The walls will need to be clean and dry and, most importantly, oil free. The first thing you will need to do is lightly sand any imperfections that you see, but make sure that there is no lead paint on the wall. You don’t want to sand a wall and release any dust filled lead into your home.

Make any repairs necessary. Check to make sure there are no small cracks or missing plaster. Small holes and cracks can be easily filled in with a spackling compound that you can find at Home Depot or Lowes. It’s relatively inexpensive.

After you make any repairs that are needed, wipe the walls down with a clean, damp cloth to remove any debris. Let the walls dry thoroughly before starting your painting project. Paint will not adhere to dirty or oily walls, so make sure that they are clean.

Prepare your room by using a painter tape such as 3M blue tape. Tape all areas that you don’t want the paint to touch like the baseboards, window trim, etc. Remove all electrical outlet and light switch covers for a neater job. Cover all furniture and carpeting with a drop cloth or plastic to protect it.

Preparing the walls, furniture and carpeting can be a tiresome task, but it will make for a nicer, cleaner look when you finish painting.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

Professional carpet installers like to get in and out of your house as quickly as they can. Installing a new carpet is a process better left for the professional, but removing the carpet isn’t quite as hard.

You will need to have a utility knife, a hammer and crowbar, a flathead screwdriver, sturdy scissors and a heavy pair of gloves. The first thing you will need to do is move all of the furniture to another room, someplace where it can stay for a few days.

The nail strips that hold the carpet in place are usually nailed into the floor, so you will need to use the flathead screwdriver and a hammer to pry up the strips. If the screwdriver doesn’t work, then you’ll need to use a crowbar.

Make sure you use gloves when handling these strips, since they have tiny tack in them and are very sharp. Use a screwdriver to help you lift the carpet and padding, starting at a corner. Rip the carpet up in large pieces. There may be a few spots where it sticks, you’ll need to use a utility knife to slice these spots.

Be sure to roll the strips of carpet and padding and tie them up for easy clean up. When you finish, all that should be left on the floor are a few tack that can be removed with a small pair of pliers.

This is one way to save money and do it yourself.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Kathy Zengolewicz

The first thing you need to do is to stop any leaks or seepage from you basement floor or walls. Seepage can be caused by any cracks in your cement, the house settling may be a cause and any water pressure that may have built up outside and is forcing the water through the walls.

If there are leaks or crack, those have to be repaired before waterproofing. You can fill any hairline cracks with the waterproofing mixture. Any cracks larger than about 1/8” need to repaired first before taking further steps.

There are epoxy and latex cement mixes for repairing small jobs. For any bigger cracks consider using a mortar mix to fill in the holes and cracks. If outside pressure is forcing water through the wall, you may want to consult a professional.

If there are no cracks in the walls or floor then you can start to apply a waterproofing compound directly to the walls. To apply the coating use a stiff brush and circular motions. Take you time and fill every pore in the wall.

Apply the coating to the bottom first, to the top and then back to the bottom applying additional layers. When the coating is dry, soak it thoroughly with water and let it set overnight. Wet it down thoroughly again and apply a second coat of waterproofing mixture while the wall is wet. Use the same techniques for brushing on the second coat that you did for the first.

Always use two coats when waterproofing. One coat will not seal the area adequately enough.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Hello all! Lou Manfredini here, Ace’s “Helpful Hardware Man.” I’m excited to share some easy tips on adding curb appeal to your home this summer. Keeping the outside of your home looking great has two purposes: you’re able to see a home you’re proud of every day and it increases your home’s overall value.

One of the most important things you’ll want to do is to keep your home’s exterior paint and caulking in tip-top shape. If you have a painted home and there are areas that could use some TLC, follow this advice:

• Scrape off any loose paint and sand the areas to feather the edges of the scraped paint to the rest of the surface.
• Spot prime the areas with a good exterior, stain-killing primer like Ace Stain Halt, which is low-VOC and easy to apply and clean up.
• Finally, repaint the siding with a satin finish exterior paint to repel moisture.

If the front door is looking a little shabby, consider repainting that as well. After all, it is the first thing people see when walking up to your home. To make your door shine, follow these simple steps:

• Start by using a sanding sponge to level off the old finish of the painted surface.
• Next, prime the entire surface with a durable primer like Ace Stain Halt. It is easy to apply, cost-effective and clean up is a breeze – all you need is soap and water.
• Once the door is fully dry, lightly sand the door before applying at least two coats of a high-quality exterior paint in a semi-gloss finish. Choose a color that complements your home and be sure to use a really good brush – it does make a difference.

Finally, finish off your entryway with new accessories. Replace door handles, doorknockers and house numbers with shiny new versions or simply paint your old ones to get that “brand-new” look. These small changes can really make a big splash!

How have you added curb appeal to your home?

image (c) Karen Weideman

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Better Homes & Gardens always has great do-it-yourself projects and home improvement ideas.  BHG has step by step instructions on how to upholster a headboard.

To make this headboard you’ll need plywood, foam, and about 7 yards of fabric.  Check out BHG’s step by step instructions.

image from Better Homes & Gardens

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Michael Moloney is one of the members of the design team that worked on the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition house for the Nickless family in Holt, Michigan last week.

Michael started out in the fashion industry. In 1990, he started to apply his unique and luxurious design concepts to homes. He combines a modern style with practicality and vintage charm. Michael has opened two home design stores in the Los Angeles area. He has worked with various celebrities, as well as the Walt Disney Company and the NFL.

