Own Home Style » How to’s & Tools

How to Change an Air Conditioning Filter

Own Home Style — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:44:08 +0000

How to Change an Air Conditioner Filter

Did you know that you should not only change your air filters in summer, but year-round? That means you are to clean the filter also when you have the heater on instead of the air conditioner. It is important change the filter about 3-4 times a year to have clean air year round.

So, learning how to change air filters is an important task for homeowners and renters alike.

It’s easier however than you think, and your lungs will thank you daily, no doubt.

How to Change the Air Conditioner Filter

Change an air conditioner filter by locating the return air shaft, opening the grill up and pulling the old filter out. Learn about the different kinds of air filters to use for an air conditioner machine, such as high-efficiency filters and fiberglass filters, in this free video from a home repair specialist on maintaining and fixing houses.

This informative home maintenance video on Youtube explains the details:

Landscaping Tips to Sell Your Home

Own Home Style — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:54:43 +0000

Based on Feng Shui,, marketing rules, and common sense, there are a number of easy upgrades you can make to your garden and outdoor space to dramatically improve the ‘first impression’ of your house on potential future home-owners so that they are more likely to fall in love with your home and buy it right away.

Having splendid curb appeal can make or break the sale of a home. First impressions last. It goes that way when meeting new people, and it goes that way when viewing a new home. While it’s obvious that we should dress up a bit to meet someone new who will be important to us, it is of equal importance that we prepare and do some proper landscaping around the house, when we’re selling that home.

It has been stated that an attractive landscape design can potentially add 10-15% to the value of a home. That means that if your home is valued at $300,000, an effective landscaping job could raise the value of the house by $45,000.

Houses with good curb appeal are also likely to sell faster. Spectacular curb appeal is not a guarantee your home will sell. However, it will dramatically improve the odds that it will sell. More people are likely to come see the house as an attractive house exterior makes prospective home buyers want to see the interior of your home as well.

So, let’s get to work at these easy to implement landscaping enhancements to spruce up your curb appeal, and help you sell your home quickly!

Top 10 Landscaping Tips for Selling Your Home

Perfecting Your Lawn
Your lawn is one of the first things to attend to it takes some time for a lawn to improve. Keep a regular watering and cutting schedule, and initiate regrowth and repair of damaged spots. Consider hiring professionals to lay new grass sod if your time to repair the lawn is limited or the lawn has been unkept for a long time. Lush green grass is attractive to new home buyers, while an lawn that is brown, overgrown, or filled with weeds, is a turn-off. Furthermore, prospective buyers may conclude because the yard is unkempt, the rest of the house is not maintained. Ditto for other house exterior elements.
Mulching Garden Beds
Adding mulch to your garden beds is a great and inexpensive way to really make your landscape clean and tidy. Cedar mulch has a nice clean smell and really makes the greenery pop. Best of all, mulch can be applied quickly and easily if your landscape needs a quick pick-me-up before a home showing.
Trimming & Pruning
A very simple way to tidy up your outdoors is to prune up any overgrown trees or shrubs near the home. This will not only make the garden look nice, but it will also highlight the architecture of your home. And you can prune deciduous trees and shrubs any time of the year, which will help if you’re trying to sell your home in the winter.
Power-Washing
An easy way to give your home a new appearance, short of a new paint job, is to power wash its exterior. With little effort, a dingy and dirty surface can shine and look like new! And don’t just stop at your home’s exterior! You can power wash the drive, your deck, a brick sidewalk, fences, or any hard surface that needs sprucing up.
Kill mold and mildew.
Go beyond the sidewalks and driveway with respect to mildew and also eliminate mold on the sides of the house and the roof.
Adding Outdoor Lighting
Many potential home buyers drive by to view your home for sale at dusk or in the evening! Capitalize on this fact and add lighting that highlights the best features of your house and garden. Eg. place low voltage lighting along the driveway or sidewalk or near landscaping that you want highlight. A well-lit patio or deck is more inviting.
Being Neat & Tidying up the Garden.
Ensure overall neatness in your garden, even if it’s woodsy. Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools. Neatly stack firewood. Get rid of unsightly toys and ‘unfinished projects’.
Add Attractive Reds
Place fed flowering plants and bushes near the front door of your home. The plants/flowers should make a significant, inviting statement. Choose appropriate sizes and choose the nicest pots you can afford if potting them.
Raking.
When you dispose your garden of excessive leaves, even if your lot is wooded, you are highlighting the structure of your garden, rather than reminding prospective owners that a garden can entail some work from time to time.
Making it Picture Perfect.
Taking pictures of your house and garden is a great tool for you to be able to see your house as a prospective house buyer would see it. Add interest to your garden with selected garden art, or plant a few colorful scrubs to fill visual gaps. Your landscaping pictures will suggest the adjustments needed.

