Show Notes: National Curb Appeal Month – On the House
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Show Notes: National Curb Appeal Month

By on August 1, 2015
Outside night view of home

Do you ever admire a well kept home and yard? That’s curb appeal. Does you home have it? If not, we have some tips to spruce up your home’s curb appeal and increase it’s value with a few simple improvements.

Thank you to our guests:

Teresa Fugget: Wet and Forget: www.wetandforget.com

Tony Cronk of Summit Brands: www.glistencleaners.com

Kathy Ziprick – Fypon: www.Fypon.com

 

 
Dick Clark’s Malibu Flintstone Retreat Sells For A Significant Sum: $1,777,777

Dick Clark’s romantic getaway in Malibu has sold for $1,777,777.

No, that’s not a typo. Sevens held particular significance for the late Clark and his wife, Kari, who was the seller. They were married on 7/7/77. How’s that for a poetic ending to a long-running love story?

Designed by architect Phillip Jon Brown to blend in with the mountaintop, the custom-built home gives the appearance of having been carved out of stone. Free-form walls enclose windows that bring in ocean views.

http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-dick-clark-20141218-story.html

 

American’s With Disability Act is 25 Years Old

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.

http://adata.org/learn-about-ada

 

Things to Fix Around The House Before They Get Worse

1.Replace Washer Hoses

Approximately $170 million in damages is caused to homes in the U.S. every year because of washing machine hose failures, according to State Farm Insurance.

  1. Clean Your Refrigerator Coils

Coils underneath or behind a refrigerator attract dust, debris and dog hair. Besides being unsightly, dirty coils can restrict airflow and make the fridge work harder, which could shorten its life span and reduce its efficiency.

  1. Remove Dryer Lint Before It Catches on Fire

The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that clothes dryer fires occur about 15,600 times each year. The leading cause of these fires is lint in the trap, the vent and the area around the dryer—lint is highly Combustible.

  1. Free a Stubborn Sliding Door before it gets stuck

You will want to fix the problem before you break the handle or pull a muscle.

  1. Fix Up A Crumbling Masonry Before It Cracks

Crumbling mortar can cause bricks to come loose and even fall out of the wall or chimney. When you notice deep cracks in the mortar and wasps are taking up residence in holes in your masonry, it’s time to act. It may be that only one side of a house, chimney or retaining wall has problems, but it needs to be fixed before it gets worse.
6.Secure Loose Rails Before You Take A Header Off The Deck

Deck posts and railings that rock back and forth can break off. Screws and nails won’t fix this problem. This job calls for a special connector that secures the railings to the deck framing and meets code requirements.

  1. Snip Wayward Carpet Strands to Eliminate Runs

This one’s easy, but surprisingly important. Strands of loop carpet that stick up higher than the rest of the floor need to be cut down to size. Otherwise, you can catch one with your vacuum cleaner or have a curious kid pull on it, which will cause it to unravel and leave a run across the floor. “Never pull a snag,” advises Mohawk Industries, a floor-covering manufacturer. “You’ll lose the whole line.”

  1. Replace Drawer Slides Before You Pull the Drawer Apart

If pulling out a drawer has become a feat of super strength, it’s only a matter of time before you pull the face right off the drawer—or bust it up by using all your body weight to shove it back in. The problem probably comes from worn out slides. This happens to silverware drawers, for example, because they support a lot of weight.

  1. Fill Cracks in an Asphalt Driveway

Small driveway cracks can fill with water and then freeze, causing them to widen and multiply. Plus, grass and weeds end up growing in the cracks, which looks hideous. So start by using a herbicide to kill those weeds or grass.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/how-to/g1813/9-things-to-fix-around-the-house-before-they-get-worse/?slide=3mbustible.

 

 

National Curb Appeal Month

National Curb Appeal Month is dedicated to helping homeowners focus on ways to add value and design appeal to their home’s exterior.

