It would be pretty unfair of me to throw all these bad ideas onto the table, without leaving you with a few good ones.

2.) Attic Bedroom: Basement finishes are fairly popular. But what about the top portion of the house? How many attic finishes do you hear about? Not so many, huh? All the more reason to look into this idea a little further. We’ve discussed the concept of utilizing available square footage in the most efficient way possible. Well, attic remodels are an excellent example of this very idea. These projects average around $50,000. While that may seem hefty, the average cost to add a new addition to a home will range from $40,000 – $90,000.

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Summer sniffles and Autumn allergies.  No fun.  The great outdoors can mean rough stuff to anybody who battles allergies.  But did you know that there are plenty of potential culprits, right within the comfort of your own home?

Find out how you can remove and/or prevent allergy-related particles from affecting you and yours, INSIDE the home.

1. Carpet : Dust mites and pet dander…yum!  Not so much. Carpets and rugs should be cleaned weekly.  Your vacuum should be equipped with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to trap all tiny particles.  A non-HEPA version will only re-circulate the crud.
2. Windows : A sweet fall breeze may smell wonderful, but if it’s bringing more than just scent into your home (i.e. ragweed pollen spores), I’d recommend utilizing this little tip: Keep windows shut between the high pollen-count hours of 10AM to 3PM.
3. Bathroom : Moist bathrooms and basements are breeding grounds for mold.  Fight these allergens by wiping walls with a chlorine bleach solution made with 1oz bleach to 1Q water.
4. Bedding: I was listening to a radio show several months back, and the DJ was taking a poll as to how often everybody in the office changed their sheets.  I have to say, I was a little grossed out by some people’s responses.  Not changing your sheets for months at a time!?!  Yuck!  In addition to the dirty-factor, we should keep in mind that mites and mold can live in our beds.  Wash sheets AT LEAST every two weeks, in130 degree water.
5. Basement : Get a dehumidifier!  Set your unit between 35 and 45 percent humidity.  These come in multiple sizes and they range in cost. Mold in the basement is not pretty.
6. Houseplants : Keep an eye on these guys.  Potted plants can harbor allergens on their leaves, in their dirt and in their trays.  Remove moldy leaves immediately and don’t let water pool in the trays.
7. Pets : You can cover air vents with cheesecloth to help prevent pet dander from spreading from room to room.  I know you fellow animal lovers may not like this, but experts recommend that we keep our furry friends out of our bedrooms.  I know I do – well, a good 75% of the time I do, I suppose.

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I’m going to share with you my special little secret that I use when organizing or ‘re-vamping’ my home.  Now I will tell you, I’m a little hesitant to spread the word because I’m afraid that if I spill my beans, you all might go out and snatch up all the good stuff!  But I think I’ll share anyhow.  It’ll be my good karma for the day.

Did you read my basement blog from a while back?  I shared about how I reorganized my dungeon and how I did it on a very small dime.  One of the little tricks that I failed to mention was this:

Goodwill, baby!

I cannot even begin to tell you the number of really great furniture pieces I have scored from my local Goodwill.  Sure they’ve got chairs and tables and stuff like that.  But when I head over to the big bargain palace, I’m looking for shelves, bookcases, filing cabinets, etc.  These storage/organization devices can typically be found for less than $20 each.

During my basement escapade, for example, I picked up a 5′ x 3′, 4 drawer metal filing cabinet for $5!  It required a minor repair that I was able to fix in 60 seconds.  I used that baby to store automotive chemicals, pint paint cans, cleaning supplies and spraypaint (worked out great too because I can open the drawer and look directly at the colored caps!  SO much better than being crammed on a shelf).

Okay, so there it is.  My big, bad secret is on the loose.  Happy organizationl bargain hunting!  And no, I will not tell you which Goodwill I frequent–I’m nice but I’m not that nice!  (Do I still get my good karma points?)

(This is a pretty cool movie poster that I found on the web.  I’m copying the credentials for you below).

