Wednesday,September 12, 2012

2 The Daily DispaTch Fall Home & Garden WeDnesDay, sepTember 12, 2012

Of t e n t i m e s , b u y -ing a home opens

up a bottomless pit of oppor tunities for proj-ects and improvements. While some homeown-ers engage in dif ferent repairs and fix-ups out of necessity, many others like to freshen-up their spaces out of personal preference instead of need. But even the most well-intentioned projects can be waylaid if budgets are tight.

What many homeown-ers may not realize is that there are many ways to make updates and chang-es to a home that do not require a major overhaul or a large price tag. The following are seven proj-ects that won’t break the bank.

Move furniture around You may be able to

change the look of a room without spending any money. Interior design-ers know how to arrange furniture for maximum appeal, but the average homeowner can do it, too. Find a focal point in the room and angle the furniture toward it. Don’t

make the focal point the television, however. Try changing the placement of chairs and sofas. Sim-ply moving a curio cabi-net from one corner to another may also make a difference.

Add lighting Lighting at dif ferent

levels in the room can create a vibrant impact. Many homeowners mis-takenly put in a couple of table lamps and think that will be adequate. Howev-er, properly illuminating a room means varying the lighting to create different moods at different times. Plus, more light can make a room feel more welcom-ing.

Add new pillows or drapes

Changing a few aspects of a room can give it an entirely new look. If you want to add a splash of color but don’t know what to do, think about incor-porating some new throw pillows or change the cur-tains. An accessory here and there in a bright color also can incorporate a

new hue without it being overwhelming.

Change knobs or small accents

Give a room a new look by focusing on the small details. Switch out cabi-net knobs for something updated and moder n. Take inventory of wall out-lets and light switches and think about selecting new

ones that coordinate with your home decor.

Use plants Empty cor ners or

spots you’re not certain how to fill may benefit from a plant. Plants are inexpensive ways to add instant color and visual appeal to a room. Plus, having live plants can help improve indoor air by fil-

tering out contaminants. A home with plants also feels more cozy.

Hang new wall art It may be time to

look at your photos and ar twork and make a few adjustments. Find-ing new prints to hang could instantly change a room’s ambience. And

you needn’t spend a lot of money on professional photography, either. Grab your camera and take a few close-up shots of flow-ers or take in a landscape scenery. Many of today’s home printers can pro-duce professional-quality prints in minutes.

Try a new coat of paint

After you’ve exhausted other avenues, choosing a new paint color may be the new look you desire. Painting is one of the least expensive yet most dra-matic methods of chang-ing a home’s interior. With dozens of hues to choose from, and new apps that enable you to take snap-shots of things in nature or in your life and match them up to a paint color, you will have scores of opportunities to explore fresh new colors for your home.

When you get inspired to make improvements to the home but fear how much it may take out of your wallet, consider inex-pensive tricks that can induce a big “wow” factor.

7 inexpensive ways to update a home now

After years of funny financing and few limitations on loans,

banks and other lenders have tightened up their lending poli-cies. As a result, homeowners considering a home improvement project might need to look else-where to secure financing.

There are no certainties in the real estate markets. Though sta-tistics suggest marked improve-ment in home sales over just a few months ago, many homeown-ers remain wear y about selling their home to try to move up to some-thing bigger and better. The Nation-al Association of Home Builders says many people are choosing to stay put in their homes a n d r e m o d e l o r make renovations to transform the house into some-thing more comfortable.

While there are many worth-while home renovation projects, the NAHB recommends projects that bring your home up to par with the neighbors’. It doesn’t pay to transform your home into the most expensive on the street — unless you plan to live there for the rest of your life. Real estate experts recommend that a remodeling investment increases the value of your house by no more than 10 to 15 percent above the median sales price in your neighborhood.

When it comes time to finance a remodel or renovation, you may not know where to start. Credit restrictions on home mortgages that have troubled many would-be buyers have also plagued individuals looking to finance home improvements. However, homeowners hoping to finance a project do have options, and not all of them require stellar credit ratings.

• Borrow against a retire-ment plan. Many retirement plans, such as a 401(k), allow plan members to take out a por-tion of the savings to put toward

a home loan. This does not mean you are taking money out of the account permanently. Rather, you are borrowing against your-self, with repayment necessar y in a certain time frame. Because these loans often offer very low interest rates, and essentially the interest is being paid back to you, they might be a good option for men and women who cannot secure a traditional loan. Howev-er, if you have been laid off, there may be a shorter repayment peri-

od. Also, the inter-est on these loans is not tax-deductible.

