Painting rooms in a home can be a do-it-yourself project. Armed with paint, tape, tarp and some brushes, there’s nothing you can’t re-color.

While some rooms call for a complete sand-down, there are some that don’t, and for those, Rule #1 is that your walls must be stain-free before adding the next coat of paint.

Stains can come in all varieties and the most basic stains can be treated with a damp rag or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. For everything else, you’ll need a more cleaning power.

For example, of all the stain-types, “grime” is the most common. To remove ground-in dirt and oil, start with 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket, then add 1 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar, and 1/4 cup of baking soda.

Rub gently and follow up with a clean water rinse.

For other common stains, try these remedies:

• Permanent Marker : Blot the stain with a rubbing alcohol-soaked cotton ball. Allow to air dry.
• Mildew : Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to 4 cups of water. Spray and allow to air dry.
• Crayon : Dust a damp sponge with baking soda and scrub. Baby wipes work, too.

If your wall stains are “water stains”; the result of a leak or something similar, make sure the water source is corrected prior to painting. Then, to remove spots, mix 1 part bleach to 4 parts water, thoroughly rinse the stain, and use a hair dryer to dry the solution on the wall.

Once cleaned, your walls are ready to paint.

Filed under: Around The Home by Julie Woodward
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According to ENERGY STAR®, the typical household spends close to $2,000 per year on heating and cooling, and up to $600 of those costs are a waste; the result of energy inefficiencies in every U.S. home.

With the hot months of July and August ahead of us Port Aransas in , therefore, consider these simple-to-follow, cost-saving tips for keeping your home cool. None are expensive and each can yield quick results.

First, convert your home’s light bulbs to to CFLs.

It’s well-known that CFL bulbs use less energy than comparable incandescent bulbs, but they also generate far less heat. A “traditional” bulb converts 97.5% of its electricity into heat, which will require extra cooling in your home. CFL bulbs give off heat, too, but at a fraction of the level of an incandescent.

Next, make sure your HVAC air filter is clean. A dirty filter can add up to 7% to your cooling costs because your HVAC unit works harder to move the same amount of air. Change your filters quarterly, at least. If your home has shedding pets, consider changing monthly.

There’s other steps you can take, too, including:

1. Keep your shades drawn. By blocking out the sun through your windows, you can lower a room’s temperature by as much as 20 degrees. That will require less cooling.
2. Tune your HVAC unit. If you air conditioning unit has not been inspected this year, call a service technician to make sure it’s running optimally.
3. Use a programmable thermostat. When you’re not home, set your home’s temperature to be higher. You don’t need to cool an empty home.

And, lastly, use your ceiling fans. A room’s temperature can feel up to 8 degrees cooler when a ceiling fan is running. Just remember that the ceiling fan cools you and not the room. Remember to turn it off when the room’s not in use.

Get customized cooling recommendations from the EPA.

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Compact fluorescent light bulbs are widely praised for their energy-efficiency and relatively low price points. However, unlike traditional light bulbs, they pose a specific health risk to humans and pets.

Most compact fluorescent light bulbs are loaded with mercury vapor and mercury is poisonous — even in very small doses.

And, unfortunately, sometimes light bulbs break, releasing toxins into the air.

To assist homeowners in Corpus Christi , the EPA published a series of CFL-handling guidelines on its website under the heading “How Should I Clean Up A Broken Fluorescent Bulb?“.

The EPA’s advice is specific and geared toward safety. A few of the tips include:

1. Have people and pets leave the room immediately
2. Shut down your home’s HVAC unit to prevent airflow
3. Using rubber gloves, place glass fragments and “powder” in a glass jar, or sealed plastic bag.

In addition, the EPA says to throw out all clothing and bedding that has come into direct contact with a broken bulb. You should not attempt to wash items such as these. They may contain mercury fragments that could contaminate your laundry machines and/or your sewage system.

Lastly, make sure to keep your CFLs separate from your regular trash; they’re not meant for landfills. Compact fluorescent light bulbs should be recycled with a verified waste management company.

You can find one at http://earth911.com.

