Summer Fix-Ups - August 2011

By: Crissy Knibbe

    After this unusual weather, you're probably more ready for summer than usual. Now is the perfect time to get your house ready for warmer temperatures too. Kick off the summer with 3 easy projects and a few inexpensive ways to spruce up your home.

     GUTTERS Cold weather can cause gutter seams to leak and fasteners to pop loose. A leaf blower works great for blasting out leaves and other debris. Finish by sealing leaks with gutter sealant and replacing loose spikes with gutter screws.

    AIR CONDITIONER Get your central air conditioner system ready for summer by cleaning the condensation drain line. This small plastic pipe running from your AC unit outside is a magnet for algae and other gunk. To keep it from clogging, pour a cup of bleach through a funnel into the drain line's access hole (near the air handler unit located inside your house), let it stand 20 minutes, then flush the line with water.

    WINDOW SCREENS Before you hang your screens, give them a good scrubbing. First lay four 2x4's on the ground to create a frame, staple a sheet of plastic over it to make a homemade "tub." Fill it with warm soapy water and use a soft scrub brush to gently clean both sides of each screen. Rinse screens with hose and allow to dry. ~Info provided by BHG.
Have you wandered around in your house and wondered what would give it just a little boost, something that won't break the bank or take up a lot of time to accomplish? These ideas may not seem like it would put that spark in your spring, but trust me, it will.

    FIND FRESH FLOWERS Fresh flowers are an automatic room booster. Not only are fresh flowers visibly appealing, but most of the time, the aroma stimulates the appeal of the room, as well. You don't have to spend $100 on flowers from the florist either. Take your family for a drive up the mountain and pick some wild flowers alongside the road and make a family outing out of it. Grab your favorite silk flowers and make your own arrangement and then you can save them and make new ones for each season. Or sit down with your kid's make a bouquet of flowers out of paper, but whatever you do, DON'T pick them out of your neighbor's flower garden.

    CONCEAL THE CLUTTER A bread box can hold more than just bread! Put your sandwich bags and peanut butter in there to cut clutter in your cupboard or pantry and it will make it easier for you to just grab it for a quick breakfast or to make a sandwich for the kids' lunches. A simple island or cart with wheels adds storage and usable surface space to a modest size kitchen. Give your remote controls good homes and they'll be less likely to wander. Most importantly, train everybody to put remotes back in their homes and nowhere else. Store bulky gaming gear (balance boards, guitars, etc) in a storage ottoman. Tired of looking at your shelves lined with DVD's? Put them in decorative storage bins or baskets. Label them kids' movies, mom & dad movies and video games. That way, you will know exactly where to find the movie you're looking for. If you don't want to use the baskets or bins, there are media storage containers that hang on the back of doors or small enough to hide under the bed. If you just have outgrown certain DVD's or games, try downsizing by swapping them with friends or selling them (swapadvd.com, swaptree.com or bookins.com).

    CHANGE UP THE CURTAINS Simply changing the curtains will transform the room that you're bored with. Put up sheers with a neutral bright color to let the most natural light in or get creative and unite colors and layer patterns for a more updated visual appeal.

Just remember, you don't need to spend a million to look like a million.