A Place To Lay Your Head

SOFT OF FIRM; feather, foam, or down:  How do you choose the best pillow?  If you wake up with a sore neck and back, if your pillow is so that you have to bend it, if your last pillow came from the bargain bin, you may need a new pillow.

First, the job of a pillow is to support your head, neck and back, pillow experts say.  A better pillow can mean a better night's sleep.  You can spend $5, $100, or in between.  A good pillow might last for up to 20 years, while a less expensive pillow may need to be replaced after three years.  Keep in mind, you're investing not only in a good night's sleep, but also in your health, as national studies have linked poor sleep to a variety of health issues.

A proper pillow isn't always the largest one on the shelf.  "The average consumer views bigger as better," says Beth Mack, chief merchandising officer for Hollander Home Fashions in Boca Ratton, Florida.  "A pillow can be very large and fluffy and not be correct for the type of sleeper you are."

How you sleep helps determine the best pillow.  About 70 percent of people sleep on their sides, 20 percent are primarily back sleepers, and 10 percent are stomach sleepers, says Mack. 

A side sleeper requires the most support and an extra-firm pillow, while a back sleeper can go for a medium-firm to firm pillow and a stomach sleeper might opt for a medium-density, flatter pillow, she says.  Since more people are side sleepers, a firm pillow is a good choice for a guest room, she adds. 

"If you talk to people, you'll hear them say, I bend my pillow in half to double it up," Mack says.  "They're so used to buying a pillow and bending it, but the truth is the pillow is not providing enough support." 

If you have allergies, you'll want to get a hypo-allergenic pillow.  While all synthetic fills are allergen free, you can also get down and feather pillows rated hypoallergenic.  Linda Howard, vice president of sales for Pacific Coast Feather, notes, "There are a lot of consumers who feel they are allergic to down and feathers when in fact they are allergic to improperly washed down and feathers."

A memory foam pillow will mold itself to the contours of  your body.  Open-cell memory foam pillows are designed to keep air flowing.  "A lot of people, as they're sleeping, find their pillow gets hot," says Maria Sigmond, director of product development for Sleep Innovations in West Long Branch, New Jersey.  "We get great feedback from our customers that they don't feel hot on open-cell memory foam pillows."

Taking care of your pillow is important to extend its life span, Howard says.  "You definitely want to protect it from oils and dirt," she adds.  To wash or not to wash?  Check the tag.  In most cases, a pillow that can withstand washing is higher quality, Howard says"  "The stitching will be more durable.  The fill will be good so it can withstand washing."  Due to the material it is made from, memory foam cannot be washed," Sigmond notes. 

Whether or not your pillow is washable, you can extend its life with zippered pillow protectors in addition to pillowcases. 

Take time when buying your pillow, Sigmond says: "People's tastes in pillows vary greatly- it's a very personal decision."

To order your copy of REMODELING HELL, CLICK HERE!

*Article from the Costco Connection

Bathroom Makeover

If you're in the mood to be creative design-wise, there's no better room than the bathroom.

If you feel like unleashing your creative potential this weekend, point your palette toward the bathroom. It's the room where you can finish a project in a weekend and still have money left over to get takeout while you're waiting for the paint or polyurethane to dry.

"The beauty of a bathroom is that it's small," says Gary Foreman, publisher of The Dollar Stretcher. "So if you've never sponge painted before, you can try it for an hour or two and if don't like it, what have you wasted? You can paint over it the next day. If you're in the mood to be creative design-wise, there's no better room than the bathroom."

Give your bath a custom look with paintable wallpaper.

Fun Looks Under $100
If you like the look of old fashioned tin ceilings, then you'll love the Norwall Traditional Ceiling Tile Paintable Wallpaper $12 for 56 sq. ft. roll at Lowe's). "It's a textured wallpaper that looks like embossed white plaster," says designer Audra Kennedy, of Audra Kennedy Designs in Huntsville, Ala.
Kennedy helped a friend apply it under the chair rail of a bathroom in an 80-year-old house. "We painted it and created this beautiful wainscoting. It looks fantastic and we put the wallpaper up in one morning."

