The Daily Item's 2016 Summer Home Improvement Edition featuring tips to improve your home and yard.
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www.dailyitem.com FRIDAY June 17, 2016 The Da i ly I tem G G O PLAY P L A AY At SUN Orthopaedics of Evangelical, we explore ever y treatment option – from simple braces to the most advanced surgical techniques. And, we support you through the entire healing process, making sure you’re back to being a warrior ever y weekend. we’ll be there for you. Our sports medicine team understands how important movement is to your lif e. 1-800-598-5096 OFFICES IN LEWISBURG, SELINSGROVE, ELYSBURG, AND WILLIAMSPORT 1430534482 Summer Adding some curb appeal If you’re looking to make your property be the envy of the neighborhood, here are some tips from a local landscaper to get amateurs started. Derek Baralt, the nursery manager at Hawk’s Landscaping & Nursery in Selin- sgrove, said one of the biggest pieces of advice he can offer is to have a “four season interest.” “Have flowers that bloom in the spring, summer and fall, and in the winter, you want evergreens there,” Baralt said. “You want a constant change of color. Some people like to keep their grass up in the winter and then cut it in the early spring.” Also, keep it simple, he said. “Don’t have a bunch of flowers in there,” he said. “Have a big massing of one color, maybe purple, and then a little bit of color, maybe yellow. I love that color combination. It’s really about keeping it simple. When you have different colors and changes, it’s too complex on the eyes.” It’s also not all about plants, Baralt said. “You can use boulders in the garden,” he said. “A 3-by-3-foot boulder is a good size.” Don’t forget to weed, he added. “Anything growing where you don’t want to be growing is a weed,” Baralt said. “It’s based more on your landscape plan.” Diversity, simplicity are key to sprucing up your yard By Justin Strawser The Daily Item Please see YARD, Page E3 Justin Engle/The Daily Item Derek Baralt, nursery manager at Hawk's Landscpaing and Nursery waters flowers on Friday afternoon in Selinsgrove.
Transcript
www.dailyitem.comFRIDAY June 17, 2016
The Daily Item
GGOPL AYPL AYAY
At SUN Orthopaedics of Evangelical, we explore every
treatment option – from simple braces to the most
advanced surgical techniques. And, we support you
through the entire healing process, making sure
you’re back to being a warrior every weekend.
we’ll be there for you.
Our sports medicine team understandshow important movement is to your life.
1-800-598-5096 OFFICES IN LEWISBURG, SELINSGROVE,
ELYSBURG, AND WILLIAMSPORT1430534482
SummerAdding some curb appeal
If you’re looking to make your property be the envy of the neighborhood, here are some tips from a local landscaper to get amateurs started.
Derek Baralt, the nursery manager at Hawk’s Landscaping & Nursery in Selin-sgrove, said one of the biggest pieces of advice he can offer is to have a “four season
interest.”“Have flowers that bloom in the spring,
summer and fall, and in the winter, you want evergreens there,” Baralt said. “You want a constant change of color. Some people like to keep their grass up in the winter and then cut it in the early spring.”
Also, keep it simple, he said.“Don’t have a bunch of flowers in there,”
he said. “Have a big massing of one color, maybe purple, and then a little bit of color, maybe yellow. I love that color combination.
It’s really about keeping it simple. When you have different colors and changes, it’s too complex on the eyes.”
It’s also not all about plants, Baralt said.“You can use boulders in the garden,” he
said. “A 3-by-3-foot boulder is a good size.”Don’t forget to weed, he added.“Anything growing where you don’t want
to be growing is a weed,” Baralt said. “It’s based more on your landscape plan.”
Diversity, simplicity are key to sprucing up your yardBy Justin StrawserThe Daily Item
Please see YARD, Page E3
Justin Engle/The Daily ItemDerek Baralt, nursery manager at Hawk's Landscpaing and Nursery waters flowers on Friday afternoon in Selinsgrove.
Page E2 The Daily Item / The Danville News / The Weekly Item / Friday, June 17, 2016
Homeowners know that maintaining a home can be a year-round job. No home is immune to wear and tear, and homeowners who want to protect their real estate invest-ments should try to stay two steps ahead to ensure their homes do not succumb to the elements or become outdated and unappealing to prospec-tive buyers.
Fall has become a season that’s synonymous with home improvement, but homeown-ers need not wait until the leaves begin changing colors to start planning their next projects. The following are a few items homeowners can add to their fall home improvement to-do lists.
Roof inspectionLess precipitation tends
to fall during the warmer months than during the late fall and winter. As a result, homeowners may not be aware of leaky roofs until au-tumn has come and gone. But waiting until winter to inspect the roof can prove disastrous, as weather conditions will not be conducive to inspec-tion and increased precipita-tion may result in potentially costly damage.
Leaky roofs can be easily identified by looking for water stains on interior ceil-ings. Once you see a stain, you can climb onto the roof to identify the location of the leak and fix it before winter rains and snowfall turn the problem into something much larger.
Inspect your ceilings for signs of leaking after a strong rainfall, and then address any leaks immediately.
Gutter cleaningWhile some homeowners
prefer to delay their gutter cleaning projects until late fall, those whose homes are surrounded by trees may need to schedule two such projects.
Gutters clogged with leaves and other debris can cause serious roof damage, and that damage can extend all the way inside a home. In addi-tion, clogged gutters make great nesting areas for insects or critters.
