living = Healthier Indoor Air

If you want to live a more sustainable life and protect your family from cancer, you may want to learn more about one of the home’s most dangerous pollutants—radon. Radon is a cancercausing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. It’s the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers and claims about 20,000 lives every year.

Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is one of the lowest for those with cancer. Fortunately, many of the causes of lung cancer can be prevented—and this is especially true for radon.

The Office of the Surgeon General has issued a health advisory warning Americans about the risk from breathing radon in indoor air. Americans are urged to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building—homes, offices and schools—and can climb to high levels if it’s trapped indoors.

For most Americans, the greatest exposure to radon is in their homes, whether those homes are old or new. Any home, any type, any location can have a radon problem. All homes need to be tested unless the building is a high-rise above the third floor. If your home has not been tested, now is a good time to take the test. This will help protect your family’s health and it’s easy to do.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter of air (4pCi/L) or above. While testing can be easy and inexpensive, millions of Americans still need to have their first home radon test to protect their family.

You can test your home yourself or hire a professional. Reliable testing devices are available by phone or mail order and can be purchased in hardware and home improvement stores.

Fixing a radon problem is easy too—and doesn’t have to be costly. Radon reduction systems can lower radon to an acceptable level. Even very high levels can be reduced to a safer level.

“It’s inexpensive to build a new home with radon-resistant features. A better home will be both greeener for the planet and healthier for your family,” said Fuad Reveiz, a member of the National Association of Home Builders.

For help in identifying radon companies, call your state radon office or visit www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html. For more information, call 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236) or visit www.epa.gov/radon.

Ways to adjust driving to conserve fuel
Aggressive driving is much less energy efficient than normal driving, and speeding consumes more fuel over long distances. The reason for this lies in the engine; the engine works harder when accelerating or speeding, and therefore requires more fuel. To save fuel, accelerate slowly instead of slamming on the gas pedal, and brake easily. 

Cooking at home is the hottest trend today. In the difficult economic times, preparing the family meal with ease and fun, while saving lots of dollars is the way to go. If you are a viewer of WHAM 13 TV, you may have watched me prepare delicious meals that are budget friendly and restaurant good. My family owned an Italian restaurant, and while growing up, I learned how to make wonderful, classic, Italian meals. Now that I have recently been married, my husband and I are becoming reacquainted with the kitchen, and having a wonderful time, while saving many dollars. This month’s article is not about the perfect kitchen, but what is essential in the kitchen in order to prepare many great meals.

There are some tools in your kitchen are absolute must haves. A good working kitchen should always have an assortment of pots and pans. A large non- stick frying pan is a must, make your quick marinara sauce in it. So is a large stock pot for soups and pasta. A strong blender is needed for smoothies and drinks, but also for sauces and dressings. When making a smoothie, add a banana or fruit sorbet to thicken it. Food processors, now available in colors, can process your dips and spreads, make pie dough, and chop vegetables. Use it to grate your hard parm cheese. My favorite large appliance is the Kitchen Aid mixer,{ I received a stainless steel model for a wedding present}. I use it frequently, and it is so handsome. I leave it on the counter all the time, like a centerpiece.

Lately, I am into new knives. I have purchased the new colored varieties that have their own sheave. They stay so sharp and cut so perfectly. Tomatoes can be cut so paper thin, that you can see through them. And the colors are fun too, lime green, orange and pink- if you see these while shopping, grab one, they are worth the money. Layer thin tomato slices with thin mozzarella slices, drizzle with olive oil add salt, pepper and basil and you a have caprese salad. Another new purchase is a microplaner. Lemon zesting has never been easier. I use zest in so many recipes, try lemon zest in your next batch of blueberry muffins. The taste is so fresh. Another item to own is a lemon reamer, squeezing fresh lemon juice with a good olive oil on your greens makes a perfect and tasty salad.

Certainly we all have baking pans. Now on the market are beautiful colored ceramic pans. They are reasonably priced and make a beautiful presentation of lasagna. Own a few of these in different sizes and colors. A good solid wood cutting board is worth the dollars. Use it for chopping veggies and herbs, but always use a different board for cutting meats and poultry {I use plastic for this}.

