Tag: DIY

Autumn Homeowner To-Do Tips

Regular home maintenance not only extends the life of major mechanical systems and appliances, but can also reduce your home’s energy costs. Here are some simple chores that any homeowner can handle in the autumn. 

Clean Your Gutters Every Fall

Let’s face it, we don’t know of a single homeowner that likes cleaning their gutters. It’s an awful, stinky, slimy job. But, one thing’s for sure, if you don’t clean them, they’ll clog up and you’ll wind up with water in your basement or ice dams in winter. Somebody’s got to do it, and it’s either you or a gutter cleaning professional.

If you’re determined to DIY, at least invest in the right gutter cleaning tools to make the job a bit less messy and time-consuming. Buy a gutter cleaning extension pole and attach it to your garden hose. Then extend it up to the gutter and flush the debris over to the downspout. Or, if you have to use a ladder to get to your gutters, scoop more crud faster with a specially designed gutter scoop. Want to reduce gutter cleaning frequency or eliminate it altogether? Invest in gutter leaf guards. 

 

 

Clean Soffit Vents Every Fall

Attics need proper ventilation, especially in winter. But plugged soffit vents can dramatically reduce air movement, causing hot spots that turn into ice dams. You can avoid costly roof and ceiling damage by simply blowing out your soffit vents every fall. And yes—any homeowner can do it. All you need is a ladder, a small air compressor with hose and nozzle and a dust mask. Locate the ladder under each soffit vent and shoot a blast of air into the vent. That’ll blow any loose insulation out of the way and open the vents for unrestricted airflow.

 

 

Check Your Sump Pump Every Fall

What good is a sump pump if it doesn’t pump when you need it most? Checking sump pump operation is something any homeowner can do. Just pour a few buckets of water into the sump pit until you hear it click on and start pumping. If you don’t hear the click, check the circuit breaker or GFCI outlet first, then the sump pump float switch. If you’ve got power but no pumping action, it’s time for a new sump pump.

Helpful fall tips from: familyhandyman.com©

 

15 Gorgeous Deck and Patio Ideas You Can DIY

Living Wall with Movable Planters

If you have a ground-level deck or patio and would like a bit of privacy, consider building a living wall. It can shield you from the neighbors, surround you with flowers and provide fresh herbs just steps away from your kitchen or grill. The planter boxes are easy to build, and a drip irrigation system provides automatic watering all summer long—no worries about missing a day of watering or losing all your plants when you go on vacation.

©Family Handyman

Island Deck

Built with composite decking and hidden fasteners, this maintenance-free backyard deck is designed to go together fast and to fit in anywhere in the yard, without footings or ledger boards.

Grillzebo

You can entertain and feed your guests without ever having to leave your shish kebabs unattended! If you’re looking for outdoor bar ideas or DIY gazebo plans, this “grillzebo” is perfect. It’s big enough to accommodate most standard grills but small enough that it might just fit on your existing patio. Customize your own grillzebo with lighting, grill accessory storage, wine glass racks, or built-in coolers.

Written by Matt Boley for The Family Handyman©

Please click the link below to see all 15 deck ideas.

Source Link: 15 Gorgeous Deck and Patio Ideas You Can DIY (msn.com)

A YEAR IN DIY’S

Your Home Improvement Calendar for Paint Projects by Season

We’ve been fairly housebound going on about two years now (mind = blown). So if you’ve found yourself daydreaming about new projects to improve and refresh your home again, you’re certainly not alone. You’ve also come to the right place. Here, our top three projects per season, at every level of difficulty. Think you’re up for the challenge? 

Spring: Functional Workspace

Even if you don’t have a dedicated office, you can still have a beautiful and functional space when you’re working from home. Turn an open wall into your own personal study and give it a pop of color to make it come alive. Start with KILZ 2Ⓡ All-Purpose Primer to hide any unsightly scuffs or marks and provide excellent adhesion for your new topcoat.

If Shelves Could Talk

Finally give that book collection the attention it deserves with a statement backdrop that speaks volumes. In fact, consider it a hop on the “emotional escape room” bandwagon. Yep, folks are using everything from calming colors to crystals to create rooms in their homes that elicit their most tranquil selves. So don’t shy away from a shade that brings you joy, no matter how strong—simply prime with KILZ RestorationⓇ Interior Primer, which blocks heavy stains and odors to restore even the toughest projects.

