Among the top home maintenance items that are overlooked is garage door maintenance. It’s one of those things we assume will work forever or smoothly until our neighbors start waking up to the squeaking, creaking, and squealing every time we come home late! So, here are five simple steps to ensure your garage doors stay operating smoothly (and quietly).
The whole process, which experts recommend to do monthly, should only take a few minutes, and it’ll help ensure that our garage doors stay in good working condition for a long time.
We found that applying the 3-IN-ONE Garage Door Lube (Home Depot, $6) made everything noticeable quieter as soon as it was applied, which is a win all around.
You might be gazing out at your backyard and thinking it’s seen better days. Sure, the past year was tough on all of us—and even your backyard may be showing battle wounds.
But does fixing up your outdoor space really need to be a big financial commitment?
The American Society of Landscape Architects recommends homeowners budget the cost of a major landscaping project at 5% to 10% of the value of their home. And if you have that much to spend, god bless. But whether it’s a whole outside concept or a revamp of the patio, renovating your yard doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or be too time-consuming.
To get started, use these clever design tricks to transform your basic yard and make it look like you had it professionally done.
1. Define your spaces
“Cleary defined spaces in your backyard will give your yard dimension and purpose,” says Matt Blashaw, TV host and licensed contractor. “This is why designing a yard is so hard to do for some people. In a home, the spaces are already defined for you, but outside you have to organize those spaces and add all of the features.”
For example, define an outdoor sitting area by gathering a few all-weather chairs, facing them inward. Add an outdoor coffee table in the middle.
Blashaw says he also likes to use an outdoor area rug under a dining table and chairs to define the space and add color and texture to the yard.
Clearly defining an outdoor kitchen space doesn’t have to break the bank either.
“Place a kitchen cart topped with butcher block behind the chef to add more workspace and perfectly define your outdoor kitchen,” he says.
“I love bringing old brick or stone pathways that have been overrun by weeds back to life,” says Blashaw.
He uses Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer ($8, Home Depot) to eliminate weeds in between bricks and stones and breathe life cost-effectively into walkways.
You can also lay a new path with gravel, pavers, or concrete slabs.
“One of my favorite pathways is made from a decomposed granite mix with polymeric sand,” says Blashaw. “Create the pathway by installing thick lawn bender board, add the decomposed granite, compact with either a hand tamper or plate compactor, then lightly mist with a water. In a few hours the surface will harden giving you a very solid surface.”
3. Add some paint
Consider painting the back of your house a different color than the other three sides.
“Painting the back of the house has been one of my most cost-effective backyard renovation tricks for many years. Sometimes it takes me a little while to convince a homeowner to do it, but when they do, it makes an instant impact to the yard,” says Blashaw.
He recommends imagining the back of your house as an accent wall for the house. Choose a wall color that coordinates with the rest of the house’s exterior color scheme. And be sure to take into account the landscaping in your yard so you don’t clash. For example, a back wall painted green in a yard with heavy foliage will get lost.
“A lighter color will brighten a space and make your existing backyard elements stand out,” Blashaw says.
4. Think vertically
Chiminea (Terrain)
Switch up your perspective and add some vertical elements to your backyard.
If your backyard has a large, flat lawn, add some dimension by bringing in a colorful glazed pot with some colorful annuals planted inside, Blashaw says. “This will give you color even during the winter.”
You can also add a birdbath ($125, CB2), a geometric chiminea ($528, Terrain), a trio of planters ($129+, Frontgate), or a hanging garden wall ($24.95, Amazon).
5. Mulch it up
By laying like-colored mulch on all flowerbeds and exposed soil in your backyard, you can give your space a finished, unified look, experts say.
“Adding mulch to your garden beds is one of the most important things you can do for the health of your plants and soil,” says Aaron Lynn-Vogel, horticulture answer service coordinator for the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Lynn-Vogel says several studies have shown that mulching can conserve water, reduce weeds, prevent soil compaction, and increase soil fertility.
“I describe mulch as ‘the paint of landscape.’ It’s a very inexpensive way to make your planter look brand-new,” says Blashaw. “I personally love a good cedar mulch. It lasts longer, has amazing color, and it smells great.”