WHY FOCUS ON CURB APPEAL: Curb appeal adds value to the home. It enables homeowners to either “fit in” with the neighborhood or boldly “stand out” to make a positive impact.
RETURN ON INVESTMENT:

  • Realtors say potential home buyers make a ‘street decision’ in less than 12 seconds on whether or not to view a home that’s for sale based on curb appeal.

  • According to the 2015 Cost Versus Value Study conducted by Remodeling magazine, many products added to the home have a high return-on-investment at the time of a home sale.

  • Adding steel entry door – cost recoup of 101.8%

  • Adding a garage door – cost recoup of 88.4%

  • Adding vinyl siding – cost recoup of 80.7%

  • Adding energy-efficient vinyl windows – cost recoup of 72.9%

  • Adding fiberglass entry door – 72%

  • Adding new roof – 71.6%

  • According to the 2011 DaVinci Roofscapes’ Homeowners Exterior Preferences Study

conducted online by Harris Interactive©:

  • 61% of homeowners say that when house hunting or designing their home, the most attention-grabbing exterior feature was the style of the home,

  • 78% of homeowners report their home’s curb appeal is either “extremely” or “very” important to them.

  • 59% of homeowners place a lot of emphasis on the role color plays when they think about replacing major exterior home features.

  • 67% of homeowners prefer earthy, calm colors such as beige, tan, white, gray or brown as the dominant color on their home’s exteriors.

3 C’s of CURB APPEAL:

  • Clean – power wash your driveway and walkway, wash windows, wipe down front door and trim work.

  • Clutter Free – remove dead shrubs, take away excessive “yard art” and keep kid’s toys and trash cans out of sight.

  • Color – paint your front door, trim, shutters and exterior elements, add colorful potted plants or window boxes of plants, use colorful decorative flags

WHAT AFFECTS CURB APPEAL:

  • Condition of exterior home products — clean? painted? good condition? well-maintained?

  • Color — colorful plants, door, trim, shutters, accessories

  • Landscaping — trimmed shrubs below window level, cut lawn, no weeds, colorful plants, lighting

  • Accessories — decorative or U.S. flags, not much yard clutter, lighting

ADDING COLOR FROM THE TOP DOWN

  • Start at roof, then work down to siding, door, window frames, trim and landscaping

  • Have a “flow” of color. Get free tips in “FRESH Home Exterior Colors” and “FRESH Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior” ebooks at www.fypon.com.

PRODUCTS THAT ADD CURB APPEAL:

  • Fypon – Low-maintenance trim for around windows and doors, shutters, mouldings, balustrade systems, column and wraps, trellis system, porch posts and louvers. Resists moisture, rot, insects and decay. www.fypon.com

  • DaVinci Roofscapes – Polymer slate and shake roofing tiles come in 50 standard colors and assortment of color blends. Resists impact, fire, algae, severe weather. www.davinciroofscapes.com
    Therma-Tru Doors – Easy-care fiberglass doors come in woodgrain and smooth, paintable styles. Decorative glass doorlites and sidelites enhance curb appeal. www.thermatru.com
    SPECIAL: Door Do-Over Sweepstakes during month of August. Enter to win a chance at a FREE Therma-Tru fiberglass entry door at www.todayshomeowner.com/DoorDoOver

Fypon “Five Top Tips” for Adding Curb Appeal

Make your entryway more welcoming with an elegant door surround. Start with fluted pilasters on either side of the door and then top the door with a decorative pediment — try a rams head, sunburst, acorn or peaked cap style.
Replace a rotting wooden porch system with a new structural balustrade system which includes porch posts, top and bottom rails, balusters and all the other pieces essential to create a great, weather-resistant porch.
Trim out exterior windows. Use crossheads for over a window and top with a solid, decorative or recessed panel keystone accent piece. On the sides and below the window, use moulding pieces with plinth blocks in the corners to eliminate miter cuts.
Replace older, rotting wooden louvers with low-maintenance urethane louvers. Functional louvers have a noncorrosive fiberglass screen backing to keep insects out while allowing maximum airflow and ventilation to enter the attic.