Flavorful Cabinets

Give the heart of the home an inviting refresh with one of our favorite kitchen trends: two-tone cabinets. After priming with KILZ 3Ⓡ Premium Primer, brush a darker color on the lower cabinets to draw the eye upward, creating taller-looking ceilings and a grander visual effect. It’s also a great way to infuse character into the room, and if you’re torn between a rich color palette or soft neutrals, you can have both.

Touch link below to see all diy projects.

Source: PureWow

7 Signs of When to Start Planting a Garden

After waiting out the cold winter months, your green thumb is probably itching to get back into the soil. But before you pull on your garden gloves, here are a few signs to look for that indicate when to start planting a garden.

1. Your Last Frost Date Has Passed

The first step in deciding when to start planting a garden is determining your garden growing zone. Once you know what zone you live in on the USDA Hardiness Zone map, you’ll have a better idea of when the last frosts are for your area. As a general rule, seeds or seedlings should go in the ground at least two weeks after the last frost date.

2. Your Seed Packets Tell You It’s Time

Armed with your hardiness zone, the next indicator in deciding when to start planting a garden can be found on the back of your seed packets. Based on the days to germination and the days to harvest listed on your seed pack, you can determine when you need to sow seeds or start them indoors.

3. Thawed Ground

Another sign to check for is the soil condition. If the ground is still frozen, it won’t make for successful planting. Checking for workable garden soil is pretty simple: Take a walk around your planting area and squeeze a handful of soil into a ball with your hands. If it sticks together or is dripping wet, it’s not workable or ready. If it falls apart easily, it’s a sign it’s nearly time to plant.

4. Warm Nighttime Temperatures

Just because you’re seeing some warm daytime temperatures doesn’t mean your garden is ready for planting. It’s essential to look at nighttime temperatures, too, before transplanting any seedlings to your garden. Ideally, you should plant warm weather plants when evening temperatures no longer dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Warm Soil Temperature

As the weather outside begins to warm up, the soil also steadily grows warmer. Checking your soil temperature is another method you can use to determine when to start planting. Seeds planted too early may not germinate right away or at all and can be disturbed before they get the chance to do so. Seedlings also need the proper soil temperatures before being transplanted to ensure survival.

To measure your soil’s temperature, use a garden and compost thermometer. The soil should be at least 60 F to 65 F for spring planting. Take measurements three times throughout the day — morning, noon and late afternoon — to get a more accurate average temperature range.

6. More Sunlight Hours

Keep an eye on your garden area where your growing beds sit and clock how many hours of sunlight it receives throughout the day. Most warm weather plants, like squash and tomatoes, require six to eight hours of full sun daily. Once the area starts to get closer to six hours of steady sunlight, you’ll know it’s about time to get planting.

7. Your Seedlings Are Ready

If you start your seeds indoors, it’s also vital to look to your seedlings for signs it’s time to begin planting. Most seedlings should have at least two sets of true leaves before being transplanted into the ground. Don’t forget to factor in time for hardening off the plants when you begin your garden preparation.

Watch for a few signs that your garden is ready for planting — no single one should be the only indicator. A combination of these signs, coupled with experience, can help you determine the best time to start.

Source: When to Start Planting a Garden – Burpee

10 Tips for Soundproofing Your Home Office

Sound Effects

Sound waves carry through air and, to a lesser extent, through certain types of construction materials, such as metal and wood. While good construction practices will reduce sound transfer, they won’t completely eliminate it. The solution to a noisy room is to incorporate sound-dampening objects and materials, which will help absorb sound waves and keep them from becoming irritating or overwhelming.

© istockphoto.com

Switch to a Solid Door

Hollow-core doors are found in many of today’s homes because they’re affordable but sounds easily pass through these doors. If you have a hollow-core office door, consider swapping it for a solid wood door that will provide a better sound-absorbing barrier to block noise that originates on the other side.

© amazon.com

Install a Door Sweep

In addition to swapping out a hollow-core door with a solid one, you’ll get better noise reduction if you seal the space under the door with a sweep such as the Suptikes Soundproof Under Door Seal (available from Amazon). This will dampen the sound that sneaks under the door. You can further reduce sound transfer by installing weatherstripping around the sides and the top of the door.

