Home Improvement for Women

Though the past couple of months have yielded better news about the housing market, many owners and would-be sellers (like me) are still in shock from the nosedive in home prices.

So understandably, most homeowners are a bit leery of investing in their nest. But let me set you straight. Now is exactly the time we should be sprucing up our property - the biggest asset most of us will ever have.

We might not have the funds to transform our baths into “spa retreats” or load up our kitchens with fancy appliances. But we should devote (a little) money to making small but critical enhancements: the kind that are both recession-proof (they’ll in crease the value of your house) and recession-friendly (not a budget-buster among them). And best of all, you can save money by doing them yourself!

POWER UP: Cheaper than painting, power-washing will instantly improve the look of your home and, should you live in an area that is prone to mold or mildew, extend the life of your siding. A good power-washing can last several years, but don’t forget to seal it with a proper exterior-sealer. You can rent power-washers at home superstores for about $30 to $50 per day. Buying one can run you anywhere from $200 to $1,000, depending on the size and the pressure of the washer. A washer hooks up easily to your existing hose or water supply. You will need a ladder for second stories, and for a 2,000-square-foot house, you can typically finish the project in two weekends.

WASH AND DRY: Give your outdoor furniture a scrubbing; there are special, expensive products for this, but sudsy water and a garden hose do the job just fine. Let the furniture air-dry thoroughly, then store it covered with an old sheet (inside) or plastic drop cloth (outside). Doing this prep work now will make setting up next summer a breeze.

SQUARE ROOTS: Put those weary-looking annuals out of their misery; replace them with affordable, hardly mums in the golden colors of fall. And don’t toss those green tomatoes! When the nights begin to chill, bring them inside and store at room temperature in a brown paper bag to ripen.

EASY BREEZY: With fuel prices sky-high, now is the time to think enery-efficiency and install a ceiling fan. The best thing about adding a fan is that you can save big at least $1,000 on your seasonal heating bill – by circulating the warm air through your house. Plus, you are helping the environment by saving energy. (And while you’re installing your ceiling fan, don’t forget to call in the experts to have your furnace tuned up – this simple maintenance ensures peak efficiency.)

STOP THE RUNNING: Fix that running toilet: That constant drip is money coming out of your pocket! The new Barbara’s Way Toilet Repair Kit (available at select Wal-mart stores and Amazon.com for $19.99) comes with easy instructions to help you replace the fill valve, gasket or flush valve (usually the source of the problem).

GET COZY: Now’s the time to make sure everything fits snugly. Check the weather-stripping around doors and windows – a little extra measure of protection. Installing weather-stripping is a snap and requires minimal equipment: just a trusty tape measure and safety goggles. My favorite brand is Frost King, which retails for between $9.99 and $19.99. Do it Barbara’s Way!

If you love the look of your new mantelshelf and want to go a step further on your next fireplace project, consider building an entire fireplace surround. A mantel provides a decorative frame for your fireplace and a wonderful focal point. And by the way, you don’t even need a real fireplace to install a mantal! Once you have it installed, simply paint the the inside of the surround black, add some decorative tiles in front to stimulate a hearth, add a couple of candles, and you’ve created a faux fireside in an otherwise plain room.

For this project, you can use a prepackaged mantel kit from a home center or lumberyard or be creative and design your own from custom-milled moldings. Have accurate measurements and makre sure to have a scale sketch of your fireplace in hand when you go shopping for materials. Use your drill to make holes where the materials will be installed to determine what kind of solid backing (if any) is behind the wall where the mantel will be installed. If you are designing your own mantel, buy samples of available moldings and use wood glue to assemble short models of the sides, frieze board, and mantelshelf to help you visualize the design. When you have your design eact, ask your lumber center to mill the moldings to your specifications.

What you need: Fireplace mantel kit or premium wood boards and custom-milled moldings, anchors, safety glasses, power drill with masonry bit, mallet or hammer, rags, backsaw and milter box (if applicable), wood glue, nails, sandpaper, painters tape, stain and polyurethane or primer and trim paint and steel wool.

How to get it done:

1. Attach the wood surround to the wall using appropriate fasteners. If you are attaching the surround to a masonry wall, use expansion anchors. Locate the fasteners where they will be covered by moldings.
2. Put on safety glasses. Drill a hole using a masonry bit to fit the particular diameter and length of the extension anchor. When drilling into a masonry wall, I recommend operating the power drill at the highest speed abd backing it out frequently to pull out masonry debris and dust that will clog the hole and over heat the drill.
3. Insert the anchor in the hole and tap it flush with the wall using a mallet or hammer covered with a rag to protect the surface of the wall. Repeat the process with the remaining anchors.
4. Because you followed the golden rule of “measure twice, cut once” when ordering your custom-cut moldings, everything will fit precisely. If not, you may need a backsaw and miter box to make adjustments. Glue all joints, wiping off any excess glue with a damp cloth. Glue on the wood will prevent the stain from adhering properly. Attach the molding to the surround with finishing nails. Countersink any visible nails.
5. Sand and clean the surface of the mantel. Tape off the wall and adjoining areas with the painter’s tape. Apply stain, then smooth the surface with steel wool before applying at least three coats of polyurethane or other protective coating. If painting, use a primer, followed by two or more coats of trim paint. Make sure all the products you are using are heat-resistant.

Now you can decorate your mantel any way you like and you built it yourself, Barbara’s Way!

It doesn’t matter if your house is clad in wood, stucco, vinyl, masonry, or other siding: All exteriors must be cleaned and inspected for damage at least twice a year. I inspect mine in in the spring and fall so any damage can be corrected before very hot or cold weather sets in. Allowing problems to develop unchecked is detrimental to your home’s appearance and value.