Paint and regular wallpaper (make sure it's pre-pasted) can also dramatically change the look of a bathroom, says Kennedy. She put up grey diamond patterned wallpaper with a white background in a bathroom that had dark aqua tiles on the floor and shower. In 1970s houses with outlandish tile colors, "You need to do something interesting on the walls to draw the eye up," says Kennedy.
When painting the walls of your bathroom, use bold, deep colors, suggests Kathy Wilson, editor of thebudgetdecorator.com. "Carry color onto the ceiling to keep it from looking broken up," says Wilson.

Tired of your vinyl flooring? Paint it! Make sure to prime it first with a specialty primer and then consider creating a tile pattern or using stencils for a border. Follow with four to six coats of polyurethane, which essentially serves as a coat of plastic. Here's another creative, and really economical, idea from Kathy Wilson: tear off irregular size pieces from brown paper bags, glue them to the floor and top with four to six coats of polyurethane. "It looks like leather or stone," says Wilson. "You can also stain it different colors."

Need artwork? Many designers suggest framing prints (from books, magazines or garden catalogs) that won't ruin your budget if they get damp. In a children's bathroom, hang kids' artwork. Another great place to look for framed prints, including ones with a bathroom theme, is art.com.

In a bathroom, artwork can also be practical. For a wide selection of machine washable, whimsical hand-painted canvas shower curtains, many of which are under $100, go to www.showercurtainart.com.

Go Custom
Custom-made shower curtains by designers can cost more than $250, but if you pick out the fabric yourself, take your own measurements and hire a local seamstress to do the hemming, you can save a lot of money, says Kennedy.

Give your bathroom some texture by adding bead-board or wainscoting to one or all of the walls. The price will vary depending on how many tools you already own, says Kennedy. You can buy primed bead-board at Lowe's, which also offers instructions for installation.

Pick out a matching bathroom rug and shower curtain to brighten up your bathroom. Here's one site with fabulous designs: www.vitafutura.com.

Big Updates, Small Price Tag
Choose a striking cotton or polyester fabric and get a custom-made shower curtain (about $250 for labor and fabric) and a matching valance (about $100). Keep in mind, says Kathy Iven, of Fabric Farms Interiors in Hilliard, Ohio, indoor-outdoor fabrics are becoming much more stylish and they won't attract mold or mildew. (See www.calicocorners.com or www.fabricfarms.com for great selections). Spend whatever you have left on beautiful hardware.

If you're tired of your vanity counter top but can't afford to replace it, consider resurfacing the top. Granitclad has half the thickness of a granite bathroom counter top and a fiberglass backing so it can flex without cracking. Find a fabricator to come in, measure your counter top, and cut out a replacement that goes directly over the old top. It costs about $45 per sq. ft. so a three foot long vanity could be resurfaced for $300. For more information, go to www.granitclad.com.

Even if you've only got one weekend's worth of time and a small amount of money, you can turn your bathroom into a stand-out room by Sunday night.

*article from HGTV

Holiday Remodeling Challenge

The Remodeling Challenge

Brace yourself: relatives are coming in for Christmas.  You’d like to welcome them with a comfortable place to stay. But the guest bedroom and attached bathroom are ugly, dark, and unwelcoming: sheet vinyl and laminate counters in the bathroom; worn carpet, dingy paint, and little light in the bedroom. You’ve always meant to remodel this area, and now is a great time. But you’ve only got a budget of $1,500 and two weeks for spiff up this 225 square foot space. What to do?

The Solution to Holiday Remodeling Blues: Planning

The key to a quick and well-designed remodel is planning and preparation. These two things will help you get a fabulous space and keep you on budget. When you save time, you save money. Do most of your interior design planning online, shop for the best prices for product and supplies. I have researched at least three store options for pricing on each of the items listed below, from home improvement and hardware stores, to decorating stores.  I am very confident that with good planning you can accomplish a fabulous, timely remodel that will “wow” your guests and leave you with a great sense of accomplishment.