• B o r r o w a g a i n s t o t h e r investments. CDs, bonds or mutual funds can provide the collateral you need and earn you a lower interest rate. Fixed-income i n v e s t m e n t s a r e

more stable options to borrow against, as their value won’t have a chance to decline.

• Apply for a home equity loan. Many people have heard of a home equity loan, and it is usually the first choice when bor-rowing funds for renovations. Essentially a home equity loan is taking out a second mortgage on your home to pay for the work you want to have done, which is based on the equity, or the dif-ference between the home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the prop-erty. The interest on these loans is tax-deductible, which can make this financing option quite popu-lar.

• Secure a home equity line of credit. A home equi-ty line of credit, or HELOC, is another type of home equity loan. Instead of receiving a lump sum to use toward renovations like you would with a traditional home equity loan, a HELOC is sort of a credit card type scenar-io based on the equity in your home. You are given a line of credit, against which you can buy items. This is good for intermit-

tent needs, when one large sum is not needed. These loans have a draw period, during which the borrower can use the credit, and a repayment period, during which it must be repaid. These types of loans generally have lower mort-gage fees at the star t and are generally subject to the same tax incentives as regular home equity loans.

• Consider refinancing. Interest rates on mortgages are at historic lows. You may qualify to do a cash-out refinance, where you borrow against the value of your home and create an entirely new mortgage at the lower rate. Although you will star t your mortgage all over from day 1 and have to pay closing fees, this type of refinancing can be more advan-tageous to homeowners with sig-nificant equity in their homes.

• Apply for a government-sponsored loan. The govern-ment may offer programs aimed at helping individuals who are underwater on their home loans borrow money to make neces-sar y improvements. While the funding cannot be used to pur-chase luxur y items, such as a swimming pool, it can be used for necessities. Residents of the United States can explore FHA 203(k) refinance options and an FHA title 1 improvement loan.

• Discuss financing with your contractor. Some contrac-tors may offer financing. Keep in mind that the interest rates may be high, and it may be difficult to investigate the security of these types of loans.

Many homeowners also look to credit cards to help finance some home renovation projects, but they should be used as a last resor t. Credit cards typically come with high interest rates, and while they are good for some small projects, financing larger projects on a card may land you very deep in debt.

Homeowners who choose to stay in their homes and make renovations have a host of options at their disposal to finance those projects.

Financing a home improvement project

Throwpillowsareaccessories thatcaneasilyand inexpensivelychangethe lookofaspace.

Real estate experts recommend that a remodeling investment increases the value of your house by no  more than 10 to 15 percent above the median sales price in your neighborhood.

Though spring clean-ing might have the

name recognition, many homeowners spend just as much time cleaning their homes in the fall as they do in the spring. Spring might be the sea-son for clearing out the clutter, but fall is when homeowners prepare their homes for the long winter months ahead.

End-of-summer clean-ing is essential for hom-eowners who want to ensure their homes are not only cozy and com-fortable, but healthy as well. The following are a few tips homeowners can employ to ensure their home is a welcoming and healthy respite from the winter cold.

• Clean seasonal items before storing them away. When sum-mer has ended, hom-eowners must place all the items reminiscent of summer, including the grill, patio furniture and lawn and garden equip-ment, in storage. Clean-ing those seasonal items are ready to go when spring makes its trium-phant and long-awaited return.

• Get a head start on fighting the flu. Perhaps no winter foe is more formidable than the flu, which can find its way into a home, spreading rapidly among residents, especially if a home has not been adequately cleaned. Other viruses and bacteria to be aware of include the Influenza A2 Virus, Salmonella Choleraesuis, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Oftentimes, viruses such as the flu are spread when an infected resident touches an item in the home and then that item isn’t cleaned, enabling the virus or bacteria to spread to others.

• Clean out the garage. Cleaning the garage might seem like a project that’s tailor made for spring clean-ing, but it’s actually more advantageous to clean the garage in the fall. A garage that’s clear of clutter can be used to safeguard a vehicle from those inevitable winter snowstorms while saving homeowners the hassle of digging their car out of all that ice and snow. What’s more, cleaning the garage at the end of summer creates more room for lawn chairs and other seasonal items that must be stored away before the arrival of win-ter.

• Address mold and mildew ahead of time. Winter can trap moisture inside a home, creating an environment that is ideal for the growth of mold and mildew. Mold spores can grow inside a home and compromise the health of a home’s residents, while mildew’s strong odor can make the indoors very unpleasant.

