Last weekend, my husband and I ventured into the backyard to do a little deck & patio cleanup.  We have a very large deck attached to the back of our house (it was there when we moved in), but it is in serious need of a little TLC.  The previous owners did not care for the deck as they should have and as a result, our deck now requires a large amount of attention and money.

For example, when we moved into the house, little piles of leaves had been allowed to accumulate in the corners of the deck and remain for months.  Without proper drainage for water, ice and snow runoff, these little piles allowed build up and caused the wood underneath to begin to rot away.  Unsightly, yes.  Potentially unsafe, absolutely.

There are a few things that should be viewed as spring maintenance and done every year.  These things will help keep a deck in good shape.

• Clean debris from deck boards and keep an eye out for loose nails/screws.  If you find a popped nail, it’s best to drive a new screw–Don’t re-use the old hole.
• Dingy/Mildewy boards need to be cleaned.  Head to the hardware store and pickup a commercial deck cleaner.  You can apply with a sprayer, scrub with a long-handled brush (not the same brush you use to wash the car–I got an earful for that one, once), and then rinse with the hose.  No need to use a pressure washer for a routine job like this.
• Once completely dried, you can slap on a coat of wood preserver/sealer.  Just follow the directions on the can.
• Finally, make sure to examine all the deck’s substructure–connectors, posts and metal parts.  Be sure there are no signs of rust or failure and make sure the parts are free from cracks and rot.

Here is a picture of my deck.  Unfortunately, you cannot see much of my deck because it is covered up by my family and me.  As you can see, we  are on our way to the grocery store.

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I admit, I don’t mow my lawn.  My beloved husband gets out there and handles the yardwork aspect of our home maintenance.  It’s not that I’m not capable or willing–it’s just that every time I venture into the great outdoors (i.e. my backyard), I find myself covered in some hellacious rash and, in turn, having to injest massive quantities of Benadryl and Prednisone.  So, I do indoor duties; Rick does outdoor duties.

I do, however, know how to properly maintain a lawn.  Many think the big trick is to treat with hi-tech chemicals and fertilizers.  But in actuality, the perfect lawn can be achieved through nothing more than proper use of your lawn mower.

Here are my tips:

• CUT YOUR GRASS HIGH: A good rule of thumb is to cut your grass no more than 1/3 its length.  This should be able to be achieved by setting your blade to it’s highest or next to highest setting.  Longer blades of grass will collect more sunlight and develop healthier root systems.  Longer blades also tend to fight off crab grass much better than short blades.
• DO NOT USE A BAGGER: Grass clippings will act as natural mulch for your lawn.  Once you have finished mowing, you may take a rake and spread the clippings around so they do not create little unnecessary piles.  (The piles will act as a carpet–Shielding your grass from sunlight and nutrients).
• ONLY MOW DRY GRASS: Wet blades of grass will allow for uneven chops–These damp chops leave your grass blades open to all sorts of fungus.
• ONLY MOW COOL GRASS:  Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, you probably do this already.  Mowing in the dead heat is not only rough on you, it’s rough on the grass.
• CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION EACH TIME YOU MOW:  This will allow you to avoid cutting ruts in your lawn.
• MOW ONCE A WEEK: Mowing weekly will help keep your height in check.

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Plainly stated: If properly installed, there is no better siding material for the exterior of your home than Fiber Cement Siding.

There are several different manufacturers of the product, itself — But when researching your next Siding remodel project, don’t waste time, money & energy on anything but Fiber Cement.

This product was first developed more than 100 years ago and it maintained the innovative ability to protect against “fire, frost, acid & ants.”  Many homes that were covered with these original materials from the turn of the centry still exist — WITH the original fiber cement exteriors.

As previously mentioned, Fiber Cement siding materials hold up against weather conditions, insects, pesky varmints and even fires.

This material is very versatile.  It comes in a large variety of styles, colors and textures.  It’s natural construction allows it to exist as a maintenance free product on a home and it can come accompanied with a warranty of up to 50 years!

I am definitely a fan of the material, but I wouldn’t necessarily call myself “biased.”  I don’t have Fiber Cement siding on my home.  I live in a brick home.  But I’ve seen the amazing outcomes of about a dozen Fiber Cement remodels, and I am jealous!  (I have considered getting an estimate to swap the brick exterior for that of Fiber Cement – My husband says I am crazy).