Karma, a new film by Tom Roarty, © 2006 CrookedEye Productions.

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Looking to finish your basement?  Have family or pets who are allergic to mold & mildew?  Maybe you’re just looking to remove the Rainforest-like atmosphere from your little dungeon.  Either way, if you’ve got soggy basement issues, it’s as good a time as any to cure those basement woes.

In addition to allergen issues, moisture in the basement will rot wood, drywall, carpet and just about any other material left in its presence.  When we first moved to our new home several years back, we stored all of our belongings in the basement while we remodeled the upper levels of the house.  Slowly, we brought our stuff upstairs and were able to integrate it into the home.  Our leather furniture set was one of the last items on the list to join the land of the living–it had been buried in the very back of the basement amongst other boxes, tables, tools, etc.  By the time we were able to dig the leather set out from underneath all the other stuff, we discovered the pieces were covered in a greenish, moldy film.  Not only were the exteriors ruined, but the interior mechanisms and hardware had been affected, as well.

Your moisture problem can stem from something as simple as a grading problem.  If the ground along the outside of your foundation doesn’t slope down and away from your house, it will collect rain & snow melt against the foundation.  This excess water will then seep into your basement.

If this is the case, you will need to build up the soil around the foundation to where water runs away from the house.

You can also check your gutters and downspouts.  Make sure there are no leaks allowing water to soak into the foundation.  Extensions can be used on the downspouts to force water to drain away from the house.  (Downspout extensions should drain water at least 3 feet away from the house).

If these little tricks don’t work, you’ll need to call in the big dogs.  Get in contact with a licensed waterproofing contractor.  This guy will be able to give you a good work over–Be forewarned that his services may not be cheap, however.  Permanent solutions can involve excavation or installation of all new drain tile alongside the footings.

But believe this: the longer you wait to tackle the damp dungeon issue, the more damages will be done to your property and to your wallet.

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According to the folks over at the APPA (they do a national survey every year), 63% of U.S. households own a pet.  This is equal to 71.1 million homes.  Curious to learn the most popularly owned pets?  Dogs, Cats & Freshwater Fish–In that order.

It’s no wonder these guys occupy millions of homes throughout the nation.  The benefits we reap stretch far beyond love and companionship.  According to research, people who own pets make fewer trips to the doctor’s office.  They also experience lower blood pressure, reduced stress, lessened symptoms of depression and lowered risk of heart disease.

With all the benefits that we receive from our furry/feathery/scaly little friends, it’s no wonder so many of us find ourselves spoiling the heck out of them.

Here are a few fun remodeling ideas that are totally geared towards our pets.  If you love your buddy as much as I love mine, you might want to allow one of these ideas for consideration during your next renovation task.

• Doggy Overlooks-Is your pup as nosy as mine?  This concept would allow him to stick his head through a decorative opening on the second floor and keep tabs on his owners below.
• Heated Floors-What little guy doesn’t like to be warm and cozy?  Heated floors are a nice touch for us, but think about how awesome something like this would be for them!
• Wood/Linoleum Floors-If you’re a pet person, and you perform any kind of floor remodeling whatsoever, I highly recommend you take advantage of the inherent pet-friendly qualities that these surfaces offer.  A high-end linoleum floor can be a beautiful finish to any remodeled kitchen, bath, basement or rec room.  And a light to medium finish will minimize scratches.
• Indoor Pet Retreat-Use that extra room in your house to design your own, customized, state of the art pet playland!  These are sometimes located with a pet door for easy pet indoor/outdoor access.  You can design your retreat to include such amenities as automatic feeders and drinking fountains or maybe even a pet washing station!
• Matching Fabrics & Carpet-Can’t say that I would use this tip, but I think it’s a practical one, nonetheless.  For owner’s who don’t like the look of shedding hair on furniture, fabrics, rugs, carpets–Choose non-toxic fabrics that match the pet’s fur.  In my case, I might consider purchasing black and white carpets and couches.  (Actually, that might look kind of cool).

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