• Don’t forget the fireplace. While fireplac-es are largely ignored dur ing the summer months, there’s noth-ing quite like gathering around the fireplace with family and friends once winter weather has arrived. But before burn-ing the season’s first fire, be sure to remove any potential safety hazards that might have accumu-lated near the fireplace, such as old newspapers or magazines, during those months when the fireplace was not in use. Clean the inside of the fireplace as well, making sure to remove any ash, carbon deposits, creosote build-up, dust, smoke residue, and soot before using the fireplace.

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The Daily DispaTch Fall Home & Garden WeDnesDay, sepTember 12, 2012 3

After a summer’s worth of memories and fun in

the sun, pool owners know it’s time to close their pool for the coming fall and win-ter seasons.

As the leaves begin to change color and the air starts to grow a little more crisp, homeowners turn their attention to winteriz-ing their pools. The goal is to begin the work early on so that you’re not fac-ing the hassle of leaves all over the ground or in the pool. Many times, closing the pool requires a team effort, so enlist the help of a spouse, friend or family member before beginning the process.

The first thing that is essential to winterizing the pool is having all of your equipment ready. Depend-ing on the type of pool you have, this equipment can vary. But have all tools, winterizing chemicals and water plugs at the ready. Although in-ground pools and above-ground ones have similar winterizing steps, there are a few dif-ferences between the two and it is important to be aware of the differences.

Thoroughly vacuum the bottom of the pool and clean the walls. You want to remove as much organ-ic material, such as algae and dead insects, as pos-sible prior to covering the pool so that there is a high-er propensity the water will be crystal clear next spring or summer when you reopen the pool.

Once the pool has

been vacuumed and cleaned, backwash the fil-ter to remove any excess residue. Remove plugs or open drain ports on the filter and let all of the water flow out of the fil-ter. Give the filter compo-nents, including skimmer baskets, a good rinse with water and allow them to dry.

Next, disconnect the pool’s pump and filter. Everything should be total-ly drained of any water. With an above-ground pool, remove intake and output hoses and drain. For in-ground pools, use an air compressor or a shop vacuum to blow out any residual water from the return pipes, and then promptly plug up the ports.

Some people prefer to plug-up the skimmer return as well and leave the water level of the pool as is. However, it is also possible to drain the pool water level below the skim-mer level. Put duct tape or use some other blockage method on all exposed pipes or openings to the pools to prevent anything from getting inside — this includes any insects and rodents looking for places to set up winter camp.

While some people keep their filters discon-nected and outdoors for the winter, the pump should be moved into a garage or shed. Do so with the filter if you have room in order to better safe-guard the equipment.

Homeowners should

also test the pool water chemistry and adjust the pH, calcium hardness and total alkalinity according to recommended levels. Then prepare to add the desired mix of chemicals to the pool to sanitize it for the season. Most people use a combination of algae-cide and chlorine as their winterizing chemicals. However, if the chlorine level is high enough, algae-cide may not be necessary. Raise the chlorine to shock level — much higher than the recommended level for when the pool is running. Thoroughly mix granu-lated chemicals to prevent them from settling on the liner and causing stains.

The cover should be placed on the pool and properly secured. This is where an extra body comes in handy so that the cover can be maneuvered easily. In above ground pools, an inflated pillow is often used to alleviate ice expansion and prevent the walls of the pool from split-ting. It is not to keep rain-water from accumulating on the top of the cover.

Store all of the pool equipment for the winter season, and during the cold weather, periodically check the cover, air pillow and water tubes for any damage.

Although closing a pool is not terribly difficult, it can be for those who have never owned a pool in the past. When in doubt, it is best to consult with a pool service.

how to close your pool

With the economy still struggling, money is

tight for many homeown-ers. That reality can pres-ent a problem to those who want to improve their homes without spending too much money.

The cost of a home improvement project depends on a host of fac-tors, including the scale of the project and the availability of materials. Upscale projects like a full roof replacement will set homeowners back a sub-stantial amount of money. In its 2011-2012 “Cost vs. Value Report,” Remodel-ing magazine revealed that the average cost of a such a project was nearly $38,000. However, a small-er project like a garage door replacement could be completed for fewer than $3,000.

When deciding if a home improvement proj-ect is within your budget, it’s a good idea to con-sult such figures before choosing a project. For example, if your home is a fixer-upper, then one project may not be more urgent than another, something that may allow you to choose less expen-sive projects now while saving money for more expensive projects down the road.

It’s also important for

homeowners to know that figures such as those in the report are just aver-ages. Some projects might cost more than the aver-age, while others might come in well under bud-get. To ensure your proj-ect is one of the latter and not the former, consider the following ways to trim costs off your next home improvement project.