Hummingbirds have long been considered a symbol of joy and happiness and are said to bring good luck and positive energy to those who encounter them. So why not keep the good vibes going by creating a hummingbird hangout in your garden that can ensure these beautiful creatures return year after year?
“Adding a hummingbird-friendly spot in your garden, with a foundation of native plants, is an amazing way to support local wildlife and the broader natural environment,” says David Bryant, manager of campaigns and engagement at California Native Plant Society. “You’ll be rewarded with gorgeous floral displays, the beauty of these winged visitors, and a deeper sense of connection to the place you call home.”
Building a haven for hummingbirds is not as complicated as it sounds. By providing the basics like water, shelter, and colorful flowers, “you will be rewarded with the company of these wonderful wild birds,” says David Salman, chief horticulturist for High Country Gardens.
To begin, experts at Wilson Bros Gardens suggest creating a curved, narrow flower bed in an open area so that hummingbirds will have access to the flowering blooms from all sides. They also suggest planting your hummingbird garden near a deck, patio, or porch, or outside a window.
Here are a few other steps to take to bring the hummingbirds to you.
Pick a variety of plants and flowers
To help support the full life cycle of hummingbirds, experts recommend planting native flowering plants, vines, shrubs, and trees.
“Native plants like trumpet honeysuckle, bee balm, and hummingbird sage are just a few of the nectar-providing options that hummingbirds are attracted to,” says John Rowden, senior director for bird-friendly communities at the National Audubon Society.
Gardeners can use Audubon’s native plants database to find what plants are best for their local area.
“If you have space, it’s ideal to provide a variety of plants. Grouping similar plants together and choosing species with different blooming periods will help ensure that there is a steady supply of flowers and nectar,” says Rowden. “If done deliberately, you can support hummingbirds year-round—if you’re lucky enough to have them throughout the year.”
Katrina Godshalk for High Country Gardens says nectar-rich perennials are a good choice to plant in your hummingbird garden. She also endorses the practice of organic gardening methods, which can eliminate and restrict the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides.
Cultivate a natural ecosystem with insects
Hummers love sipping flower nectar, but did you know they eat insects, too?
An important part of an adult hummingbird’s diet is small spiders and insects, says Rowden, “and young hummingbirds still in the nest are almost exclusively fed on those protein-rich foods.”
To encourage spiders and insects in your hummingbird garden, Rowden says to make sure your yard has insect-pollinated flowers, hummingbird-pollinated plants, and native plants.
Provide a perch
Hummingbirds like their perches and spend up to 80% of the day sitting on one.
Salman says conifers, shade trees, and taller shrubs can create a sheltered perch “where the hummingbirds can rest, build nests, and safely survey their garden domain.”
“Leaving some sticks and small branches on bushes and trees will provide perches for hummingbirds,” says Rowden. He says it’s also important to place some in more sheltered spots hidden from the view of predators.
“Hummingbirds use bits of spider web, insect cocoons, and other lacy material to construct their nests,” says Bryant. “Be sure to leave some cobwebs in the nooks of tree branches and shrubs for hummingbirds to utilize.”
Gardeners can place bunches of dryer lint in the branches for nest-building.
A water feature with a splashing fountain or dripper will also get the attention of hummingbirds.
“Hummingbirds like to bathe frequently—even in the pools of droplets that collect on leaves,” says Rowden. “Provide a constant source of water in your yard.”
Hummingbirds prefer water sources that drip or spray, Salman says—such as a fountain with multiple tiers that drip or a very low–volume mist nozzle attached to a branch or tree trunk. Make sure to put the mist nozzle or fountain in the open, “away from hiding spots where cats can hide and ambush the birds,” he says.
Consider feeder placement
Get ready to bird-watch once you hang a feeder! But remember, the location of the feeder is very important.
“Hummingbirds are territorial and will protect their nectar sources. Hang several feeders far enough apart that the hummingbirds cannot see one another; this will prevent one bird from dominating the rest,” says Rowden.
He also recommends hanging feeders in the shade to prevent the nectar from spoiling quickly. He notes that cleanliness is important with feeders, too.
