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Home Improvment Ideas
by: Dan Noyes

There are many home improvement projects that you can carry out to make your home a more comfortable space and to add to its value as property. These home improvement projects include remodeling the basement, kitchen, and bathrooms, and painting both the exteriors and interiors regularly.

Whenever most people think of home improvement projects, they think in terms of doing up the living areas, such as the bedrooms, drawing room, and dining room. However, there is just so much that you can do in a bedroom?maybe add a comfortable bed, a reading lamp, a table or ceiling fan, a bookshelf, and a study table. Most people seldom entertain formally, so areas such as the drawing room and dining room seldom get used. You can, however, put in some comfortable sofas, chairs, end tables, and coffee tables, and put in an expandable dining table, chairs, and breakfront in the dining room. You are most likely to use your kitchen as an area to not only prepare and cook food, and wash utensils and laundry, but also to serve family meals and entertain informally.

You can add electric floor warming systems for kitchens, bathrooms, and basements to make these areas of your home more comfortable. If you waterproof and ventilate your basement and use glass blocks to let in natural light, you can use it as a gym, study, home office, or home entertainment room. You will need to put in an intercom system so that you can not only make and receive calls in the basement, but also keep in touch with other family members.

To make your kitchen a visually appealing space, you can add countertops that complement or match the cabinetry, floor, or walls. Your countertops could be of granite, marble, wood, or stainless steel. To bring in more light into the kitchen, you can place a large ceiling fixture in the center of the kitchen, with track lights near the sink, range, and countertops. You can also use warm colors for the kitchen walls and floor, add recessed lights and dimmers, and highlight your cabinets. You can use tiles, laminates, and hardwoods as flooring. Your cabinets can complement or match the colors used in the walls and flooring. You can even use stained glass panels for kitchen cabinets.

To make your bathroom a truly relaxing space, you can always add a steam shower, a body spa, or a comfortable bathtub where you can soak for hours and allow the tensions of the day to flow away from you. See that your bathroom is well-lit. If you are interested in chromatherapy, you will find several products, such as bathtubs, shower systems, and sinks, which feature chromatherapy options. You can also install multiple showerheads and a waterfall in the bathroom to get a spa-like experience. You can also include a large bathtub, fog-free mirrors, and a towel warmer for more comfort. The tiles and walls in your bathroom should be in warm colors. You can also put plants and pictures in the bathroom to give a lived-in feel, and replace the sink sunk in a counter top with a pedestal sink. Nowadays, sinks come in a variety of materials, such as glass, stainless steel, stone, and copper?you can select a material that suits you. Your vanity cabinet could be of stone, wood, or glass. You can select from a wide variety of faucets, including single-hole and single-lever, widespread, centerset, and wall-mounted faucets.

At Total Remodeling ( http://www.totalremodeling.com ), we can help you with home improvement ideas and projects. We can improve your home in line with modern trends, thus adding to its comfort and value.

About The Author

Dan Noyes
http://www.totalremodeling.com
skathuria@mosaic-service.com

Spring Chores at the Cabin
By Elly Kendall

Whether you live in your cabin year round or it’s been
closed up for the winter, it’s time for spring cleaning.
It’s hard to get motivated. We’d all rather be out playing
in the sun and enjoying the spring after the long cold
winter. I thought I would share my “to do” list and some
helpful tips to get you started so we can both get the
chores done.

I like to start with my fireplace. Hiring a local chimney
sweep is not always possible in very rural areas such as we
live. I have a heavy 25′ chain that works very well. From
the roof I remove the spark arrester then slowly drop one
end of the chain down the chimney, holding onto the other
end. Slowly rotate the chain so it rubs firmly against the
inside of the chimney. Keep swirling the chain for several
minutes, pull out the chain, clean the spark arrester with
a soft brush and replace the arrester. Keep in mind 2
things: 1. make sure the pitch of your roof is safe to
stand on and 2. Your chimney must be straight with no
elbows for this technique to work. If the pipe has an elbow
use the chain technique then disconnect the pipe at the
elbow to clean it with a wire brush and remove the ash and
pitch. Reattach the pipe. All that’s left is to clean the
inside of the fireplace or wood stove, remove all the ash
and pitch residue that has dropped from the chimney
cleaning. I use oven cleaner, a Teflon scrubby then window
cleaner on the heat tempered glass when the pitch has built
up that awful amber film. My wood stove gets a new coat of
black stove polish too.

Now that the fireplace and wood stove are clean and all
the ash has settled I dust and vacuum the entire cabin
thoroughly. I use lemon oil on my log walls and a small pan
of water stays on my wood stove to put some moisture back
into the dry air from wood heat. Next I tackle the windows.

Okay, so everyone knows how to clean the windows but don’t
forget the window runners, check for any leaking that may
have occurred during the winter and clean all the window
treatments. Drapes, curtains, louvered blinds, cornices,
screens and sunscreens all get a thorough cleaning. It’s a
good days work just on windows but it’s worth it as I love
to open my blinds and enjoy the beautiful spring sunshine
and blooming flowers.

Something I always do as part of my spring cleaning is bug
control. Our local feed store sells a battery operated fly
spray dispenser. Every spring and fall I change batteries
and replace the canister as needed. We still have open
range in parts of Arizona and when the cattle come in they
bring flies right along with them. I have found the fly
spray dispenser helps a great deal and it has a fresh scent
as well. I have one by my front door and one by the back
door which helps keep them out of my cabin. Spraying pest
spray inside and out is a must. Hire a pest control company
or do it yourself but do spray.

A very important part of my spring chores is outside! All
dry material is hauled to the dump. Keeping weeds, leaves,
pine needles and grasses under control is very important to
help keep your cabin safer against forest fires and helps
keep snakes and small varmints away from the cabin too. We
also keep trees away from the cabin for the same reason.
This is also a good time to check all the fire
extinguishers and have them recharged if necessary. Make
sure your garden hose is in good shape and attached to the
outside spigot. Yes, I am forest fire paranoid! I have a
log home with all wood heat in the middle of the forest;
fire safety is always on my mind.

My husband doesn’t get out of spring chores either. Tuning
up the chain saw, boat and quads are on his list as well as
outside furniture cleaning and the grill but I keep finding
him admiring his fishing poles. “Don’t let spring fever
sidetrack your chores, get the work out of the way!” As I
throw out my dusting cloth and bait up my hook ready for
friends and family to enjoy spring at our cabin.

Elly Kendall resides in Arizona and writes for Log Cabin
Fever Gifts & Decor http://cabinfevergifts.com. Stop by to
enter our Free Gift Drawing! You are welcome to share this
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