• Avoid trying to do it yourself if you don’t have adequate experi-ence. Many homeown-ers fall into the DIY trap, feeling they can pull off a project without hiring a professional contractor. While this is an option for those homeowners with home improvement expe-rience, it’s an approach that’s best avoided by those without such experi-ence. Homeowners who decide to go it alone on a home improvement project should know that mistakes are costly. One mistake could have you paying for the same mate-rials twice: once when you begin the project, and then again when you need to hire a contractor after your efforts didn’t work out. A failed DIY project also costs you time, some-thing homeowners hoping to sell their homes post-project cannot af ford to waste.

• Hire the right con-tractor. The best contrac-tor for the job won’t nec-essarily be the one who comes in with the lowest estimate. The right con-tractor will know how long a project will take and what the materials will cost. The wrong contrac-tor, who might lack the experience of his competi-tors, might make empty promises that ultimately cost you more money via overrun costs. Find a con-tractor who comes highly recommended and is will-

ing to provide references and show you his or her past projects like the one you’re hiring him or her under take. If you hire the wrong contractor, the project may never be com-pleted and you may find yourself in court, where the money you had bud-geted for home improve-ments is being spent on lawyers instead.

• Consider supply-ing your own materials. If you diligently research your project, you should be able to buy the mate-

rials yourself, even if you plan on hiring a contrac-tor to do the work. Some contractors mark up the materials as a means of padding the bill. If you research the project and learn about the materials you want to use, you can save a substantial amount of money buying those materials yourself and then hiring a contractor.

• Don’t overlook recycled materials. Buy-ing recycled materials is another way to reduce home improvement costs.

Bathroom fixtures, doors, flooring, and lighting are just a few of the materi-als that are commonly recycled and resold at a fraction of the cost of new materials. Shop around for stores in your area or peruse the Internet for recycled materials. Hom-eowners undertaking a replacement project rath-er than a remodel might even be eligible for tax breaks if they donate their old materials.

• Choose projects that provide more bang for your buck. Another way to save is to choose projects that provide a strong return on your investment. The “Cost vs. Value Report” compares the cost of popular remod-eling projects with the value those projects retain at resale. If money is a motivating factor behind your project, choose a project that will get you the most money back at resale.

While the economy has not necessarily been kind to the home improve-ment industry, there are still plenty of homeowners looking to improve their homes. Savvy homeown-ers can do just that and save some money along the way by putting a few strategies to work for them.

how to save on home improvement projects

Homeownerscantrimhomeimprovementcostsbybuyingtheirownmaterialsbeforehiringacontractortocompletetheproject.

Specia l i s t s in the industr y suggest

that any homeowner planning to renovate should not be too hasty in applying the “cos-metics” of a renova-tion without investigat-ing the home’s insides first.

H o m e o w n e r s a r e advised to review the foundations of a home — the insulation and t h e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e — beforehand. Ade-quate ly cons ider ed , these areas can add significant value to a home. Bringing in an energy rater, inspector or appraiser to exam-ine the home will give a better sense of the r e q u i r e d w o r k a n d avoid any subsequent costly headaches.

Replacing traditional insulation with a more energy ef ficient mod-er n a l ter nat ive l ike spray foam insulation can he lp homeown-ers address potential problems, such as air leakage and poor insu-lation.

Spray foam insula-tion, like that available from innovators l ike I c y n e n e , a d d r e s s e s concerns of airborne ir ritant and moisture infiltration while reduc-ing monthly energy bills. Inclusion of this

modern material may even help increase the market value of the renovated home if put up for sale.

Understanding the

needs of a home during a renovation rewards homeowners over the long-term. Additional in for mat ion can be found at icynene.com.

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4 The Daily DispaTch Fall Home & Garden WeDnesDay, sepTember 12, 2012

Ever y weekend of the last few months

you have spent mowing, weeding, edging, and trimming your lawn so that it will look its best. In order to ensure your lawn makes a complete recover y after winter hibernation, you may want to spend the fall taking steps to help your lawn survive the winter months ahead.

Winterizing a lawn varies depending on where you live and how harsh a typical winter is. There are cer tain key tasks to complete before you can rest for the win-ter season.

• Remove fal len leaves and debris. Leaf cleanup is among the tasks homeowners dread the most. Raking leaves can be arduous, but it is well worth the effort. Fallen leaves can smoth-er the grass and lead to dead spots and decay next season. Wait until the majority of the leaves have fallen from the trees before you begin to rake; other wise, you could find yourself repeating the process throughout the fall. Mulched leaves can be added in small amounts to garden beds to provide rich organic material for next year’s crop of flowers.