“Be sure to change the nectar regularly, every few days,” says Rowden. “If it gets cloudy, it is spoiled.”
Clean feeders with a solution of one part white vinegar to four parts water about once a week, and rinse the feeder with warm water three times before refilling it.
Anayat Durrani is a freelance education reporter for U.S. News and World Report. Her work has been featured in Military Officer, California Lawyer, the American Scholar, and PracticeLink magazines.
Moving is the perfect opportunity to declutter, jettisoning the dead weight of your unneeded stuff before you haul it into your new home.
Yet while the very best time to cut your losses is before you pack your things, unpacking is another prime opportunity to edit your belongings, too.
It could easily come in handy, especially if you packed in a frenzy, without fully considering what to keep or toss, or if you hired movers to pack up everything for you.
So if you’re ready to wipe the slate clean, here’s how to declutter while unpacking—and how this strategy helped with my own most recent move.
Unpack room by room, starting with the essentials
“Don’t unpack a little bit here or a little bit there,” says Megan Ludvinsky, a professional organizer and owner of About Space in Little Rock, AR. “It’s much better to have one room fully unpacked than three rooms a quarter of the way unpacked.”
Ludvinsky recommends starting with essential items, like bedding, toiletries, medications, a coffeemaker, or whatever else you need for the first day in a new place. Pack these in a way that you can find them easily.
Keep purging as you unpack
Even if you thought you did a lot of sifting as you were packing, you’re sure to find more that you don’t need or want as you unpack.
“You definitely want to kind of ruthlessly edit everything that’s coming out of the box,” Ludvinsky says.
She suggests setting aside some empty boxes and tossing in items you don’t want, before you put them away. Then, take them to a donation center.
This tactic worked wonders for me in a recent move: As we were unpacking, my husband and I found several things that we realized that we no longer wanted or that didn’t work in our new home, so we donated them before they took up permanent residence.
Separate items by general category, then zero in
When unpacking, work “macro and go to micro,” Ludvinsky recommends.
In other words, group like items together, think about where they should go, and put them in a tentative place.
“They don’t have to be arranged in a beautiful manner yet. You just want to get all your plates together and cups and glasses together, and so on,” Ludvinsky says.
This helps the unpacking take shape, and gets all the boxes out of the way, so you can get a sense of living with the items in those spots. As you put things where you think you want them, don’t feel that the spot has to be permanent. It’s OK to change it up if it’s not working.
“Then you really start to hone in on the micro,” Ludvinsky suggests, like putting silverware in the silverware tray or arranging dishes in a logical way.
This was a key stage of the unpacking process for us. We randomly hung our clothes in closets and dumped boxes of shoes on the closet floor to get them out of the way.
Later, I fine-tuned everything, hanging dresses with dresses and sweaters together, and bought boxes to organize the shelves in the closet.
I grouped types of clothing together and added shoe drawers and bins to the shelves, so that I can see everything. (Erica Sweeney)
In the kitchen, we tossed pots, pans, spatulas, and wooden spoons in the cupboards and drawers near the stove. Once we decided the items were staying put, we added cork liners and trays to the drawers and arranged the cabinets definitively, so we could easily grab what we needed.
Use organizers to cut clutter
After you’ve found a home for all your items, it’s time to get sort everything out for good. Examine each closet, cupboard and drawer to size up what kinds of trays, boxes, or other tools can help make things easier to access visually.
“It’s going to just look neater and make your whole area much more cohesive,” says Ludvinsky, explaining that adding organizational tools is part of the “micro” stage of organizing and unpacking.
She also suggests getting trays and boxes that match, if possible.
We spent a small fortune on trays, bins and other organizers, but it was worth every cent. The organizers designate a place for everything, so that it can easily be returned there. More than a year later, this has kept the spaces from becoming junky.
We added a tray like this to every drawer in the kitchen, to keep things from getting cluttered. (Erica Sweeney)
Put things back where they go
To get everyone used to where different items live, Ludvinsky recommends sticking a note to the outside of a cabinet or drawer, listing its contents. Leaving them in place for a couple of weeks will help everyone to remember both where things go and to put them away in the right place.