Yes it’s pricier than the plastic stuff (vinyl).  But in my opinion, it’s worth every penny.

Do the research.

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WARNING NOTICE:  This next entry has very little to do with your home in any way, shape or form.  I tried to come up with some creative spin on things, but I’m just not sure that’s possible.  The thing is, I couldn’t continue through life feeling as though I had done my audience a disservice by holding out on valuable information such as the following; so I am making an exception to the rule (the blog = home topics only rule, that is).  So here it is:

Best Regards Bakery in Olathe, KS makes the best freaking cupcakes I’ve ever tasted!

Yes, that’s my big, bad valuable piece of information.

I stumbled upon these guys at a Chamber event yesterday evening and man am I glad I did.  I’m just wondering how early they open and whether or not I have to wait very long for them to bake my cupcakes.

I tried the lemon cake with the raspberry frosting.  My husband and I fought for the last bite (we only had the one cupcake…it was a sample after all, not a meal).  But then again, we’re not the slimmest people in the world–It can be hard to convey these sort of things to folks like us.  Anyhow, he won out on the last bite, but I got to chew on the wrapper.  That’s right.  I chewed on the wrapper until it nearly dissolved in my mouth.  I’m not proud, but at least I’m honest.

We determined that their little confection was, by a landslide, the most delightful dessert we had ever come across.

So, from one small business to another–”Way to go, kiddo!”

Oh, and as far as tying the blog entry into the overall blog, this is what I got:

Delicious cupcakes are purchased by people.  People share their delicious-purchased cupcakes with their families.  Families tend to live in homes and the title of this blog is Totalhomeblog.com.

Sort of misses the mark, right?

Anyhow, here’s the contact info for our new friends at Best Regards in Olathe:

“Fan” Best Regards

“Fan” Me

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Evidently we are in the midst of “National Work At Home Moms Week.”  Did you have any idea that such a holiday existed?  Well you do now!

WAHM’s (Work at home moms) spend the majority of both their professional and personal lives at their home.  From a professional standpoint, these women often operate as business owners, freelancers and subcontractors.  And from a personal standpoint, they practice a masterful balance between family and work.  This, ladies and gentleman, is multi-tasking at its finest.

In an effort to help my WAHM’s out just a little, I’d like to provide the web link to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry below.  This link can act as an excellent tool when trying to find assistance with your next home remodel project (You just can’t always do it yourself, right?).  Using a NARI certified contractor will provide guaranteed Quality, Professional & Accredited Work.

This is a great starting point.

NARI Kansas City

(And yes, that is my Pat Strand near the bottom of the list–Too bad they won’t let me submit a photo for their site.  I’ve got a few good ones!)

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So you’re gonna remodel the interior of your home, eh?  This experience can be an adventure or it can be a disaster.  The process is, for the most part, up to you.  I am offering you my advice that will allow you to place as much positive influence into your remodeling project as possible.

1. News Flash!  Your house is about to become a construction site.  Accept it.  Prepare for it.  Work with it.
2. Discuss details and variables with contractor prior to beginning of project.  (i.e. Where will trash be stowed?  Which bathroom will crew be able to use?  How will floors/carpets be protected?)
3. Consider the pets.  Do not assume that your dog will appreciate the workers’ presence.  Also keep in mind, the workers cannot carry heavy materials through gates and doors without propping them open.  Moral of the story: Fefee needs to be contained and quarantined away from the construction.
4. Live like simpletons for a few weeks.  It will be fun!  Eat soups, sandwiches, take-out.  Use disposable plates.  (This will apply mostly for any of you who are either remodeling your kitchen or who are utilizing your kitchen as a work zone during another remodeling project).
5. Number 5 to stay alive: Keep a sense of humor.  Trust that you did ample and adequate research to hire an accredited and talented contractor who has probably done this many more times than you.  This will be messy but it will be well worth it.

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I found a blog entry that is right on target.  The link is displayed right below.  I’ll go ahead and copy/paste the exact text into this posting, as well.