Be sure to pick up any twigs and other debris as well. Addition-al debris can become up trapped under snow and hinder grass growth when spring arrives.

• Cut your lawn short. Unless the sea-son is unseasonably wet and war m, your lawn shouldn’t grow too much in October and

November. Continue to cut your lawn until there is no visible g r o w t h f o r a b o u t t w o w e e k s . I t pays to give i t a s h o r t c u t b e f o r e frost arrives so that long piles of dead grass will not smother any new growth in the spring. A l s o , l o n g grass tends to bend down upon itself, trap-ping moisture that can

lead to fungal diseases like snow mold.

• Aerate the lawn. Soil can be compacted over t ime, e s p e c i a l l y i n y a r d s t h a t s e e heavy foot traf fic. You c a n r e n t an aerator from a lawn supply store s o t h a t

water and fertilizer can reach the soil.

• Fertilize. Now is

the time to give the lawn fresh food to overwinter and also replenish the strength of the root sys-tem. All summer long the lawn has been depleting the soil of nutrition, but autumn presents a great opportunity to strength-en those roots. Consider a slow-release formula designed for winterizing that will feed the lawn all winter long.

• Edge the garden beds. Take advantage of the cooler weather and slow-growing grass to re-edge around flower beds. Even though the grass above the surface of the soil will stop growing, the roots will remain viable and the lawn will still be sending out rhizomes and tillers to produce new grass blades in the spring. These can eas-ily encroach on garden beds. Edge now so you will have less work to do in the spring.

• Trim hedges and trees. If there are any overhanging tree branch-es or shrubbery blocking sunlight from reaching the lawn, cut back these areas once the foliage has thinned. Take advan-tage of your town’s leaf and twig pickup services.

• Seed bare patches. Scour the lawn for bare patches and put down some seed in these areas. The cooler weather will enable the seeds to ger-minate without having to compete with weed growth.

Once you have pre-pared your lawn for the winter you can bring in any lawn tools that need repair and have them set and packed away for the spring.

how to winterize your lawn

Leafcleanupisamongthetaskshomeownersdreadthemost.Rakingleavescanbearduous,but it iswellworththeeffort.Fallenleavescansmotherthegrassandleadtodeadspotsanddecaynextseason.Waituntilthemajorityoftheleaveshavefallenfromthetreesbeforeyoubegintorake;otherwise,youcouldfindyourselfrepeatingtheprocessthroughoutthefall.

Winterizing a lawn varies depending on where you live and how harsh a typical winter is. There are certain key tasks to complete before you can rest for the winter season.

Conservation is one of the keys to adopting

an eco-friendly lifestyle. Though some might feel the transition to such a lifestyle might be dif-ficult, it’s often far sim-pler than it may seem. Conser ving water, for instance, can be done in a number of ways.

One such way con-cerns how you treat your landscape. Planting the right way can save a sub-stantial amount of water, which will also save you money on your utility bills. The following are a few ways to plant right that won’t require a com-plete overhaul of your landscape.

• Research before you plant anything. Decorating your land-scape with the prettiest plant might add to your home’s aesthetic appeal, but it’s not always the most practical or eco-friendly decision. Choose plants that will thrive in your local climate so you don’t need to constantly water them just to keep them alive and looking good. Certain grasses, for instance, are best suit-ed for certain climates. When planting, make use of shaded areas around your property so plants won’t need more water to make it through the warmer months of the year.

• Maintain a healthy soil. Healthy soil allows water to penetrate effec-tively, promoting strong roots and ensuring plants get all they need to thrive. Aerate your lawn, including areas around trees, once a year and cultivate the soil before

planting. Add compost or fertilize the soil, which increases moisture reten-tion and reduces the need to water. Healthy soil helps make stronger plants that won’t need to be watered as often as plants that are not healthy or struggling to survive.

• Be timely when planting. Spring or fall is typically the ideal time to plant. Though you can plant in the summer, that’s not the best time if one of your goals is to conserve water. Planting in the summer when tem-peratures are generally at their warmest makes it more difficult for plants to establish themselves without extra watering.

• Plant shade trees. Shade trees are trees that, when full grown, shade the yard and plants from the sun. This low-ers the air and soil tem-peratures and reduces moisture loss. The more moisture a plant and the soil can maintain, the less they need to be watered.