Because it can substantially increase the speed of sale as well as the value of the property, it is worth taking care of the landscaping of your house when you are interested in selling your home.

Fireplace and Chimney Maintenance Advice

Own Home Style — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:18:09 +0000

This post is guest blogged by Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man”.

Fireplace and Chimney Maintenance Advice

Hi folks, I’m Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and there is nothing better than coming in from the cold and sitting in front of a roaring fire. But chimneys and fireplaces aren’t maintenance free.

Your chimney should absolutely be cleaned and inspected on a yearly basis. This project requires specialty tools and ladder work, so it’s a project that is better left to a certified chimney sweep. There is an organization called the Chimney Institute of America (www.csia.org), which can help you find chimney professionals in your area and can give great advice on how to handle fire mishaps.

If you use a wood-burning fireplace, you run the risk of having a lot of build-up, so make sure the flames are completely extinguished and that the debris and creosote are scooped up after each fire. Too much debris can lead to a poorly vented fire, which can bring smoke into the home.

There are products out there that you can purchase, one in particular called the Chimney Sweeping Log, which does a great job of cleaning your chimney in-between professional cleanings. These products can help cut down on chimney build-up, but it is not a replacement for having your fireplace or chimney professionally cleaned.

If your fireplace and chimney are giving you problems, there are plenty of experts to turn to, many listed on the Chimney Institute of America’s website. There are companies out there that just clean, and others that inspect, troubleshoot or make repairs so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

About the Author

Lou Manfredini is Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man”.

Lawn and Garden Advice for the Winter

Own Home Style — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 07:17:37 +0000

This post is guest blogged by Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man”.

Lawn and Garden Advice for the Winter

Taking some time to prepare your lawn and garden for winter, will pay off once the spring comes. I’m Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and here are some ways that you can protect your outdoor living space during the cold months.

Give your lawn a good raking.
Apply a winterizing fertilizer to promote root growth during the winter months.
If you have any perennials or plants that are going to come back in the spring, be sure to cut them back.
Some plants may need to be protected by the cold weather. If you have tulip or rose bushes, for example, it’s a good idea to cover them with 2 or 3 inches of mulch, which will protect them from the colder winter weather.
If you have tall roses (roses with a height of 6 to 12 inches), cover their tops with styrofoam caps and cover the rest of the plant with mulch. It may look a little dorky but it will ensure that your roses will come back in the spring.
Pruning in the fall will help promote root growth.
If you’re in a colder climate and are going to be using ice-melting products, avoid using products such as rock salt, which can be harmful to the vegetation. Choose instead a blend of melting agents such as potassium chloride and calcium chloride, which is milder and can cause less damage to your landscaping.

About the Author

Lou Manfredini is Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man”.

Tips for Snow Removal

Own Home Style — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:14:49 +0000

This post is guest blogged by Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man”.

Tips for Snow Removal

I’m from Chicago, so I’ve had lots of practice with snow removal over the years. I’m Lou Manfredini, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man” and here are some ways you can easily get rid of the snow this winter.