Tip: Habitat For Humanity Reuse Stores are slowly popping up all over the country. Expect to find jaw-dropping bargains on sinks, counters, flooring, windows, and all the good things that make up a home remodeling project. Learn more about this and other architectural salvage stores.

Saving Money, One Piece at a Time

Finally, the rooms you’ve been waiting to tackle are finished! For the bathroom, get the key pieces (i.e. countertop and floor tiles) first. This will determine the color pallete and your design style. A remnant counter found at a reuse center or building materials outlet is a great way to save money. You can find one made from almost any type of material – including marble, granite and solid surface – for a fraction of the cost of having one fabricated.

Keep in mind that you may need to be flexible on style choices for tiles and fixtures when you are on a short timeline, and therefore must pick materials that are in stock. See if your local tile shop has an outlet center or clearance area. Those are the perfect places to find deals on discontinued tiles for a small area like a bathroom.

Want an Easy Tile to Install?

Mosaic tile (such as a hexagon in 3/4-inches) on 12-inch by 12-inch mesh sheets can cover a small area in a short amount of time. Because the tiles are small, there is often no need for a wet tile saw. Tile snips and a utility knife to cut the mesh should be sufficient.

If the bathroom is small, keeping fixtures on a small scale will help to make the space feel larger. Replacing an outdated faucet and old lighting with new fixtures gives the space instant appeal and is easy to do. You don’t have to be a plumber or electrician to update these simple pieces.
Of course, no bathroom remodel is complete without some finishing touches such as new, plush towels to make your guests feel pampered in their own spa retreat!

Painting the Bathroom

Paint the bedroom and the bathroom before either of the new floors go in. It’s much easier and faster as there is less preparation. I always use blue painter's tape from 3M for my paint jobs. They make it easy to achieve sharp paint lines and are designed for different surface applications, so you can choose the tape best suited to your painting project. As with any part of a remodel, you want your finish to look as if a professional did the job. That’s when your ‘sweat equity’ really pays off.

Choose calm and serene paint colors for the bedroom and bathroom. You want the spaces to blend, as if your guests have their own personal oasis. Use your decorating motif to set the warm tone for the holidays. Plush white bedding in a mix of textures and creamy tones instantly brightens the space and makes it inviting.

To finish off the spaces, don’t forget the lighting! Good lighting can enhance the mood of any room. In addition to overhead lighting, add task lighting, such as a reading light, and ambient lighting, such as a floor lamp. And don’t forget fresh seasonal flowers for both rooms!

The Budget

Bathroom

• Countertop (remnant/reused counter): $120
• Flooring (floor tile and supplies): $250
• Faucet/sink: $110
• Lighting: $45
• Towels/accessories: $75

Bathroom total = $600 Bedroom

• Flooring (new carpet or laminate flooring): $600
• Lighting: $90

Bedroom Total = $690 Paint & supplies for both rooms: $190
Grand Total = $1480

For more great remodeling tips, order your copy of Remodeling Hell today!  

*article from DIY Network's Amy Matthews

Home Safety - Security Doors

Security Doors – Safety and beauty combined

Christmas begins now for burglars and runs through May.  It’s also the best time to discourage those unwanted thieves from stealing our stuff!  Part of the problem is associated with needed security upgrades to patio and exterior doors.  The days are gone when heavy-duty security doors looked like they belonged in the back alley of a warehouse district.  Today’s versions can be as beautiful as your imagination and wallet allow.

Front, Back, Side Doors

Often, high-quality exterior security doors are made of steel, and these manufacturers insist their product is best.  But a leading consumer group says its tests of steel, wood and fiberglass show all three can be effective as security doors.

The consumer organization says results of testing front doors revealed this:  “our tests with a battering ram have shown little difference in strength among door materials.  All eventually failed because the doorjamb split near the lock’s strike plate…”  In other words, the locked and associated hardware failed before the door did.

