Even if you’re not terribly handy, there are many simple household repairs that you can easily do yourself to avoid unnecessary time and expense. This is especially true in the winter, when little improvements can make a big difference in your comfort and energy consumption. These common household fixes to winter-proof your home are easy enough for a novice, but might just give you a boost of confidence to tackle bigger projects in the future.
5 DIY Winter Home Repair Hacks![]() (Family Features) Even if you’re not terribly handy, there are many simple household repairs that you can easily do yourself to avoid unnecessary time and expense. This is especially true in the winter, when little improvements can make a big difference in your comfort and energy consumption. If you’re like most people, your home is your single largest investment, so it’s common to be apprehensive about tackling home repairs if you have little experience. However, learning to do some basic home maintenance is a smart way to protect and maintain your home’s value without having to locate, schedule and supervise a contractor. These common household fixes to winter-proof your home are easy enough for a novice, but might just give you a boost of confidence to tackle bigger projects in the future. Painting Seal air leaks Add insulation Tile accents Add storage Get more ideas for DIY projects to tackle this winter at GreatStuff.com and get your GREAT STUFF™ SMART DISPENSER™ at Lowes.com. Photo courtesy of Getty Images SOURCE:Great Stuff KEYWORDS
A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your home. Whether you’re revamping a main living area or freshening up your home’s curb appeal, some planning and preparation, plus the right painting tools, can go a long way toward helping you achieve a professional-looking finished project. Execute your paint project flawlessly with these tips and tricks.Refresh Your Space![]() 5 steps to simplify your next paint project(Family Features) A fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your home. Whether you’re revamping a main living area or freshening up your home’s curb appeal, some planning and preparation, plus the right painting tools, go a long way toward helping you achieve a professional-looking finished project. Execute your paint project flawlessly with these tips and tricks from Jennie Kitchen, product manager, Valspar Applicators at The Sherwin-Williams Company, Consumer Brands Group: Step 1: Choose Your Color Step 2: Pick Your Tools “The quality of your paint rollers and brushes is just as important as the paint you use,” Kitchen said. “For a smooth finish and easy application, I recommend Valspar’s line of applicators and accessories, which are now available at Lowe’s and work well with all paints and stains. Our quality painting tools make it easy for DIYers to bring their projects to life.” Step 3: Prep Your Space Step 4: Apply Your Paint When you’re ready to roll, start at a corner of the room in a 2-by-4-foot section at the top of the wall. Then roll downward into a narrow V shape, filling in any unpainted areas as you go. Once you are done with the top section, move down and repeat until you’ve reached the baseboard. If you’re painting standard height ceilings or taller, it’s helpful to use an extension pole. For a seamless finish, it’s important to always keep a wet edge and let the weight of the loaded roller do the work. Some pressure can be applied as the roller cover starts to run out of paint, but if you hear a “sizzling” sound, that means it’s time to reload with more paint. To finish, use the roller and roll straight down all the way across your walls. Step 5: Clean Up Your Mess Find more tips and tricks for your next paint project at valsparpaint.com/applicators. SOURCE:Valspar KEYWORDS
Having your home severely damaged by a storm can turn your world upside down. Often, foremost among your concerns will be your roof, as it is protects the rest of your home and possessions. Take action on your post-storm repair process with these tips.
Tips for Tackling Storm-Related Roof Damage(Family Features) Having your home severely damaged by a storm can turn your world upside down. The damage could simply be cosmetic, or so extensive as to render your home uninhabitable. In either case, you need to act fast, but smart, to ensure that your home will be properly repaired. Often, foremost among your concerns will be your roof, as it is protects the rest of your home and possessions. Start your post-storm repair process with these tips from the experts at CertainTeed Roofing.
Find more tips to help guide your roof repair, and find qualified installers in your area, at CertainTeed.com. SOURCE:
Long the go-to material, wood is increasingly being replaced by composite decking as the material of choice for outdoor spaces. Designed to deliver incredible durability, easy maintenance and lasting beauty, composite decking offers all the beauty of wood along with these key advantages. Political affiliations have a tendency to directly affect attitudes and decision-making regarding home repair and improvement projects. However, all homeowners – Democrats and Republicans alike – are focusing on remodeling, routine maintenance and repair, and energy and security projects – they’re just spending it differently.
Home Remodeling Politics(Family Features) If you’re voting Democrat this fall, you’re more likely than your Republican-voting counterparts to spend the extra money to hire a professional for your home projects. Political affiliations have a tendency to directly affect attitudes and decision-making regarding home repair and improvement projects, according to the findings of a recent HomeAdvisor survey. But with improving labor and real estate markets – and an upcoming presidential election – how does partisan thinking factor into home improvement? As it turns out, home improvement spending crosses political lines. According to HomeAdvisor’s 2016 True Cost Report, all homeowners – Democrats and Republicans alike – are focusing on remodeling, routine maintenance and repair, and energy and security projects. In fact, in the last 12 months the number of homeowners who reported completion of two home maintenance and repair projects increased nearly 12 percent. Additionally, many homeowners said they expect to increase spending on major home improvement projects in 2016. So what’s with the bi-partisan boom? “We attribute this rise to the shrinking housing inventories and increasing home prices, which provide equity for homeowners to boost the enjoyment and monetary values of their existing properties,” said Leah Ingram, HomeAdvisor’s cost advisor. While Republicans and Democrats are both spending money to improve their homes, it’s how they’re spending it that’s different. According to the survey, Republican homeowners are nearly 20 percent more likely than Democrat homeowners to complete home projects when they think it will be too expensive to hire a professional. Further, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to hire professionals and perform project-related research – and they’re also willing to pay 1.5 times as much as Republicans on home maintenance and repair projects. Republicans and Democrats may differ politically, but due to an upswing in the U.S. labor and real estate markets, it’s a fact that bi-partisan home improvement spending is on the rise. For more information, visit homeadvisor.com. Photo courtesy of Getty Images (people measuring) SOURCE: |
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