There are several different ways in which you can remove snow, depending on where you live and how much you are willing to invest. Electric snow throwers cost as little as $249 and you can go all the way up to gas-powered snow throwers that will cost you around $2,000. No matter the cost, these are very effective ways to clear a lot of snow quickly without putting too much strain on your back. I think the older we all get as homeowners, choosing not to do the heavy lifting with shovels can be a healthier option. If you purchase the right snow thrower or blower and you maintain it, then you will have it for years to come.

For “greener” snow removal, choose electric or 4-cycle gas units, which will put out fewer emissions than traditional 2-cycle units.

The key when it comes to removing snow is that you have to get out there pretty much right after the snow stops falling because if you let it sit there too long, you run the risk of letting a layer of ice develop that will be tough to get rid of. The more you stay on top of it the better.

Another good tip, depending on where you live or how your driveway is situated, is to purchase reflectors or reflective polls. These can be distributing around the exterior of your home and can help outline where the driveway and walkways are on your property. Snow coverage can dramatically change the way things appear, so those added safety devices can help you navigate along your home and your neighborhood after snow fall.

About the Author

Lou Manfredini is Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man”.

Easy Tips to Get Your Home Clean, Green, and Mildew Free

Own Home Style — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 03:18:40 +0000

Simple tips for reducing mildew growth in your home by using a healthy and environmentally friendly approach.

A clean home is a comfortable home, but there is nothing clean about mildew. Mildew growth is unsightly, can produce an unpleasant odor, and, if not addressed has the potential to pose health risks over time.

Most desire a clean home, but increased environmental awareness is also motivating many people to seek natural, non-toxic methods and products to keep things clean, green, and mildew free. Follow these simple and easy tips from Sashco Sealants to reduce or eliminate mildew growth in your home, naturally.

Get some air!
Allowing fresh air to ventilate the home is one of the fastest, easiest and least expensive ways to prevent excess humidity that creates conditions where mildew flourishes. Simply keeping the humidity of your home under 45% deters mildew growth significantly.

Make a trip to the kitchen
Many of the natural ingredients needed to help keep mildew growth at bay can be found in your kitchen cupboard. Try spraying one of these natural combinations directly on areas of mildew, do not rinse.
Tea tree oil: Combine 2-teaspoons of tea tree oil with 2-cups water in a spray bottle.
Grapefruit seed extract: Combine 20-drops of grapefruit seed extract (available in most health food stores) with 2-cups water in a spray bottle.
White vinegar: Straight white vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, do not dilute.
Expert from Annie B. Bond, author of Home Enlightenment (Rodale, 2005).

Seal Surfaces Wisely
Reduce environmental impact by choosing an earth friendly sealant like MildewFree Sealant* to caulk, or reseal kitchens and bathrooms. MildewFree Sealant* has a low VOC (low volatile organic compound) content, cleans up with water without the use of toxic solvents, provides long durability for less waste, and contains no dangerous isocyanates that can cause dermatitis and asthma when touched or inhaled. Its both user and environmentally safe. MildewFree Sealant* is available in 6 oz. squeeze tubes in both white and linen. For more information about MildewFree Sealant* or to locate retail locations for purchase visit www.sashco.com or call 1-800-289-7290.

Keep it natural
Use natural cleaners like Naturally Clean products that use vegetable based enzymes to break down the organic materials that support mildew growth, or Earth Friendly Products® that are non-petroleum based and naturally derived cleaners.

Second Homes Should Pay Their Own Way

Own Home Style — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:59:35 +0000

Second home owners could consider letting their homes to holiday makers to help meet the increasing costs of financing them rather than feeling pressure to sell them in the current housing market says specialist independent mortgage brokers Mortgages for Business.

There are an estimated 240,000 English households with second homes that are not rented out on a holiday let basis and there is speculation in the market that there could be an increase in the number of people looking to sell or rent out their properties on a long term basis.

Turning your holiday property into a holiday home for others to enjoy could provide you with a good return on your investment while still enabling you to still enjoy the property. There may be many second home owners who are tempted to sell up in case house prices fall, however they could also consider letting Jonathan Moore head of marketing at Mortgages for Business comments: “Turning your holiday property into a holiday home for others to enjoy could provide you with a good return on your investment while still enabling you to still enjoy the property. There may be many second home owners who are tempted to sell up in case house prices fall, however they could also consider letting”.