• Don’t procras-tinate with regard to lawn care. It’s easy to put off lawn maintenance, particularly during the dog days of summer when temperatures can be especially hot. Howev-er, it won’t take long for a blazing sun to do a num-ber on your lawn. Put-ting off lawn care, even if just for a few days when the weather is hot, will require more water down the road when you start taking care of your prop-erty again. But a well-maintained lawn won’t need as much water to stay healthy.

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ing to add aesthetic appeal to their home’s exterior. Though vinyl siding may seem to be a cut-and-dry type of product, the vast array of vinyl siding colors and styles has created cer-tain trends among consum-ers.

Made chiefly from poly-vinyl chloride, or PVC, vinyl siding is the most commonly installed exte-rior cladding for residen-tial construction in the United States and Canada, according to the Vinyl Siding Institute. The his-tory of vinyl siding can be traced to Ohio, where it was introduced to the exterior cladding market in the late 1950s by a pri-vate company. The process of mixing colors was done by hand, and the product was ver y inconsistent. New innovations in siding manufacture during the next few decades helped solidify vinyl siding’s place among cladding materials like shake, wood and alu-minum.

Vinyl siding comes in several dif ferent types. Here are the key variations.

• Seamless vinyl sid-ing: In the past, siding was created in specific lengths, requiring siding panels to overlap at points, often creating an unpleasant pat-tern. These points provid-ed spots for insects, wind and moisture to infiltrate, leading to a weaker prod-uct. Today there are vinyl siding products that have removed the seams, creat-

ing a more visually appeal-ing and durable product.

• Solid core vinyl sid-ing: Even the best-made vinyl siding had a flaw: it was not rigid and generally didn’t lie flat against the surface of a home. Solid core vinyl siding alleviates that problem by having a solid backing on which the vinyl panels are attached. The core is then attached to the home. These prod-ucts also boast a higher-than-average insulation rating because the foam core interlocks during insu-lation. This makes a solid barrier around the home.

• Vinyl shake siding: Vinyl shake siding has been designed and col-

ored to look just like real cedar shakes, but without the maintenance, such as power washing or stain-ing, associated with a wood product. Vinyl shake siding offers the same benefits of other types of vinyl sid-ing, but tends to look like it is an expensive cladding material.

• Vinyl log siding: Log cabins may seem like an adventure. However, being surrounded by wood can have its disadvantages, most notably maintenance issues surrounding wood. Vinyl siding manufactur-ers have created vinyl log products molded directly from real lumber, provid-ing a look that mimics real

wood, like that used for a log cabin.

As vinyl siding contin-ues to be a favorite among homeowners, cer tain trends emerge each year. While rich-colored siding was a popular trend just last year, homeowners engaging in siding renova-tion products are now turn-ing more to warm, earthy colors. Expect to see more gold, clay, and warm red shades with trim colors only one or two shades off, for a monochromatic effect.

Another trend involves a continued interest in renewable materials or siding comprised of some post-recycled consumer content.

Energy conservation is also on the minds of con-sumers, and some areas of the country have modi-fied building codes to require continuous insula-tion of home exteriors to prevent heat and cooling losses more effectively. As a result, more customers may opt for solid core vinyl siding to meet demands for home insulation.

For homeowners who prefer a one-of-a-kind look to their homes, mix-and-match siding trends have developed. Mixing and matching siding styles can create instant curb appeal and an interesting back-drop for outdoor gardens and patios. Stone entry ways mixed with vinyl sid-ing as well as a mixing of traditional horizontal siding with vinyl shake or board-and-batten are also consid-erations.

The Daily DispaTch Fall Home & Garden WeDnesDay, sepTember 12, 2012 5

Raking leaves is an annual event for peo-

ple in many parts of the countr y. Some people enjoy getting out in the crisp, autumn air and spending a day clean-ing up the yard. Others do not relish the idea of hours upon hours of leaf removal from their lawns. Making the process eas-ier and more enjoyable benefits all involved.

The majority of hom-eowners real ize that in order to keep their lawn pristine, leaves and debris must be routinely removed from the yard. Raking leaves is an activ-ity that takes time and energy. It also can be strenuous work. How-ever, by employing a few techniques, the work doesn’t have to be that difficult and it might even be fun.

• Invest in a qual-ity rake, particularly one that bends a bit with each stroke. This will help maximize the number of leaves that will be collect-ed with each pass.

• If raking routinely causes aches and pains in your arms, shoulders and wrists, look for ergo-nomic rakes that are the proper height for your body.

• Move your legs when you are raking instead of remaining sta-tionar y and just using your arms. This will help reduce your risk of back pain.