Before buying any security door, be aware of its warranty, reliability, endurance, security and maintenance.  Also check whether the security door meets secure by design standards.

In summary, quality security doors can be made of several materials, but you cannon skimp on the locks and hardware associated with them.

Screen Doors

There seems to be little argument that security screen doors should be made of steel or very heavy-duty aluminum.  You can use either to keep the bugs out, but steel is harder than aluminum.  So if you’re set on aluminum for security, make sure it’s more than a typical, off-the-shelf model.

Sliding Doors

Exterior sliding glass doors are a burglar’s favorite anyway.  They typically do not have strong locks, and may be able to be lifted out.  As with any security door, sliding doors often provide features, (and cost more), designed specifically to deter thieves.  Some examples: Double security doors to prevent lift out, perforated steel screens, and oversize locks.  One example can be found at: www.ideasiniron.com/patio-security-door

Security Tips:

If you cannot afford significant purchases, here are some low-cost suggestions to make your home more secure:

• ·         Place a wooden dowel or steel pipe along the sliding door track to prevent the door from being opened from the outside.

• ·         Install double key locks in doors that contain glass.  This will keep a burglar from opening the door by breaking the glass and reaching through.

• ·         Place additional locks on all windows and patio doors.  Choose the right locks.  Spending a bit more on locks is recommended.

• ·         Beef up existing window locks by inserting removable eyebolts in holes drilled into the sash where they overlap.

• ·         Illuminate areas around doors, windows, and blind spots.

• ·         Landscape wisely.  Tall foundation plants or high fences can provide cover for criminals. 

Note: For home security windows, try this helpful website http://www.crimedoctor.com/home-security.htm

For more great home remodeling tips and tricks, order your copy of REMODELING HELL today by CLICKING HERE!   

*article from Arizona Interactive Media

Kitchen Safety!

With the holidays quickly approaching, more time is spent in the kitchen than any other time of year!  Did you know that fires have a greater chance of starting in your kitchen than anywhere else in your home?  Avoid a recipe for disaster!  Refresh your memory by reading the article below about how to keep your family and kitchen safe.

Safe Cooking Behaviors 

It is a possibility for serious injury or even death to wear loose clothing (especially hanging sleeves), walk away from a cooking pot on the stove, or leave flammable materials, such as potholders or paper towels, around the stove. Whether you are cooking the family holiday dinner or a snack for the children, practicing safe cooking behaviors will help keep you and your family safe.  

 Watch What You Heat

• The leading cause of fires in the kitchen is unattended cooking.
• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you're cooking.
• Stay alert! To prevent cooking fires, you have to be alert. You won't be if you are sleepy, have been drinking alcohol, or have taken medicine that makes you drowsy.

 Keep Things That Can Catch Fire and Heat Sources Apart

• Keep anything that can catch fire - potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels, or curtains - away from your stove top.
• Keep the stove top, burners, and oven clean.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and nearby counter tops to prevent them from knocking things onto the burner.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire if it comes into contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

 What kind of fire is it?  Where is it? 

• If you have a fire in the oven or the microwave, close the door or keep it closed, and turn off the oven. Don’t open the door! The lack of oxygen will suffocate the flames.
• If your oven continues to smoke like a fire is still going on in there, call the fire department.
• If you have a fire in a cooking pan, use an oven mitt to clap on the lid, then move the pan off the burner, and turn off the stove. The lack of oxygen will stop the flames in a pot.
• If you can’t safely put the lid on a flaming pan or you don’t have a lid for the pan, use your fire extinguisher. Aim at the base of the fire — not the flames.
• Never use water to put out grease fires! Water repels grease and can spread the fire by splattering the grease. Instead, try one of these methods:
  • If the fire is small, cover the pan with a lid and turn off the burner.
  • Throw lots of baking soda or salt on it. Never use flour, which can explode or make the fire worse.
  • Smother the fire with a wet towel or other large wet cloth.
  • Use a fire extinguisher.
• Don’t swat at a fire with a towel, apron, or other clothing. You’re likely to fan the flames and spread the fire.
• If the fire is spreading and you can’t control it, get everyone out of the house and call 911! Make sure everybody in your family knows how to get out of the house safely in case of a fire. Practice your fire escape route.