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This week marks the official start of Summer in Port Aransas. If your home’s outdoor area has furniture in it, you’ll want to make sure that your furniture is clean.

In this 4-minute video from Lowe’s, you’ll learn tricks to keep your outdoor furniture clean, and protected from the elements. All types of outdoor furniture are covered in the lesson including metal, resin-based, and wooden.

The offered tips include:

• Why you should never remove the “care tags” from a furniture pillow
• Choosing the proper pressure-washer tip for the job at-hand
• How to use car wax as a rust-preventative

Furthermore, the instructional video includes tips for cleaning fabrics and canopies; and for shampooing an outdoor rug.

There’s lot of reasons to keep your outdoor furniture clean — health reasons among them — but it shouldn’t be lost that clean furniture will have a longer useful life than furniture that’s been neglected or ignored.

Clean your outdoor pieces at least twice annually and they’ll give you years of good looks and comfort.

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If you have a flair for home decoration projects, Better Homes & Garden has some terrific ideas for you on its website.

Titled “Fast and Fabulous Decorating Projects”, the lifestyle company offers inspiration for 20 do-it-yourself art projects that can breathe life into old furniture, and add pop to your home.

Published in thumbnail format, the guide is quick-to-browse and long on ideas.

In addition, because many of the highlighted projects involve the re-purposing and/or the recycling of existing furniture and other home goods, not only do costs stay low, but it’s likely that you have the required project materials in your home already:

A sampling of the projects includes:

• Making bathrooms more private using stenciled window patterns
• Creating slip-covered, upholstered headboards
• Disguising less-than-perfect cabinet/cupboard doors with prints
• Transforming old mirrors and windows into functional message boards
• Decoupaging retro posters to revitalize old furniture

The projects range in difficulty from basic to advanced. Some require nothing more than scissors and glue; others require advanced skills in woodworking and sewing. There’s something for everyone.

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Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and most parts of the country are already feeling the heat. Temperatures reached record highs in more than 50 cities yesterday.

And, for homeowners in North Padre Island with ceiling fans, the turn of season offers a simple way to lower your home’s energy bill, too. All it takes is the flick of a button.

Ceiling fans are designed to circulate the air in a room. During colder months, ceiling fans push warm air down from the ceiling, raising the temperature of a room. During warmer months, ceiling fans push cold air back into circulation, creating a windchill effect, of sorts.

This video from The Weather Channel explains how it works.

• When your heating system is on, rotate fan blades clockwise
• When your cooling system is on, rotate fan blades counter-clockwise

As compared to adjusting your home’s overall temperature in the summer, ceiling fans are economical and “green”. Using the equivalent amount of energy as 100-watt light bulb, a single ceiling fan can reduce a room’s effective temperature by 4 degrees. There’s similar benefits in the colder winter months, too.

If your home is without ceiling fans, they’re relatively inexpensive, and simple to install. There are tutorial videos online for the do-it-yourselfers, or you can call a qualified electrician for assistance. Need an electrician’s name and a reference? Call or email me — I’m happy to offer a referral.

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If you’ve spent time making your garden look great this spring, you’ll want to spend time helping it stay that way through the summer. This brief video will teach you how to keep your yard pest- and weed-free using eco-friendly products and nature, itself — all without the use of dangerous chemicals.

Some of the tips in the video include:

• Planting flowering nectar-bearing plants to attract “beneficial” insects
• Using electronic repellents and netting to keep pests away
• Adding a bird feeder to your yard

And, of course, you’ll want to use all-natural pesticides made from the extracted oils and fruits and spices which, when combined, keep weeds and bugs under control.

One thing to remember with respect to lawn care, though, is that “organic” doesn’t always mean “greener”. Spot-application of a chemical-based product may best for your lawn’s particular needs, and you should consider using harsher, traditional pesticides when needed.

When in doubt, talk to a lawn care specialist.

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With large swaths of the country bracing for an historic Mississippi River flood, it’s important to remember that floods aren’t just regional.

Flood waters can strike any city, in any state, at any time. According to FloodSmart.gov, floods are the #1 most common disaster in the United States. $709 million in flood insurance claims were paid to households, businesses, and renters in 2010 — more than one-third of which went to people outside of “high-risk areas”.