Seal Wall Holes

A well-built wall offers moderate sound reduction, but if it has holes, such as gaps that are commonly found around outlets or ducts, you’ll be more likely to hear sounds that originate on the other side of the wall. By sealing the holes with all-purpose caulk, you can reduce the amount of sound that enters your office. 

© istockphoto.com

Install Acoustic Panels

One of the best ways to damper excess noise is to install acoustic panels on one or more of walls in your home office. Bare walls create an echo chamber, but by installing sound-absorbing panels, such as these ADW Acoustic Panels (available from Amazon), you can update the look of your office while reducing the noise level in the room.

Add Rugs

Sound waves bounce around in rooms with hard flooring, such as tile or laminate, but you don’t have to install wall-to-wall carpeting to get some soothing sound relief…just add some rugs. One or more area or throw rugs—the thicker and softer, the better—will absorb harsh noises and prevent a resounding effect so you can concentrate on getting some work done.

© istockphoto.com

Soft Wall Hangings

Just as insulation offers noise-reduction, so will hanging a quilt or an ornamental rug on a wall in your home office reduce sound transfer into the office from the other side of the wall. The thicker the item, the more sound-absorbing ability it will offer. Think creatively with this one, a snuggly baby blanket or even a crib comforter can make a big difference in reducing unwanted noise.

Opt for Upholstery

Get rid of hard wooden chairs and bring in a padded desk chair and an overstuffed chair or loveseat (if you have the room) to further reduce annoying noises. While you’re at it, dress up your office furniture with a couple of soft pillows for added sound absorption.

Noise-Proof the Ceiling

If your home office is tucked away in a basement, sounds from overhead are likely the biggest noise culprit. For permanent noise reduction, consider installing a drop ceiling and fill the space between the old ceiling and the new dropped panels with high-density insulation, which will create an instantly quieter office.

Soften Window Noise

Having an office with a window that looks out on a busy street, can be a major source of unwanted noise, especially if the window is an older single-pane model. If it’s in the budget, consider replacing the old window with a newer double- or triple-pane unit, and hang thick draperies or install interior window shutters to block even more sound.

Consider a White Noise Machine

If you’ve taken the previous steps to reduce noise but you still find yourself being distracted by sounds, consider investing in a white noise machine, such as the Homedics White Noise Machine (available from Amazon). Unlike erratic noises caused by cars driving by or planes overhead, a white noise machine emits a continuous soft stream of soothing sound, such as falling rain or the surf breaking on the beach, which helps you tune out unwanted sounds in your environment.

Source: Glenda Taylor for ©Bobvila

5 Easy DIY Ideas for Your Ho-Hum Terra-Cotta Pots

Want a fun weekend project? Dress up your terra-cotta pots! HGTV Magazine has some DIY ideas.

Add a Decal

Paint the pot with paint and let dry. Apply a face decal to the front of the pot, following the package instructions.

Stencil a Pattern

Attach the stencil to the pot with repositionable spray mount and pieces of delicate-surface painter’s tape. You may have to cut the stencil into a couple of pieces to help it adhere to the rounded surface. Fill in the stencil with paint. Let dry slightly, then remove and reposition the stencil pieces. Fill in, repeating until the entire pot is covered. Let dry.

Layer on Fringe

Starting at the bottom, hot-glue rows of fringe to the pot, layering each additional row on top of the previous one as you go.

Ombré It

Working from the top down, divide the planter into three equal sections — use a pencil to lightly mark dashes around the circumference. Spray-paint the top part. Then spray-paint the middle section with a different color, slightly overlapping the area you just painted. Repeat for the third section with another shade. Let dry.

Wrap It With Rope 

Starting at the bottom, wrap rope (we used cotton clothesline) around the pot, securing with hot glue as you go. When you get to the top, wrap a few rows on the inside, too. Then paint a pattern on the rope. Use painter’s tape to mark off the design you want to paint. Lightly outline it in pencil, remove the tape and fill in with paint. Let dry.

Photo credit: Philip Friedman

Source: hgtv.com/design

30 Mistakes That Are Making Your Home Unhealthy

Finally defeat those allergens. Here’s how to control the dust, mold, pollen and other contaminants that are making you sneeze.