• Use smaller pass-es of the rake to collect

leaves. This method is more ef ficient and less taxing on your muscles.

• Turn on music while you are raking. Sing along to the tunes or move with the beat, and it just may take your mind off of the task at hand.

• Be sure to rake downwind; other wise every pile of leaves you collect may end up blow-ing around and giving you more work.

• Rake leaves in groups. Enlist the help of all family members so that it will take much less time. Plus, everyone gets to spend time work-ing together. Talking and joking around will cer-tainly pass the time more quickly.

• Use a leaf blower sparingly. It may seem advantageous to simply blow the leaves to the

curb, but this can take more time and leaf blow-ers are much more noisy. Use the blower to dis-lodge leaves from hard-to-reach areas, like behind bushes or under decks. Then rake the leaves into manageable piles.

• Wait until after the peak time for leaves to be falling before you do the majority of raking. Oth-erwise, you could spend just about every Saturday and Sunday cleaning up leaves.

• Create family-cen-tered games while raking. Have contests to see who can rake the largest pile in the shortest amount of time. Take breaks so that everyone can enjoy jump-ing in a giant leaf pile or horsing around.

• Host a leaf-raking par ty with friends and family members. Tie it

into a day when there is a football game on televi-sion, or toss around the old pigskin after the job is done.

• Use two garbage pail lids to pick up leaves and put them into disposal bags. You’ll grab more leaves in each pass.

• There are some leaf blowers that can vacuum up leaves and mulch them at the same time. Put a portion of this leaf mulch into a compost pile or in your garden beds.

• If your town collects leaves curbside, be sure to keep them in a neat pile to reduce the likeli-hood of leaves making their way into a nearby sewer.

Leaf c leanup is a necessary task, but the task doesn’t have to be tedious and time-consum-ing.

make raking leaves easier and maybe even Fun

Although many people may tout the benefits

of hardwood flooring over carpeting, there are plenty of individuals who like to have the soft and luxuri-ous feeling of carpeting underfoot. Selecting the right carpeting for a par-ticular room and purpose can be a bit daunting because of the abundance of available colors and materials.

According to the Car-pet and Rug Institute, car-peting is an added safety measure that makes play areas safer, potentially lessening the severity of an injury in the event of a fall. This is why carpet-ing is often preferred in children’s rooms and play areas.

There are other advan-tages to carpeting as well. It can help insulate rooms both in the summer and winter. It can be easier on feet than a hard floor, and few mate-rials absorb sound better than carpet.

Choosing the right car-peting for a room comes down to iden-t i fy ing the kind of foot traf f ic you expect in your home and which carpeting options most suit your needs. Here are some tips to get started.

• Don’t overlook padding. Padding can make the dif ference in the way carpeting feels and how long it lasts. The thickest or most expen-sive padding isn’t nec-essarily the best or the best-suited for your home. However, it is wise to pick a pad that matches the type of carpeting you’re selecting. You may be able to go with a thinner pad in low-traffic rooms and under dense carpeting like berber. In high-traffic rooms, choose thicker, more durable padding.

• Recognize the type of carpeting that best suits your needs.

For example, plush and saxony carpets are better in low-traffic areas. These carpets may show

footprints and also vacu-um tracks and dirt. Ber-ber, meanwhile, is more flat and dense, making it highly effective at mask-ing stains and tracks. Tex-tured carpets like frieze are cut from fibers of dif-ferent heights, so they mask stains and are also softer on the feet than berbers. An entryway or a den may be better off carpeted in a dense car-peting, while a bedroom may be fine and luxuri-ous with plush carpeting. Carpeting may come in stain-resistant varieties or low-maintenance options. These are generally best in homes with pets and children.

• Choose color wisely. Choosing a color comes down to prefer-ence and how much the

r o o m w i l l b e u s e d . A l t h o u g h l ight, neu-tral colors a r e o f t e n p r e f e r r e d because they work well in just about any room, lighter col-ored carpets w i l l s h o w stains much mor e eas -ily than other carpet colors. T e x t u r e d , multi-colored

carpets are preferable to hide stains and can look just as elegant as solid-col-ored carpeting.

• Hire a good install-er. There are many beau-tiful carpets available, but unless you choose a reli-able installer and store, you may end up paying more or receiving sub-par service. Poll friends and family members for recommendations to help you narrow down options. Also, you don’t necessarily need to use an installer provided by the carpet store. You can shop around to find a separate installer or even do the work yourself.