Should a flood hit your home or place of business, will you know what to do? The first 24 hours are crucial.

First, make sure that your home is safe from danger. Floods can damage a home’s structural integrity, creating cracks and gaps in its foundation, among other problems. If you see any such damage, your home may be unsafe for re-entry.

Next, check for exposed power lines and damaged gas and sewer pipes. Notify your local utility company and be prepared to wait for a service representative. During times of natural disaster, utility companies receive a lot of inbound phone calls.

A good follow-up is to disconnect your home’s power at its circuit breaker. This way, electricity can’t mix with water in your home by accident — a potentially lethal combination.

Once your home is safe, use a camera to document damage. Note: Do this before you start removing water or making repairs because it’s evidence for the insurers.

You’ll also want to throw out food and other items that have come into contact with flood waters. Flood waters may contain raw sewage and other contaminants that can harm you.

Lastly, contact your insurer and explain your situation. Be sure to follow your insurer’s exact instructions because you don’t want to do something that will void your claim. If you plan to make an immediate repair, notify your agent. Document your conversation with date, time, and topics discussed.

Like utility companies, your insurer may be overwhelmed with phone calls during a local flood. Optionally, you may call your insurer’s headquarters instead. 

Just one inch of water can cause serious damage to your home. When flood waters hit, know what to do.

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With housing prices down across the country, there are a lot of homeowners in Corpus Christi barely breaking even on their respective home sales. Some are even losing money.

You may find yourself in that position, too; wanting to sell, but worried about bringing cash to your own closing.

It creates an interesting dilemma. You want your home to “show nicely” relative to comparable properties, but you don’t want to invest big dollars that may never be recouped into upgrades or renovations. So what do you do?

The answer is simple. Do the bare minimum.

From an advice piece in the Wall Street Journal, we learn of 10 basic home improvement projects that will help your home have better showings. The advice requires almost no technical skills, and the projects be tackled in a weekend.

The theme? Handled your home’s delayed maintenance.

1. Repair or remove screen doors with holes and tears
2. Pressure wash windows, sidewalks, and siding
3. Paint your front door and polish the doorknob
4. Pull weeds, seed bare spots, and lay down mulch
5. Touch up holes, dings and cracks in paint
6. Clean grout and re-caulk sinks, bathtubs and showers
7. Buy new cabinet hardware
8. Fix leaky faucets and toilets
9. Spray lubricant on squeaky doors
10. Get clutter into storage and out of the way

Now, you’ll notice that none of these projects can be considered “major”. By contrast, each is minor; they’re the items you’d add to your to-do list for work on “another day”. However, they’re extremely important for a home that’s about to be listed.

Here’s why. A prospective buyer doesn’t notice that the above repairs were made. He only notices if they weren’t made. When a buyer sees ripped screens or chipped paint in your home, it makes him wonder what else hasn’t been cared for. This is the why you should also hire an exterminator prior to selling your home. If a buyer spots a trail of ants in your home, it’s unlikely you’ll get an offer.

You don’t need to spend big bucks to get your home ready for sale, but you may to use apply elbow grease. The good news is that time spent up-front can be worth it in the end. Homes that show better tend to sell faster, and at higher prices.

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Home remodeling projects are expected to top $130 blllion this quarter, their highest total since Q1 2008. A likely catalyst is that the average cost of a home improvement project is falling fast.

With the economy loosening up and contractor costs on a downswing, some in Port Aransas homeowners are choosing to put money back into their respective homes, and making home improvements. If you’re among them, you’ll want to make sure you’ve properly screened your contractor. 

In this 4-minute piece from NBC’s The Today Show, you’ll learn tips for picking a good home contractor. The advice is mostly common sense, and worth heeding. For example:

• Only select registered/licensed, and insured contractors for work in your home
• Don’t automatically select the lowest bid; you may want to discard it instead
• Communication skills matter. You must be able to express your wants, and have that message understood.

And lastly, if this is your first time working with a particular contractor, be sure to ask for references and follow-through on them, too. Sometimes, past customers can tell you more about a contractor than you can learn yourself.

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