 

1. Wearing Shoes Inside the House

Not only is wearing shoes indoors a health risk, but it can also increase allergens. Wet leaves bring in mildew, and pollutants from grass often get trapped on the bottom of shoes. Take your shoes off outside or put them in a washable tray as soon as you walk in the door.

2. Not Wiping Down Your Bags

Just think about all of the floors that your backpack, briefcase or purse touches in the span of a single day. Gross, right? Instead of bringing all that bacteria into your home, sanitize your bag with a disinfectant wipe and then hang it up in your entryway or closet.

3. Keeping the Temp Too High

Dust mites and mold love to live in warm climates. Keep your thermostat around 70 degrees to help keep them at bay.

4. Vacuuming Without a HEPA Filter

Use HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters to prevent tiny particles of dust from being blown back out into the air.

5. Forgetting to Change the Vacuum Filter

Changing the filter is an essential part of keeping dust out of the air and preserving the life of the machine. Change the filter once it’s showing wear and tear or every six months if you’re using a HEPA filter.

6. Forgetting to Change the AC Filters

Never run your heating or air conditioning system without filters, and be sure to change them at least every three months.

7. Not Keeping a Barrier Between You and Your Bedding

Use zippered dust-proof casings for pillows and mattresses. The pore space of such casings is so small that dust mites and their waste products can’t get through.

8. Letting Your Pet Sleep in Your Bed

Your favorite part of the day may be snuggling up to your fur baby, but pet dander traps allergens — which means you’re inviting those allergens to your bed. If you can’t resist the cuddles, then you should completely shave your dog. Just kidding — just be sure to bathe them once a week.

9. Too Many Textiles in the Bedroom

Carpeting, rugs, pillows, upholstered headboards and chairs are all dust catchers. Consider minimizing furnishings for an easier-to-dust environment.

10. Too Many Textiles in Your Living Area

The living room is the same as a bedroom. Keep upholstery to a minimum to reduce the amount of dust mites.

11. Burning the Wrong Candles

When was the last time you checked the label on your favorite scented candle? Though they smell divine, scented paraffin candles can release foul toxins like toluene and benzene, which have been linked to asthma and other lung conditions. Consider switching to candles containing beeswax or soy, which are safer and more natural.

12. Installing Wallpaper in the Bathroom

Patterned wallpaper is a beautiful addition to any room but installing it in wet rooms (bathrooms and kitchens) can increase the risk of mildew. Opt for tile or textured paint that’s mold-resistant.

13. Not Ventilating Your Bathroom

Running the exhaust fan (and making sure it’s vented to the outdoors) helps remove moisture from this naturally humid room.

14. Not Replacing Your Shower Curtain Liner

Mold and mildew love to grow on our shower curtain liners. When yours is starting to look like it’s in bad shape, toss it in the washer or replace it with a new one.

15. Overlooking Your Shower Head

While you’re deep cleaning the bathroom, don’t forget to disinfect your shower head; several studies have revealed that dirty shower heads can host Mycobacterium avium, a bacteria linked to pulmonary diseases. We suggest filling a plastic bag with white vinegar, wrapping your shower head in the bag and leaving it to soak for about an hour.

16. Ignoring Your Bathmat

Think about it. You step onto your bathmat completely wet on the daily. To keep it fresh (and to keep mildew away), hang it to dry after every use, and stick it in the washer once a week.

17. Not Washing Your Makeup Brushes

We know that cleaning your makeup brushes and face sponges feels like such a chore, but these tools can harbor bacteria and lead to breakouts or more serious skin conditions. Use dish soap or baby shampoo to wash them at least once a week.

18. Not Following Your Nose

If you detect a musty smell in your home, inspect closely until you find the source of the smell. The sooner you find the mold, the easier it will be to remove. Basements and garages tend to be hot spots for mold growth.

19. Not Using the Exhaust Fan When Cooking

If you love cooking, all that steam from the stovetop will produce excess moisture. Turn the exhaust fan on to reduce it, helping to decrease the chance of mold.