  Protect Children from Scalds and Burns

• Young children are at high risk of being burned by hot food and liquids. Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a "kid-free zone" of 3 feet (1 meter) around the stove.
• Keep young children at least 3 feet (1 meter) away from any place where hot food or drink is being prepared or carried. Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges.
• When young children are present, use the stove's back burners whenever possible.
• Never hold a child while cooking, drinking, or carrying hot foods or liquids.
• Teach children that hot things burn.
• When children are old enough, teach them to cook safely. Supervise them closely.

Keep safe and happy cooking!  To order a copy of my book Remodeling Hell CLICK HERE  and then click ORDER NOW. 

Care Tips For Stucco Tile

I thought this was a great article to share, especially for those of us in Arizona.  Regular maintenance will prevent the problems that neglect can bring.  Some tips for your stucco-clad house.

1. Efflorescence shows up on stucco after one of our rare soaking rains or in spots where your sprinkler has sprayed water on your house over and over.  To banish or at least blunt the fuzzy white blight, mix a cleaning solution of one part vinegar to five parts water, and scrub it on with a stiff nylon brush.  Rinse all of the vinegar solution off with water.   Still an eyesore?  Use a power washer to remove dirt, loose paint and all signs of efflorescence from the walls.  Prime with an alkali-resistant sealer like Dunn-Edwards Paints' Eff-Stop, designed to help neutralize the efflorescence.  Then cover with 100 percent acrylic paint. Keep moisture away from your freshly primed and painted stucco.  Move your sprinklers away from the house or you'll find yourself with the same problems! 
2. Paint your stucco exterior with good brushes.  You'll see professional painters spray painting homes, but that's not a technique for amateurs.  Take the time to tape off windows and trim with painter's tape so you'll be able to paint in straight lines and get less siding paint on the trim and vise versa.  Expect to pay $15 or $20 for a good, 2.5-inch tapered paint brush.  
3. Use elastomeric caulk, not paint, to fill in small cracks in your stucco walls.  Elastomeric caulk is a better remedy because it has great elasticity, so it will move with cracks if they widen, and it will help prevent water from seeping through the cracks.  Covering an entire wall with elastomeric paint, on the other hand, could make your problem worse.  Elastomeric paint is so watertight that it prevents the walls from "breathing."  So if water does manage to find its way into or behind your walls, it will get trapped there.  That can cause problems like bubbling paint and mold growth.  Use the caulk instead to repair cracks, but touch up the paint using a 100 percent acrylic paint.  
4. Paint stucco at least every five to seven years to keep your home more waterproof.  Stucco alone is not waterproof, yet so many homeowners never or rarely repaint it.  Use a high acrylic paint to ward off problems from internal water damage.

Saltillo-tile tips

1. Saltillo tile is thick and clay based, and its less-than-exact character is one of the things that make it authentic and charming.  Those same natural flaws make the tiles a tad uneven though, so don't be surprised if your table and chairs are a bit wobbly when they're placed on them.  Likewise, most manufacturers do not "rectify" the tiles, which means each piece might be off just a hair from the others.  Susan Hoblit, general manager of Tuscon Commercial Carpet Flooring America, says you'll need more grout between tiles than you would with porcelain tiles.  
2. Seal your porous Saltillo every year to avoid stains from spills, and consider installing it in low traffic areas in your home.  Hoblit, who's company installs tile and not Saltillo steers people away from using Saltillo tiles in kitchens, where most spills and traffic occur.  If your Saltillo patio has a shade cover, seal it with a penetrating sealer.  Keep your sprinklers clear of this tile or you'll be dealing with the same efflorescence that plagues your stucco.
3. If you're removing Saltillo tile from a large room, consider staying elsewhere until the job is done.  When Saltillo tile breaks, it crumbles, and that creates an awful lot of dust.  Ask your contractor to close off the room with plastic and tape. 
4. If you love the look of old Mexico but your bare feet can't tolerate a Saltillo-tile patio that's muy caliente, set your tiles upside down.  The undersides of Saltillo tiles are unglazed and courser than the glazed tops, so they feel cooler to the touch.  
5. And if you love the look but can't bare the thought of maintaining your authentic clay tile, consider using faux Saltillo made from porcelain.  Hoblit notes that Saltillo-look porcelain tiles come in a wider variety of sizes than the real deal - up to 18 by 18 inches - so you can opt for fewer grout lines.  And the porcelain version is level to prevent wobbly furniture, and rectified, so each tile is the same size.  