Other must haves are, of course, measuring spoons and cups, a set of mixing bowls- having one with a pour spout can make pancake making very easy, especially for the kids.Trendy kitchen tools come and go. Remember the bread baking machine and the vegomatic? The old stand bys resist time, but new and improved equipment can turn your cooking ho-hums into cooking hoorays.

Tune into the morning show on WHAM 13 and watch me prepare Italian classic food, using all these tools I have talked about. Get back into cooking for yourself and your family. Teach your children how to prepare healthy food.

Jump back into your kitchen, it’s vogue again!  

Lana Torre is the owner of Evergreen Interiors and recipient of multiple Interior Design Awards including several Best of Show for Homearama.  Contact Lana at 223-8776 or email her at: lana@homeandyardhandbook.com.

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You’ve put your winter coat away, and the days are getting longer. Welcome to spring! Unfortunately, that’s not all that is getting longer. Your lawn is calling and you need to be ready to answer.

Spring is the start of the lawn care season, and with a little work early in the year your lawn and garden equipment will be ready to perform all season long. This guide will help you move into the yard without a hitch.

Safety First

• Remove the power cord, spark plug wire, or battery for cordless equipment prior to performing any service. Also gloves and eye protection are required to safely perform service.
• Next, check all of the unit’s fasteners, replace any that are missing, and tighten loose fasteners to the manufacturer’s recommended tightness. Loose and missing fasteners are a frequent cause of trips to the repair shop, and can be dangerous.

Sharp Cutters are Key

• Evaluate the condition of any blades, cutting attachments or blower impellers. If in poor condition, these items will impair performance and can cause injury.
• It’s probably best to leave maintenance of these items to a professional unless you are a very skillful mechanic and instructions for removal, replacement and sharpening are readily available.

Electric Equipment

• Electric equipment’s external cords and wires should be checked for fraying.
• Check all extension cords used to power these products. Any frayed cords and wires should be repaired immediately by a certified technician. Replace any bad extension cords. Don’t risk using the unit or extension cord even once as dangerous shocks can result.
• Ensure that all switches are intact and activate freely. Fully charge the battery, if applicable.

Gas Powered Equipment

•  Perform the simple maintenance procedures from the owner’s manual.
• Check the oil before starting any small engine that doesn’t use gas/oil fuel mix. Place the product on level ground to avoid false readings. If the oil is low, fill it to the recommended level with the specified oil. Also, while some oil consumption is normal for small engines, now is a good time to check for oil leaks that need to be addressed by a professional.
• Check the air filter; carefully clean dirt, oil, and debris off the filter cover and the surrounding area before removing the cover. Examine the filter, and if it is dirty, replace or clean it per manufacturer’s instructions.
• More experienced DIYers might want to change the oil and filter and check the spark plug. Make sure that your fuel is fresh as stale fuel can damage your engine. Unless you used a fuel stabilizer like Sta-Bil from Gold Eagle Co., any fuel more than 90 days old needs to be properly disposed of.

Cables and Levers

• Check to make sure all of these cables and levers operate smoothly. If they don’t, lubricate or replace them.

Start Up

• Connect the spark plug wire and fire up engine-powered equipment. Following the operator’s manual instructions, fill up the fuel tank with fresh fuel, making sure there are no fuel leaks, and start the engine.
• If the engine doesn’t start, it is often because unstabilized fuel was left in the unit during storage. This stale fuel doesn’t like to burn, and leaves varnish in your carburetor’s small passages and the fuel line. But all is not lost. If stale fuel and a dirty fuel system are the causes of hard starting, try a product like Start Your Engines! fuel system revitalizer. These starting fluids/system cleaners can refresh stale fuel and clean muck out of your fuel system just by pouring them into the unit’s fuel tank. It’s an easy and economical way to fix a gunked-up engine.
• If the engine still will not start after trying a fuel system revitalizer, it’s best to get a professional to evaluate the problem.
• Spring lawn care season is a great way to get active and enjoy the outdoors. It can be rewarding and easy if your tools are ready from the start. So what are you waiting for? Get going!

For more information on Sta-Bil Fuel Stabilizer, Start Your Engines! fuel revitalizer, or other Gold Eagle Co. products, visit www.goldeagle.com or call (800) 367-3245. 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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While new home construction has come to a grinding halt in most of the country, smaller home-renovation projects are still a viable option for homeowners. In fact, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently reported a “slight increase” in minor remodeling projects in its third-quarter 2008 Remodeling Market Index.