Michael’s TV credits include Good Morning America, The View, Entertainment Tonight, Designers’ Challenge, Fashion Wrap, Access Hollywood and more. This season is Michael’s sixth with the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This year, he hopes to incorporate more ‘green’ elements into his design.

“This show is truly amazing in that it gives people hope and a new lease on life. I am so grateful to be part of something so special. My job as a designer is to make each home reflect these families’ personalities and lifestyles. It is so rewarding for me to use my design skills to make dreams come true for them,” he says.

Michael’s bio provided by ABC. Image from personal collection, M.Macalincag, ©2008. Do not use without permission.

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images from personal collection M. Macalincag, ©2008. Do not use without permission.

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Today was the day! At the site of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition in Holt, the crowd was huge, excitement filled the air, shouts of “Move that bus!” rang periodically. And then the Nickless family got to see their new home for the first time!

Arlene Nickless and her young sons Aaron, 11, Noah, 9, and Andrew, 7, returned from their show-sponsored vacation at Walt Disney World to a 3,300 square-foot, 4-bedroom house where their crumbling 1860s home once stood. Builder Mayberry Homes, area contractors and suppliers, Michigan State University and hundreds of volunteers came together for 1 week to do this for them.

I stood in the crowd for hours, watching the show’s production team direct the crowd and film segments for the show. Volunteers finished up the last little details in the home, including unloading and arranging furniture, setting up accessories for the interior designers, and sprucing up the yard and driveway. Meanwhile, the watching crowd was coached and filmed to clap and shout “Move that bus!” several times. Appearances by the show’s design team, Ty Pennington, Michael Moloney, Paige Hemmis, Rib Hillis and Ed Sanders, drew some of the loudest cheers.

Arlene’s family was gathered at a special area right across the street from the home. They’ve witnessed the project from the beginning, interacted with the volunteers and enjoyed watching the house go up day by day. They gathered in full force today to welcome Arlene and her young sons home.

“I’m gonna tell her (Arlene) how much I’ve missed her”, said Blake Engstrand, 22, one of Arlene older sons. “And how exciting it’s been to be able to see all these people come out and contribute and be a part of this. And, just tell her that it’s a new beginning and that we’re ready for all this to settle down, and we’re just ready to live our lives the best that we can.”

Roger Conley in front of the house earlier this week

Arlene’s father, Roger Conley, 69, of Warsaw, Indiana, also had some special words for his daughter as the family anticipated the big reveal.

“Honey, you know we haven’t always agreed. But I still love you, you know that. And I’ve been through a lot, some which you’d gone to, and my best advice: I know I’ve learned to look up, turn everything over to the Lord, relax in Him and really enjoy what has been given to you here, which is amazing.

“So, honey, you know I’m here for you. And the Lord is always there for you. So just look up and enjoy the greatest thing that could ever happen to you.”

When the limousine carrying the family came into sight at around 4:00 p.m., the hooting and hollering really ramped up. The Nickless family got off the limo, waving to the cheering crowd. They  were briefed by Ty about what they needed to do. The crew filmed them shouting “Driver, move that bus!” a few times, before the driver actually moved the big bus that was blocking their view of the home.

They walked up the driveway slowly, taking everything in. When they finally got the chance to go to the front door, they ran! I’m looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces, when the show airs in 4-6 weeks. Oh, to be a fly on the wall of their home!

I took lots of photos today, and I’ll be posting them right here on this blog for you to enjoy. Lots of goodies for the fans of the design team.

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Today, this was what I saw:

24 hours after demolition, there’s an actual house standing on the site!

It was a hive of frenetic activity; there were people doing something or other everywhere. There were more volunteers, more spectators, more trucks and buses coming and going.

(10-01-08 Update) Schedules: Spectators are welcome to visit the site. Shuttles will be available on Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., from the K-Mart parking lot on South Cedar St. On Friday, the shuttles will run from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ‘Move the Bus’ is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Spectators are urged to get to the site hours before the 2 p.m. reveal. “Up to 6,000 people are expected” according to this LSJ article.

images from personal collection

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Volunteers, coordinated by Mayberry Homes, arrived to help with packing up the family’s belongings. Boxes and boxes were taken out of the house. Part of being on this show is that the entire house is emptied. Some of the items may be retained and integrated with the new things that the crew will bring in. They are even having all the family’s clothes taken out and professionally cleaned!

It was a pretty quiet day at the site today. As you’ll see from these photos, not all volunteers for this show need to be skilled at carpentry or other house-building jobs. A few of the volunteers started out by simply bringing in boxes to be filled up:

I saw a couple of volunteers tossing pillows into the giant dumpster out on the street:

Professional moving teams were on hand to load filled boxes onto trucks:

Off on another area (across the street, to be precise), the show’s production crew had their own jobs. This is one presumably the tent where custom furniture and fixtures for the house are going to be put together.

Tomorrow is demolition day!

(10-01-08 Update) Schedules: Spectators are welcome to visit the site. Shuttles will be available on Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., from the K-Mart parking lot on South Cedar St. On Friday, the shuttles will run from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ‘Move the Bus’ is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Spectators are urged to get to the site hours before the 2 p.m. reveal. “Up to 6,000 people are expected” according to this LSJ article.

images from personal collection

Post from: Keeping the Castle