To purchase your copy of Remodeling Hell click HERE.  

*Article from Rosie Romero via the Arizona Republic rosieonthehouse.com

5 BIG Mistakes Do-It-Yourself-Ers Make!

I ran across an interesting article from the Arizona Republic that I thought would make a great blog post.  The topic is 5 BIG mistakes that do-it-yourself-ers make that can cost you in time, money, frustration, quality of end product, and as the article states, "dirty looks from your spouse."  :)

1. You didn't make a plan!  One of the main reasons do-it-yourself-ers start more jobs than they finish is because they don't realize which materials, how much time, the amount of money, or kind of expertise they really need to finish a job - before they start it.  An example?  You want to turn an unused room into a home theatre.  You think all you need are some comfy chairs, a huge t.v. on the wall, add some DVD's and some speakers and you are good to go.  Did you consider whether or not the room needs sound proofing, or black out drapes, or perhaps path lighting on the floor for people to come and go in the dark?  All are things that could stall a project in progress!
2. You didn't get a city permit!  Maybe you think a do-it-yourself-er can modify their own house without letting the city know, but that isn't always the case.  If you are adding a room or putting in a hot tub or pool, or maybe adding a structure - like a shed- you need a permit.  Even some plumbing and electrical jobs require permits.  If you're messing with a gas or sewer line, you need a permit.  So before you start digging a big hole, or knocking down walls, call the city and let them know your plans.  You should always get the required permits before beginning because it would be awful if you had to dig up everything you did in order to sell your house later, because it doesn't meet code.
3. You're doing a job you don't know how to do!  It's okay to admit that you don't know how to do everything.  You aren't knowledgeable about electricity wiring?  That's okay.  Better you call and pay someone that does know what they are doing as opposed to risking a fire or shock because you are too proud to admit it isn't your area of expertise.  
4. You don't wear safety gear!  You've used your power tools dozens of times without putting on safety goggles or a hard hat and you've never had any problems so you don't need it, right?  Wrong.  The thousands of DIYers that wind up in the emergency room every year after they're injured using their chain saws would disagree with you.  Not to mention since the economy tanked, the number of DIYers visiting the emergency room has sky rocketed because we all need to take care of our own home repairs when possible to save money.  Before you pick up that power tool or even a hammer, make sure the job you are about to do is one you can do safely.  If you aren't sure, hire a pro.  Saving a few bucks, isn't worth a potential hospital visit.  If you are confident that you can do the job yourself, then suit yourself up for it, so if a hammer falls on your head, it won't knock you out!
5. You don't get around to the small stuff!   That air conditioner that's acting up, could leave your family sweltering in the middle of July and cost you thousands of dollars if you ignore it and don't figure out what is going on before it goes out completely.  That dripping faucet isn't really hurting anybody and can wait, but you could end up with a pricey water bill!  Sure those small projects aren't as much fun as the big ones, but letting them go will make those small problems become big ones before you know it.  Fix them while they cost little time and money, and save your weekends and cash for working on the fun stuff.  

 

 For more household tips and tricks, order your copy of REMODELING HELL by clicking HERE now! 

Article credit to Rosie Romero