What does all this mean for homeowners? It spells opportunity. And for those who want to invest in their homes, it’s tough to beat bathroom additions and remodels, which rank high on NAHB’s list of the most prevalent remodeling jobs. 

Bathroom upgrades still provide a solid investment return, even in the present tightening economy, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2008-2009 “Cost vs. Value” report. The magazine estimates that a midrange bathroom redo will recoup nearly 75 percent of its cost; a bathroom addition recoups just under 65 percent.

Get the most for your money

Thinking about a new or improved bath? If so, avoid the high cost and hassle of creating under-floor plumbing connections — one of the most expensive and time-consuming aspects of any bath project. Instead, use macerating technology, an above-floor plumbing system that can be installed right on top of an existing floor in any part of the house in only half a day. 

With this type of installation, waste and water are pumped away and up from the plumbing fixtures through small-diameter piping into the sewer or septic tank. No more digging to set plumbing drainage lines. “This technology is easier, more convenient and less invasive,” says plumber Mike Sikorski of East Taunton, Mass., who installs Saniflo brand plumbing products. “It saves my customers an average of $1,000, and that’s on the low side.” 

Mike Coletto, another Saniflo installer and an independent plumbing, HVAC and electrical contractor in Illinois, agrees. “If a bathroom is on your project list, consider above-floor plumbing — especially if you’re planning a basement remodel,” he says. “Saniflo makes installing a basement bath a snap.” 

Here are some additional ways to keep your home bathroom remodel low-cost:

• Fix up vs. Replace: Instead of buying new cabinets, resurface or paint them; update handles and drawer pulls. Repair damaged walls and redo the caulking around sinks. Tile only halfway up the wall.
•  Improve vs. Expand: Instead of knocking down walls, gain space by replacing a hinged door with a pocket door. Put in a recessed medicine cabinet. Install a bowed shower curtain to increase the interior shower space.
• Lighten and Brighten: Repaint, using neutral colors. Repair damaged flooring, or install tile right over the floor. Place task lighting over the vanity, instead of installing a window.
• Think Green: Replace old windows with energy-efficient models and you may qualify for a federal tax rebate. Replace leaky faucets with low-flow models. 

To learn more about low-cost above-floor bathroom systems by visiting www.saniflo.com or calling toll-free: (800) 571-8191.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

by Lana Torre

As I write this month’s article, I am sitting in a Zen styled condo,  just about an hour outside of Shang Hai, China. So ironic, last year’s Homearama home that I designed was all Zen, and now I am living it for two weeks. I guess that’s called life imitating art!

The condo where we are staying is a large, open space. The walls are all swathed in soft, white paint. The trim is stained in a walnut color, to match  the hardwood floors. The furniture here is contemporary, clean, with long and low  lines. Leather, in clean white again, covers all the upholstered pieces here, including the sofa, chaise, armless chair, and dining room chairs, even the king headboard in the master suite is white leather, tufted and overstuffed. I am amazed at the toss pillows, large, soft and covered in linen stripes of grey, black and cream. This condo is a lesson in texture. From the glass topped coffee table to the Asian rug gracing this room, and the pillows, all have texture, all different.

The windows are large and tall. Mostly double treatments were used here, and some triple. This would cost many dollars in the states, but here in China, fabric is very reasonable. Roman shades in a soft grey linen are the first treatment. They diffuse the light as it passes thru, and can be raised to allow all the light to stream in. The second treatment is full length long panels, in a more neutral linen. These are hung from ceiling to floor on a traverse rod. And lastly, the third treatment  is sheer panels, in a striped silk, tone on tone in olive shades. { this condo in China could be in any contemporary living room in the states }. Today, we are visiting the silk farms to watch those little worms spin their magic into future window dressings.

The bathrooms are very modern, very western influenced. The walls are tiled from ceiling to floor, the floors are tiled too in large, textured, white,  square blocks. The cabinetry is a clean design, very contemporary, and it is a reddish hardwood, similar to cherry, but not. The handles are long , simple and brushed nickel. The lighting here is almost all  halogen, which we know is a hot, clean light. Mini spots shine down in every room. In the shower are glass shelves and stainless hooks to hold all your bath needs. {Pottery Barn must have gotten a few ideas from Chinese designs}

The kitchen is a small separate space. It’s glass paneled door hides the room from view. Cabinets in a grey composite material reminds me of cabinets from Swedish Ikea. The all stainless appliances  are of clean design as well. No crushed ice and water in the door. The oven, mounted on the wall, appears like just another cabinet, only sideways. There are large deep drawers to hold dishes and pots, and small narrow cabinets with smaller cubbies inside. I cannot figure out what these are for, unless they are for specific Chinese cooking pots.