Storm Chasers

Hail Storms

Posted: 2009-03-13 by  twill

Storm Chasers Complaint Rating: As a contractor, here is my advice when propositioned by a storm chaser, or high pressure insurance adjuster. WAIT!!! As in don’t hire anyone to do your roof for a minimum of 3 months, maybe up to six months. You got to wait the scum out. And don’t think it is as simple as hiring a “local” contractor. Here is how the scam works: The out-of-town fly-by-night Stormchaser, “rents” the locals name and phone number for thousands of dollars ($50, 000 or more. Big Bucks). They then move their operation in. And what an operation it is!! 20 salesmen!! 10 roofing !! And you thought that were calling Joe’s Local Roofing Co. to replace your roof!! Well Joe will be there after the storm… to clean up the mess. And if he is smart he will shut his doors and take the money and skip town too. Or he will … be cleaning up the mess. And suddenly that $50, 000 “payoff” will turn out to be peanuts as he will be paying out of pocket to repair the hack jobs until he is broke and brokedown. The approach of these low lifes is to move fast. They move in quickly while the insurance money is flowing. The “roofing salesmen” after all, are not salesmen. They are order takers. Tin men. Con men. Last season’s insurance adjusters (as if that makes them credible!) They are zipping around beating the honest contractors and honest homeowners before the community knows what has hit them! Hell has been unleashed and they are feeding on the people in born GREED.  Yard signs saying:1-800-free-roof. Think I am kidding? So the best solution for a community is to not hire ANYONE for a few months while these parasites die from inactivity.Take the time to work with someone you can trust to deal with the insurance company, a local contractor who has roots in the community. Yes he’ll be busy and may not get to you for a while, but MOST hail damage does not constitute an emergency. When you get your insurance check, deposit it in the bank and wait for the leeches to leave town. They will.

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Pat found a cool little blip in the upcoming June 2009 issue of Fast Company Magazine on interesting Wedding Season factoids.  While the article doesn’t have anything at all to do with home remodeling, demographically speaking, the majority of our consumer base is comprised of married couples.  So, we thought we’d share:

• 2,190,363 Couples were married last year alone
• The world’s longest living couple lived in North Carolina | 85 Years | Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Fisher
• 16 tons of frosting (for wedding cakes alone) was consumed last year in the U.S.
• 6 Countries currently allow same-sex marriage: Belgium, Canada, Holland, Norway, South Africa, Spain
• The average U.S. wedding costs $28,704 (not sure about you, but my wedding sure as heck didn’t cost 28K!)
• Mississippi average wedding (lowest average in the U.S.) $18,562
• New Jersey average wedding (highest average in the U.S.) $36,113
• December is the most popular month to propose marriage–1/5 of all engagements occur in month #12

There it is there.  A bunch of random wedding facts.  Do with them what you please.

And if you’re doubting the validity of some of them — I understand.  But I can personally attest to the last one!

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Here’s a special little tip when setting out to hire somebody to remodel your home in some way:

Make sure the fence/gate is in good working order.  Assure that the latches and locks function properly and with ease.  If your remodeler will require backyard access, this is extremely important for a variety of reasons.

1. Let’s try to imagine what it must be like to haul heavy, tedious materials from a work truck, back to somebody’s yard.  How ‘un-fun’ must it be to have to fight a dilapidated gate and/or a non-existent latch on top of the materials?  Yea.  Not so much.
2. These materials and possibly tools are often times left around back the house overnight for safekeeping.  If your gate is unsecured, would it be easy for a neighbor kid to find mischief in your temporarily disrupted backyard haven?  Can we say “lawsuit?!?”
3. What about dogs? Do you have one?  Does he like to run amuck in the backyard jungle?  Does he also like to play the “dart out gate as fast as you can and see how many people you can trip in the process” game?  That’s a fun one for your workers, too.  That one will definitely get the job done in a proficient and timely manner…

Receiving a successful home remodeling experience is so often contributed to the factors of heightened communication and consideration.  If all parties involved can do their part towards these initiatives–Success will be had…Beautiful homes will be re-built.

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1. Where will your contractor be able to drop lumber and store materials?
2. Parking.  Where will the crew be able to park?  What about you?
3. Which bathroom will the workers be allowed to use?
4. How will floors and carpets be protected form dirt and dust?
5. Are all breakables packed away for safe keeping?
6. Window treatments will most likely get very dirty.  Should you pack them away, as well?
7. Consider closing off the job site from the remainder of the house with a piece of plywood or plastic.

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