A property used as a holiday let would tend to be financed with a commercial mortgage which has different requirements for the deposit, length of mortgage and mortgage pricing which tends to start at base +1.5% to 3%. Rates will depend on factors such as occupancy and demand in an area. There are a small number of niche lenders who offer holiday buy to let mortgages (such as Scarborough building society), and they therefore work on a rent to interest basis.

Jonathan Moore continues: “The credit crunch may encourage more people to holiday in the UK over the next couple of years rather than overseas so good quality properties will remain in demand for holiday homes. The typical rent provided by investing in a holiday property will be higher than that for a normal buy to let property although demand for the property will obviously be seasonal. Investment in property should always be a long term strategy so if you still get to enjoy your property and can make it contribute towards its running costs then this is an interesting opportunity to consider”.

GREEN LOG Home & Lifestyle Awards: Sashco Sealants Nominated

Own Home Style — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:07:05 +0000

Brighton, CO (Vocus/PRWEB ) May 1, 2008 — The GREENLOG Home & Lifestyle Awards recognizes excellence in providing environmentally sound home building and green living products that enable healthier homes and lifestyles.

The GREEN LOG Home & Lifestyle Awards program was created in response to the growing demand for green building solutions, products, and information.

The goal behind awarding this recognition is to locate and shine a spotlight on those companies and individuals who are enabling healthier homes and lifestyles by way of excellence in environmentally sound home building and green living products.

The GREEN LOG Home & Lifestyle Awards program was founded by the non-profit organization, Green Log Awards, Inc., in cooperation with the Environment News Service (ENS).

Categories of the Awards include:
* Insulation Systems
* SIPS and Building Systems
* Interior Design
* Stains and Finishes
* Flooring- Alt. Materials
* Reclaimed Wood – Flooring
* Heating Solutions
* Hardware
* Cabinetry
* Countertops & Surfaces
* Furnishings & Materials
* Sustainable Landscaping
* Energy Solutions
* Water Conservation
* Product & Information Sites
* Blogs
* Windows & Lighting
* Roofing

One of the nominees is Sashco Sealants, a Colorado based manufacturer of coatings and sealant. Transformation Stain, Sashcos newest addition to their stain line is formulated with resins based on renewable resources, such as safflower, linseed, and Tung oil, rather than petroleum-based chemicals. The Transformation Stain VOC compliant formula utilizes a solvent that is non-photochemically reactive, so it does not generate ground level smog.

Sashco took special care when formulating Transformation Stain for long-term durability and performance to decrease the frequency and need to re-apply, or re-stain so as often as other stains on the market. Longer durability results in reduced product consumption and the resulting waste. To further reduce waste, Transformation Stain is packaged in fully recyclable metal pails.

Many of Sashcos products are all totally water based products that offer Earth, animal and human friendly water-clean up without the use of mineral spirits or other harsh chemicals that pollute the air, ground, and water and are toxic to both humans and animals.

How to Paint Stripes

Own Home Style — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:19:01 +0000

Painted stripes are a popular faux finish used in a variety of interior settings. Stripes are versatile and range in size from pinstripes to wide 6″ or larger stripes. Soft almost mono tone stripes have a classy look to them as does a shimmer stripe done with varnish or paints of different sheens.

Laying out your stripes

You stripe a room in the same way that you would hang wallpaper. Start in an inconspicuous corner and work your way around the room from that point. Your starting point will be your finishing point after you circle your way around the room.

Size of stripes

A simple way to stripe is to do so in standard masking tape widths. I often do 2″ stripes, which is a standard masking tape width.

Number of colors

You can do your stripes in two, three or more colors, but if you are new to the striping technique I would recommend just two colors.