As we walk the streets of Suzhou,  purple orchids for sale from flower vendors , fill the sidewalks. The streets are lined with large flowering trees, I think Magnolias, the landscape reminds me of Savannah. Flower gardens abound here, Suzhou is famous for its gardens, and canals, they call themselves “the Venice of the East”. 

Cement footbridges, adorned with  inlaid floral patterns, are seen everywhere. The new buildings are modern and tall, some with English designs and most with red tiled roofs. Pattern is everywhere.. From the sidewalks, bike paths and iron gates. Truly artistic.

China is an amazing , picturesque, country. I am most surprised by it’s western influenced designs, that are still infused with the old China.  This is a country and  a people  proud of their ancient culture, while growing into a more modern world. 

Lana Torre is the owner of Evergreen Interiors and recipient of multiple Interior Design Awards including several Best of Show for Homearama.  Contact Lana at 223-8776 or email her lana@homeandyardhandbook.com.

Q: My husband and I are not from this area and due to his job we are moving again.  My husband is not very handy and we are preparing our house for the spring real estate market. We have several larger projects and a punch list from our realtor of about 2 dozen little things we need to address.  It almost seems overwhelming hiring multiple types of contractors to get this done. We have only ever heard horror stories about handymen who don’t show up or claim they can fix things that they are not qualified to do. Any suggestions?

A: First of all you have started in the right place. Home and Yard Handbook has many assets to our community that are right in the handbook and can probably manage all of your needs. What you need sounds like a general contractor that offers handyman services and doesn’t mind doing small jobs as well. In this economy I would imagine that to be an easy thing to find. While many peoples perception of a general contractor is that they make money for just organizing workers is somewhat true, let me tell you that it is a difficult job and most people are very thankful and willing to pay a little extra to avoid the headaches that come along with this job. A good G.C. will make your projects and punch list disappear quickly and you won’t have to invest in Advil! Start interviewing contractors and asking people you know for referrals and by all means utilize the Better Contractors Bureau as well. I used to do a lot of work for realtors under similar circumstances to yours and finding a one stop contractor to get your house ready as fast as possible for market is my best suggestion.

March has arrived!!! I am not going to complain about our winter because I do not think it was that bad.  It also might not be over! But I truly hope it is.  I long for the warm sun on my face and to be able to take a walk without a hat on. The days are growing longer and the sun is visiting us more. Taking a walk around my yard today, I noticed some trees are starting to bud and perennials are beginning to pop out of the ground.  I started to get excited about being able to get outside and WORK IN MY GARDEN SOON!  I think that the signs of Spring put a lot of us in a great mood. I know I am always happier when the sun is shining. 

 One way that you can really enjoy what this next season has to offer is visiting the GardenScape show at the Dome Center on March 12-15.  Tickets are available at Wegmans.  The minute you walk into the door you smell the flowers. The theme is Gardens Of Eden…an Oasis for the soul.  The theme says everything you can expect to experience.  You can have the chance to escape the grey, cold weather and walk into a warm climate surrounded by flowers, trees and ponds.  You will forget you are in the month of March.  It is also a chance to see what new plants are out and get some great landscaping ideas.  There will be many professionals on hand to answer your questions and offer great ideas.  It is not too early to plan what you will be doing in your garden this year.  You can also get a chance to decide which Landscaper you might want to use by viewing their work.  

This issue has a lot of great yard information.  Ontrac Equipment, our cover feature, can help you get your shed ready for Spring.  After reading the great story that our Sally Baccetta wrote on P.4-5, you will find yourself wanting to take a drive to one of Ontrac’s five locations.  The staff is great and can help you to find the right item for your yard.  

Carm Santora also has included a great article on trimming trees on P.13.  

So get out in the garage or your shed, take inventory of your yard tools, get yourself a new pair of garden gloves(three if you go through them like me) and take a deep breath, we will be outside hopefully before the next issue!