Giving everything its own spot and always returning an item to that spot are essential for a clutter-free home.
“It prevents things like a colander from ending up with the dinner plates, and also helps family members develop automatic responses to finding and storing necessities,” Ludvinsky says.
We didn’t label our cupboards after unpacking, but it would have been a big help in getting used to where things go. Labeling would have made tasks like unloading the dishwasher and putting away laundry a little easier after we just moved in.
Bins keep the contents of the pantry fairly neat and orderly. (Erica Sweeney )
4th of July Festivities
From festivals and fireworks to Independence Day parades, here are the best 4th of July events for your entire family.
** Due to possible last minute changes to times & locations to the events below, we encourage you to click on the link of the event holder (or contact the host city) to get the most updated information.
When it comes to summer activities swimming is on the top of our list. Because of this, it is extremely important to us that children understand the basics of water safety and are able to follow the basic water safety rules. With a little pre-planning and education, it is entirely possible to keep kids (and their friends) safe and enjoying the pool, season after season!
Fun & Educational Video
We found this short (12 min), engaging and age-appropriate YouTube video that teaches kids how to be “Water Safety Smart.” Who can say no to Disney’s comedy duo, Timon and Pumbaa?? Watch it with the whole family!
Don’t have a pool to enjoy?
Here’s some ideas as well as our new favorite site swimply.com if you’re looking to rent a private pool for your next event or to beat the summer heat. One of our team members just hosted a birthday party at a swimply.com pool and had a memorable time with her family.
Private pool alternatives:
Community and City pools
Beaches and lakes
Water parks and water slides
Staycation at a hotel pool
Get a kiddie pool or Slip-n-Slide
Wherever you end up to stay cool this summer, we hope you have an enjoyable one!
Although possessing several benefits to their top-loading siblings, keeping these front loaders smelling clean and free of mildew isn’t one of them. Front loading washing machines are notoriously hard to keep clean. Mold, mildew, laundry soap buildup and funky smells are at the top of everyone’s complaint list. If you haven’t done it yet, IT’S HIGH TIME to clean your front load washer.
You’ll learn how to clean your washing machine the quick & easy way, using household products you already have at home! Cleaning your washing machine will help improve the performance of your washer while removing gunk, odors, mold and mildew.
For FRONT LOAD washing machines:
Add 2 cups (one full box) of baking soda in the washing machine.
Run the longest and hottest cycle possible.
Add 2 cups of white vinegar (with 5-10 drops of lavender essential oil) to the washing machine.
Run the longest and hottest cycle possible.
For TOP LOAD washers:
Fill your washer with hot water.
Add 1 quart (32 oz, or 1 liter) of chlorine bleach to the water.
Start the highest, largest capacity cycle and let it run for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, stop the cycle and let the mixture soak for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, restart the cycle and let it finish.
Restart steps 1 to 5 but with 1 quart of white vinegar (32 oz, or 1 liter).
If you follow these quick and easy steps, your washing machine will thank you and your clothes will smell much better! Plus you’ll lower the risks of getting mold and mildew that could have harmful effects on your family’s health!
? Congratulations to Christine Almarines and the Team at CA Real Estate Group! In 2020, this team was a top team in multiple categories at @kellerwilliamsahyl:
NUMBER 1 in Closed Volume and GCI
NUMBER 2 in Closed Units and Listings Taken
We truly accomplished this by working together and leaning on each other and with the amazing support of wonderful Clients — both past and present, Family, and Friends! ❤️
Thank you for supporting @carealestategroup in 2020 and we look forward to serving all of your future real estate needs!
Broken window? You may not need a full frame window replacement. In fact, replacing your entire window could cost you up to 50% more than simply replacing the glass. Are you a candidate?
GREAT RESOURCE ▶️▶️▶️ The pros at GLASSDOCTOR.COM will help you decide if Strategic Glass Replacement is the best option for you. Also find them on ?YouTube.com? at “Glass Doctor” to view all their great DIY tips and hacks to maintain every glass and window in your home and vehicles.
For more home maintenance tips and for all things home and family, follow us @carealestategroup
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