20. Using That Sponge Over and Over Again

Sponges are porous, perpetually damp and notoriously pick up bacteria like salmonella and listeria like nobody’s business. Replace yours about every two weeks or, better still, switch to a plastic or silicone brush.

21. Not Cleaning Out Your Coffee Maker

As much as we hate to admit it, we’re all guilty of not cleaning our coffee makers on a regular basis. To prevent mold and bacteria from building up inside, wash removable parts with dish soap and then run white vinegar through the water tank.

22. Not Organizing Your Home Office

Clutter can harbor a plethora of dust mites — this includes stacks of papers, old magazines and office equipment. File paper inside a cabinet to stay organized and keep dust away.

23. Letting the Trash Pile Up

You could attract some unwanted guests (like mice and roaches) inside your home if you let your trash pile up. Their droppings can worsen your allergies, so make sure you stick to a routine of taking out the trash.

24. Displaying Houseplants

You may enjoy your beloved fern, but houseplants encourage mold growth. Mold spores live in warm, wet dirt, so limit the amount and time you display them.

25. Not Attending to Your Gutters

Leaky gutters can cause excessive moisture to enter your basement or crawl space. If you don’t have covered gutters, frequent litter removal is a must year-round.

26. Avoiding Protective Wear While Gardening

Even if you aren’t highly allergic to pollen, it can still irritate your eyes, nose and throat. To prevent this, always wear a mask and gloves while working in the yard.

27. Inviting Allergens into Your Yard

Avoid plants that are wind-pollinated — grasses are among the worst pollen offenders.

28. Wearing Used Gym Clothes

Sure, you wanna rest around the house after a big workout but doing so could make you sick. You can’t trust that everyone wiped down their bench after using it (or the very sweaty treadmill you just used), so why bring those germs into your home? Kick the locker room nasties and gym germs by taking off those clothes and get into something more comfortable instead of passing them around the house.

29. Change Your Water Filter

While you rely on your water filter to clean your next cup, make sure you do the same. You don’t want build up to grow and make the water you drink unsafe. Keep close watch on the filter status and have spare filters ready to go when it’s time to change.

30. Clean Your Doorknobs

Don’t forget to clean one of the germiest spots in your house: the doorknobs. Every guest and member of the household grabs them. And while hopefully they’re washing their hands, these spots will still pick up germs.

WOW!  I had no idea. I hope you found this article helpful in keeping your home clean and allergy free.

Source:  hgtv.com/design/decorating

How To Paint IKEA Furniture – A Complete Guide

(This is a complete guide.  I apologize for the length, but it’s all good! )

Have you decided that you want to paint a piece of IKEA furniture? Not sure where to start?

No worries!

Let’s take a look together at all the best ways to paint IKEA furniture that will help you achieve a professional looking and long-lasting finish.

This guide will cover how to paint:

  • laminate furniture.
  • solid wood furniture
  • metal furniture

 

 

IKEA and I have a long history together.

Like many other humans out there, I’ve bought countless pieces from IKEA over the years. I’ve also eaten many Ikea meatballs.

Once you’re there, it’s tempting to buy everything because it’s all so dang cheap. And sometimes impulsive decisions are made. It happens to the best of us.

Perhaps you bought a lot of black pieces and now you’re more into light color schemes. It may also be that your dresser or bookshelf is just a bit scruffy looking after a few years of use.

Or your living room is screaming for a bold pop of color.

Cabinet-Purple

The aspect I find liberating about IKEA furniture is that usually their items are not so crazy expensive that you feel scared to try your hand at DIY’ing them.

If the project is an epic failure, well, at least you tried and you didn’t lose thousands of dollars ruining an expensive piece in the process.

And say what you will about IKEA furniture, but in general their furniture is pretty robust; it can last you many years.

If you aren’t in a place where you can buy new furniture, then painting your IKEA furniture can be a relatively fast and very cost-effective way to upgrade your space and inject new style into your home.

The desire to take an inexpensive, mass-produced IKEA item and put a personal spin on it is nothing new – there are so many IKEA hacks floating around the internet that it inspired the creation of the wildly popular website called IKEA Hackers back in 2006. The site is a fabulous resource if you’re looking for some “hacky” inspiration.

There are endless ways to personalize (or “hack”) your IKEA products and paint is just one of the many.