Carpeting can make a fine addition to your home and make it feel more comfortable and inviting. Remember to take your time when selecting car-peting, as your decision will have long-lasting effects.

how to select the right carpeting For your home

Carpeting is an added safety measure that makes play areas safer, potentially lessening the severity of an injury in the event of a fall. This is why carpeting is often preferred in children’s rooms and play areas.

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Storage space is often a coveted commod-

ity. Apar tment dwell-ers seek out more closet space, homeowners may desire more acreage, and even children may want more space for their toys and belongings. The pur-chase of a storage shed could alleviate some clut-ter issues and move items outdoors — creating more space.

Household garages are no longer as popular for storing vehicles. Instead, garages are used to store the extra items that do not fit inside the home. Many people even turn to self-storage units for extra storage space. According to the Self Storage Associa-tion, the storage industry earned roughly $20 billion in revenues across North America in 2010. It has also been the fastest-growing segment of the commercial real estate industry for the last 30 years and is consid-ered to be recession-proof.

Garden storage sheds present another place where individuals can keep items out of sight but eas-

ily accessible. As garages fill up with belongings quite quickly, many hom-eowners think about a shed purchase to at least keep outdoor lawn and gar-den essentials in their own place.

The process of purchas-ing a shed is not as sim-ple as finding the least or most expensive type on the market. There are other factors that come into play when selecting a shed.

• Appearance and

design: Although the func-tion of a shed is to store items out of sight, the shed itself will be in full view in a yard. Therefore, plenty of homeowners prefer something that has just as much aesthetic appeal as it does storage capacity. An unsightly shed can affect the overall appearance of a property, or even hurt the sale price for homeowners thinking about putting the home on the market. It’s important to select a shed

in a price range that also complements the style of he home so it coordinates with other features. Some people choose to have a custom-built shed that can replicate the architectural style of the home and even features the same siding and finishing materials.

• Size: Sheds come in a variety of sizes, from compact locker-sized sheds to large buildings that may even double as a garden room, pool room

or kids’ playhouse. Hom-eowners should keep in mind that the size of the shed may have to meet local municipality rules for additions or structural changes to a property. A larger shed may require a permanent flooring mate-rial, such as concrete, and may be subject to permit applications and inspec-tions, whereas a smaller shed may not have such stringent requirements. Fur thermore, cer tain towns actually may restrict the size and placement of a shed if it interferes with traffic visibility or impacts a neighbor in a negative way.

• Siding materials: Sheds are constructed of various exterior materi-als. Some of the more af fordable options are metal or plywood and particle board. However, these materials can be eas-ily compromised by rain and snow. The most main-tenance-free materials are vinyl or molded PVC-type plastics. However, these may look like cookie-cut-out units and may not have

as much visual appeal. Cedar and wood are popu-lar siding choices but won’t be maintenance-free. They need upkeep and also tend to be more expensive. But the cost may pay for itself in durability as well as an attractive appearance.

• Minor enhance-ments: Touches like decorative architectural features, window boxes, shutters, or even simply planting shrubs and annu-als around the shed can make it an integral part of the landscape instead of simply an eyesore. Double doors will ensure large pieces of equipment can fit inside the shed. The addi-tion of a pressure-treated ramp at the entryway pro-vides easy access to the shed as well.

Storage sheds can pro-vide much-needed space for homeowners. Certain features as well as cost need to be factored into the decision before purchase. Homeowners should com-pare chain home improve-ment stores as well as pri-vate retailers to find a shed that is the best fit.

6 The Daily DispaTch Fall Home & Garden WeDnesDay, sepTember 12, 2012

January and February are typically consid-

ered the coldest months in the northwest, north-east and midwester n United States. It can be tough for homeowners tr ying to bear the cold without running up heat-ing costs. Yet with some p lanning and invest -ment, we can avoid the winter chills.

An ef fective and ef fi-c ient heat ing system needs a solid air barrier, say specialists. Tradi-tional insulation materi-als are regarded as eco-nomical options. Howev-er, these same materials can contribute to unnec-essary heat loss.

Innovations, like the spray foam insulation from leading name Icy-

nene, af ford homeown-ers an upgraded insu-lation system that also provides an air barrier.

Understanding what products are available allows homeowners to reduce energy bills for a warm winter and be ready for a cool sum-mer. More information can be found at icynene.com.

avoid shivering with these winter tips

Aneffectiveandefficientheatingsystemneedsasolidairbarrier.Traditional insulationmaterialsareregardedaseconomicaloptions.However,thesesamematerialscancon-tributetounnecessaryheatloss.

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