How long will it take me? About an hour

How much will it cost? Nothing!

What do I need? Take a clipboard, paper, and a pen with you so you can record what you see – and make a note of any needed repairs. I also recommend wearing a pair of old jeans, a work shirt, and comfortable boots or shoes.

How do I do it? Start at the top and work your way down.

Roof: From the ground, check for missing or broken shingles and have them replaced immediately. I strongly advise against using a ladder to get on the roof – leave that exercise to a roofing expert. If your home is 25 or more years old, you may have to eventually replace the roof entirely, which can cost upward of $5,000 depending on the size of the roof and the type of shingles you use. It is also worth while to periodically hire a handyman or general or general landscape maintenance company to remove any branches and other debris from the roof. If you see an abundance of moss or other greenery growing on your roof, consult a roofing expert.

Gutters and downspouts: Look for debris on top of the gutter. This may indicate that the gutter contains leaves, sticks, and other obstructions that can restrict water flow away from the foundation. If the gutters appear to be clogged, have them cleaned out a specialist (look for “Gutters” in the phone book) and consider having them covered with a mesh gutter guard, which discourages leaves and twigs from setting in.

Cladding and Foundation: If you have wood siding, check it for warped or rotted areas. Look for peeling paint or exposed wood. If you have a brick, stone or stucco house, look for cracked or chipped masonry and mortar. You can make simple patches with patching compounds specifically made for masonry or stucco that are widely available at home improvement centers. Major cracks should be evaluated and repaired by an experienced Mason. Sweep or rake leaves and other debris away from the foundation of your house. These materials make appealing natural bedding for mice, insects, and other pests. Check the foundation for cracks and moisture (which attracts carpenter ants). Repair any damage to and then seal the foundation if a professional recommends it.

Windows and doors: Check the caulk around doors and windows and the glazing around windowpanes for gaps. Fill the gaps yourself with exterior-grade caulk.

Deck, stair, and balcony railings: Make sure they have not come loose and repair or replace any that have.

Paved driveways: Check for cracks or holes and have them repaired immediately. Cracks can become large crevices in very quickly, especially with the freezing and thawing that can occur in may parts of the country during the late winter and early spring.

Heating and cooling: Make sure any outside heating and cooling units, including propane gas tanks and air-conditioning systems, are unobstructed. Clean the tanks using a sprayer attachment on a garden hose.

 Once this inspection is complete you will have a better of idea of what repairs need to be done and you did it yourself, Barbara’s Way!

I get so many e-mails asking about how to fix a wobbly fan that sometimes I think the entire country is shaking! It’s not surprising, though, because ceiling fans are such a great, low-energy way to cool your home. A lot of people have them. Luckily you can fix the problem easily in a few simple steps.

If you think that the fan problem is a loose screw near the electrical box (located in the ceiling right above the fan’s motor), make sure to turn off the electricity at the service panel before proceeding.

WHAT YOU NEED: Phillips head screwdriver, tape measure and pliers.

HOW TO GET IT DONE:

1. Check the fan blades to see if they are loose. If  your fan is installed from the ceiling by a rod that extends down from the electrical box to the motor, check the connection between the rod and the motor and tighten any and all loose screws with a screwdriver or pair of pliers.
2. If the ceiling motor is attached directly to the ceiling, examine the ceiling mounting and tighten any and all loose screws.
3. Measure the distance of the blades from the ceiling. It is important that all the blades reside on the same plane. Hold one end of the measuring tape at the ceiling while rotating the blades manually to check the distance.
4. If a blade is not level or an equal distance to the other blades, you must gently bend the blade that is out of place. It is easier to do this step with an extra pair of hands. One person should hold the fan while the other person bends the blade.

Now you can enjoy the cool air circulating from the ceiling fan you repaired yourself, Barbara’s Way!

The rungs and legs of chairs can expand and contract with the seasons. That combined with the wear and tear of everyday use can loosen a chair. If not dealt with, the chair will eventually fall apart. Fixing chairs has become a way of life for me because my family and friends are always visiting for meals and games, so my big dining room table and chairs see a lot of action, all year-round. Every few months I have to round up a couple of chairs and tighten them.WHAT YOU NEED: Screwdriver, wood glue, toothpick, utility knife, sandpaper, screws and bungee cord. HOW TO GET IT DONE:

1. Examine the chair to locate the loose areas. Turn the chair over and look at it’s joints, screws,and pegs.
2. If you spot loose screws, tighten them up and test the chair. That may solve the problem.
3. If the hole has become enlarged so that the screw no longer fits tightly in it, re-move the screw. Then put a small dab of wood glue into the hole, insert a tooth-pick into the glue, and snap or cut it off flush with the surface of the chair.
4. Now reinsert the screw and tighten it. The toothpick and glue combination gives the screw something to hold onto.
5. If a screw is missing, remove another one so you can match it for size. If the screw is missing because it fell out of a too-big hole, find or buy a screw that’s just slightly bigger and longer than the one you removed. The slightly larger screw can be screwed more tightly into the expanded hole.
6. If the chair is loose because a rung has become loose or detached from its hole, you can glue and screw it back in. Gently pry apart the chair legs to loosen the rung.
7. Scrape off all traces of the old glue with a utility knife, sand the rung, and reapply wood glue to each end.
8. Apply wood glue to the holes on the chair legs.
9. Carefully put the rung back and secure it wit a bungee cord to hold the legs together while the glue dries.
10. Once the glue dries remove the bungee cord.

Now have a seat with your favorite drink! You have tightened your chair and you did it Barbara’s Way!