Two color striping is done by first painting the walls in total in one of your stripe colors and then masking off and painting to obtain the second stripe. In practical terms if you are painting 2″ stripes, you would paint your room in the first stripe color, then apply masking tape at 2″ intervals (a word on how to mask straight lines – see below) throughout the whole room. Once the masking tape is in place you paint the walls again with the second stripe color. When each section or wall is done, remove the masking tape to reveal your two color striping.

Masking tape

You must use easy release blue tape for your stripes. A good tape for striping is 3M’s #2080 blue tape which is a smooth , easy release tape which will make it possible to get clean lines with a minimum of bleeding under the tape. Rub down the edge of the tape to ensure a good tight bond which the paint won’t bleed under. When pulling the tape off , pull gently at a 45 degree angle from the surface.

How to lay down straight stripes

The best way – or perhaps I should say the easiest way is to use a laser level. Center the level, level it properly, line your tape up with the vertical laser line working your way down the wall moving the laser level as you work your way around the room..

Not everyone has a laser level, for those who don’t, a 4′ bubble type level works fine. If you use a standard bubble level you will need to put pencil marks on the wall to line up the tape. Keep the pencil marks light and don’t cover them with the tape as you lay the tape down. Remember if the marks show when the tape is down, they will be painted over. If the marks don’t show (because the tape is covering the lines) then you will not be painting over the marks and they will show when you remove the tape.

By Dale Slater

To learn more about faux finishes and faux stripes visit: http://www.paintinganddecoratingconcourse.com/Faux-Painting.html

Dale Slater is a professional painter and faux finisher. To learn more about all aspects of painting and decorating visit http://www.paintinganddecoratingconcourse.com

Property Maintenance – Painting the Interior of Your Property

Own Home Style — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:14:47 +0000

Once you have correctly prepared your walls in order to get the professional finish that you require you will be able to start your interior painting. Your interior painting however isn’t as simple as merely brushing your paint onto the walls; it should be done in certain steps, the first of which involves priming the walls.

Priming is always recommended to promote adhesion and the durability of the topcoat of paint. You should try and prime all of the walls that you are intending on painting but aspects such as walls with wallpaper, patched/repaired areas, existing oil based paint or if you are hoping for a dramatic change in colour. You need to ensure that your primer is thoroughly dried before you apply the paint to your walls.

When you open your paint tin you should always use a stick to stir the paint. Before you start to apply the coats of paint to your walls it is advised that you perform a couple of practice rolls or brush strokes so that you get a feel for what you are doing. Once you feel confident you can then get on and paint the interior of your property.

Before applying any paint to the walls of your property it is important that you first paint the ceiling of the room as well as woodwork such as the skirting board. This is to ensure that you don’t accidentally get white paint on your finished walls and so that you don’t end up getting paint on your ceiling and woodwork you will perform a task known as ‘cutting in.’

The term cutting in stands for when you paint the top and bottom of your walls, right next to the ceiling and woodwork and around fitting such as light switches sockets. By doing this it leaves you free to fill in the middle with paint and stops you getting paint on the newly painted ceiling and woodwork.

You can fill in the remaining areas on your wall using either a brush or roller; however, a roller will give you the best finish and is also the quickest way of painting the interior walls of your property. You do however need to be careful when it comes to using a roller for your interior painting as you only need to press down on the roller slightly, you should let the paint on the roller do the work for you as if you press down to hard you will create paint ‘ridges,’ which will mean you will have to re-roll the same area to smooth the ridges out. You should then slightly overlap the roller with where you have just painted so that you create a consistent covering.

The type of paint that you use for your interior painting is completely up to you. There are many types of paint available for you to use whether you wish to use gloss paint or emulsion or matt; there are a variety available to you in many different shades so ensure that you have picked out the right one for your property.

If you are struggling with your interior painting then why not hire the help of a professional to do the job for you. This way you will achieve the professional paint job that you require and you will be able to get on with other things while it is being carried out.

By Helen Cox

Helen is the web master of ARCH Property Management, specialists in all aspects of Interior Painting.