Flank your windows with easy-care urethane shutters. Choose from a selection of white paintable and woodgrain stainable shutters in a variety of styles.

More Information on Curb Appeal:

  1. Fypon Facebook page every day in August
  2. Special “events” page at www.fypon.com

 

11 Ways To Create A Welcoming Front Entrance for Under $100

First impressions count — not just for your friends, relatives, and the UPS guy, but for yourself. Whether it’s on an urban stoop or a Victorian front porch, your front door and the area leading up to it should extend a warm welcome to all comers — and needn’t cost a bundle.

Here’s what you can do to make welcoming happen on the cheap.

  1. Clear the way for curb appeal. The path to your front door should be at least 3 feet wide so people can walk shoulder-to-shoulder, with an unobstructed view and no stumbling hazards. So get out those loppers and cut back any overhanging branches or encroaching shrubs.
  2. Light the route. Landscape lighting makes it easy to get around at night. Solar-powered LED lights you can just stick in the ground, requiring no wiring, are suprisingly inexpensive. We found 8 packs for under $60 online.
  3. Go glossy. Borrow inspiration from London’s lovely row houses, whose owners assert their individuality by painting their doors in high-gloss colors. The reflective sheen of a royal blue, deep green, crimson, or whatever color you like will ensure your house stands out from the pack.
  1. Pretty up the view. A door with lots of glass is a plus for letting light into the front hall — but if you also want privacy and a bit of decor, check out decorative window film. It’s removable and re-positionable, and comes in innumerable styles and motifs. Pricing depends on size and design; many available for under $30.

A way to get the look of stained glass without doing custom work or buying a whole new door: Mount a decorative panel on the inside of the door behind an existing glass insert, $92 for an Arts and Crafts-style panel 20-inches-high by 11-inches-wide.

  1. Replace door hardware. While you’re at it, polish up the handle on the big front door. Or better yet, replace it with a shiny new brass lockset with a secure deadbolt. Available for about $60.
  1. Please knock. Doorbells may be the norm, but a hefty knocker is a classic that will never run out of battery life, and another opportunity to express yourself (whatever your favorite animal or insect is, there’s a door-knocker in its image).
  1. Ever-greenery. Boxwoods are always tidy-looking, the definition of easy upkeep. A pair on either side of the door is traditional, but a singleton is good, too. About $25 at garden centers. In cold climates, make sure pots are frost-proof (polyethylene urns and boxes mimic terracotta and wood to perfection).
  1. Numbers game. Is your house number clearly visible? That’s of prime importance if you want your guests to arrive and your pizza to be hot. Stick-on vinyl numbers in a variety of fonts make it easy, starting at about $4 per digit.
  2. Foot traffic. A hardworking mat for wiping muddy feet is a must. A thick coir mat can be had at the hardware store for less than $20. Even fancier varieties can be found well under $50.
  1. Go for the glow. Fumbling for keys in the dark isn’t fun. Consider doubling up on porch lights with a pair of lanterns, one on each side of the door, for symmetry and twice the illumination. Many mounted lights are available well under $100.
  2. Snail mail. Mailboxes run the gamut from kitschy roadside novelties masquerading as dogs, fish, or what-have-you to sober black lockboxes mounted alongside the front door. Whichever way you go, make sure yours is standing or hanging straight, with a secure closure, and no dings or dents. The mail carrier will thank you.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-improvement/front-door-entry-ideas/#ixzz3hLZ2cSFA

 

Website Mentions:

Stainless Steel Sink Fix:

www.restoreityourselfproducts.com

Henry Solar-Flex White Roof Coating:

http://t.homedeprt/p/Henry-4-75-Gal-287-Solar-Flex-White-Roof-Coating-HE287SF871/100051140

 

 

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