So, whatever your reasons may be for wanting to paint your IKEA furniture, you’re in the right place.

Let’s dive in!

If you have another kind of primer, check to see what kind it is and make sure to get the appropriate type of paint.

Here are some pros and cons for the most popular types of paints for painting furniture.

WATER BASED

Pros:

  • Water based paints (latex, aka plastic) are popular because they emit fewer toxic fumes than oil-based paints
  • They are easy clean up as you only need water
  • They dry quickly and are flexible
  • Will not yellow over time

Cons:

  • The disadvantage to painting furniture with water based latex paints is that you run the risk that sometimes the paint won’t behave as planned, which can result in stains and wood knot bleeding, which is disastrous (this has happened to me – I didn’t prime first). If you use primer, you should be able to avoid this happening, however water-based primers are known to have the same issue (staining/bleeding).
  • Less durable than oil-based paints

OIL BASED

Pros:

  • Oil based paints provide excellent durability
  • They cover any odors that may be stuck in your furniture much better than water-based paints

Cons:

  • The clean-up is tedious as you need mineral spirits or turpentine to clean your paint brushes as opposed to just water. If you don’t clean your brushes with mineral spirits after painting with oil-based paints, you can kiss your brushes goodbye once they dry
  • Oil based paint can yellow over time
  • Less flexible than latex water-based paints, meaning it can crack
  • Very strong odor during application
  • Longer drying times

CHALK PAINT

Pros:

  • Lends itself well to distressing for a “shabby” or vintage look
  • Some stunning effects can be achieved by layering chalk paints

Cons:

  • Visible brush strokes
  • Often requires multiple coats to get an even finish
  • Less durable than latex paint

Chalk paint technically does not require a primer ON SOLID WOOD. If you are painting laminate furniture with chalk paint, you will still need to prime first. You must seal furniture painted with chalk paint with wax. All chalk paint is latex paint with powder mixed in – usually plaster of Paris.

It is incredibly easy to DIY your own chalk paint if you don’t want to buy the ready-made stuff.

 

SPRAY PAINT

Pros:

  • Easy to apply
  • Even coverage, provided that it’s applied properly
  • Dries quickly

Cons:

  • Can require multiple cans for a large project, which gets pricey
  • Can drip if not sprayed properly
  • Strong odor during application

What are the best tools to apply my paint?

 

To paint your furniture, you can use any of the following:

  • spray gun
  • roller
  • synthetic or natural bristle brushes
  • foam brushes

Spray guns can be tricky to use because you can’t just dump the paint in the canister and spray – you need to thin your paint first. If you don’t get the paint consistency right, you will have a lot of problems getting your paint to spray properly – it won’t come out at all if it’s too thick or will come out in fat droplets if it’s too thick or thin. Cleaning your paint spray gun is also a massive pain. But once you get the hang of them, they speed up the process significantly.

Rollers are handy and allow for lightning-fast paint application. If you use a roller that is wider than the opening of your paint can, you’ll need to remember to get a tray or something to put your paint in.

TIP → If you use a paint tray, you can line it with plastic for super quick clean up.

Foam brushes are good and generally ensure smooth application in terms of brush strokes. They are cheap and pretty much only good for one time use so you’ll have to throw them away once you’re done. You could try to clean them with water if you’re using water-based products, but it may not be worth the effort.

Bristle brushes are my favorite method of application for painting furniture, but they sometimes can lose a hair or two along the way. Be sure to remove any stray bristles immediately if you see any. Tweezers help, or just pinch with your fingernails then touch up with another stroke of paint. I prefer angled brushes to flat brushes as it allows for a more comfortable wrist position while I’m painting.

Brushes can come in natural bristles or synthetic bristles. Choose whichever you like. Natural bristles can leave more obvious brush strokes whereas synthetic bristles generally provide a smoother application.

TIP → Don’t make your life difficult and buy brushes that are too small. It will take you forever and will be incredibly frustrating. I recommend using a combination of tools when tackling furniture painting projects: a roller for large surfaces and a couple of different sizes brushes for harder to reach areas or for areas like grooves.

When you’re done, you must make sure to clean your brushes appropriately based on the type of paint you used. Water for water-based paint, and turpentine/mineral spirits for oil-based paints.

poshpennies.com