Always stand on a ladder when cleaning gutters, wear-ing gloves to remove items by hand and dropping leaves and debris into a trash can below. Standing on the roof and leaning over gutters greatly increases your risk of injury. If the gutters are clear when you first examine them in early fall, you can wait until later in the season to give them a complete and thorough cleaning.
Once you have finished clearing the gutters, you can use a hose to run water through them and the down-spouts to confirm everything is functioning properly.
Window and doorway inspection
Before temperatures start dropping once again, home-owners will want to inspect their windows and doorways for leaks. Over time, cracks can develop around windows and doorways, and while such cracks are rarely noticeable when the weather outside is warm, they can be quite obvi-ous and very costly if they remain unsealed come the start of winter.
Cold air can enter a home through cracks around windows and doorways, and many homeowners who don’t suspect leaks may respond by turning up the thermostats in their homes. That can prove quite expensive over a full winter.
Choose a windy autumn day to place a hand by win-dows and external doorways in your home to see if you can feel drafts. If you can,
seal these cracks as soon as possible.
Patio cleanupPatios are popular hangouts
during spring and summer, and that can result in a lot of wear and tear. Once you store patio furniture for the winter, inspect your entire patio to determine if it needs any refurbishing.
While certain patio projects may be best left for spring, you can still clean any stained areas around the grill and look for cracks in the side-walk that need to be ad-dressed.
Preparing for fall home improvement projects ahead of time can help homeowners complete projects in a timely manner and ensures they won’t be forced to brave the winter elements when refur-bishing their homes.
— PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Summer Home Improvement
Projects to fill your fall to-do list
Metro Creative ConnectionsAutumn is a great time to inspect patios that might have endured some wear and tear during the heavy usage seasons of spring and summer.
Gardening time is here, with people enjoying plants both inside and outside of their homes. Container gardening, which is a planting method in which flowers and other plants are grown in pots and other containers, is quite popular because of design versatility. Containers can be moved from location to location if plants are not thriving in a particular spot. They also make garden-ing possible when there isn’t any available land space, which might be the case for apartment-dwellers.
Flower pots enable plant enthusiasts to enjoy foliage inside of the home as well. Houseplants can add beauty to interior spaces and help filter indoor air. In the late 1980s, NASA and the Associ-ated Landscape Contractors of America actually studied houseplants as a way to purify the air in space facilities. They found several plants are par-ticularly good at filtering out common volatile organic com-pounds (VOCs). Having plants around can create inviting spaces and improve healthy conditions inside and out.
Part of caring for plants in containers involves knowing when a potted plant might need a little tender loving care. As plants grow larger, they may outgrow their contain-ers and require more roomy
quarters. Without ample space, plants may not be able to adequately draw up water and nutrients to support top growth. Repotting may seem like it is easy, but it actually takes a little finesse so not to damage the plants.
Gardening experts like those from Fine Gardening, HGTV and Today’s Home-owner suggest these repotting tips.
Be sure the plant is well watered for a few days prior to the repotting process. Water-ing also will help loosen the root ball from inside of the smaller pot.
A plant ready for repot-ting should slide out with most of the soil in one piece. If the soil is free-falling, it may not need to be repotted at this point because there’s still room for the roots to expand. Other signs that plants may need repotting include roots poking out of the soil or plants that are straggly and pale.
Consider repotting out-side because the process can be messy. Have all of your ma-terials, which include a trowel, gloves, scissors, and potting soil, handy so that you can tackle the process smoothly.
Remove your plant from the pot carefully. Place the plant on its side, then support the main stem in one hand and use the other hand to gently
pull the pot away. Be careful not to pull on the main stem or break the stem. Tread gently.
Cut away any rotten or dead roots, and trim really long ends. Make three or four vertical cuts about a third of the way up the remaining root ball. This also will help with water and nutrient absorption once the plant is in its new pot.
Gently untangle any remaining roots and prepare to place the plant in a new pot.
Choose a new pot that is slightly larger than the root ball. Fill the pot with soil so that the root ball sits about an inch below the rim of the
pot. Add more soil around the roots to fill the pot. Be sure to leave enough room so that with each watering the pot can hold water.
Thoroughly water the plant after repotting to moisten the soil.
Watch your plant afterwards to be sure that it’s taking to its new potted home. It can take around three to four weeks for the plant to recover from re-potting. Water regularly, avoid fertilizing and keep the plant out of direct sunlight.
— PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Repotting a plant is easier than you think
A student’s academic per-formance is influenced by a host of factors, including the learning environment both inside the classroom and at home. While students may have only limited control over the environment in their classrooms, they and their parents can do much to create home study environ-ments that are conducive to learning.
Distraction freeCreate a “distraction-free”
zone. Today’s students are inundated with distractions. Whereas students were once most distracted by radios, televisions and the great outdoors when studying at home, nowadays kids must also find time to focus on their studies with their tablets and smartphones just a stone’s throw away.
When choosing a study area at home, parents can designate a “distraction-free” zone where no televi-sions, radios, tablets and smartphones are allowed.
Children are increas-ingly dependent on their smartphones and tablets, and while such devices can sometimes prove useful to students, that benefit is often outweighed by the distrac-tion they present. When kids study at night, be sure they turn off their smartphones and only use their tablets as study aids.
Neat and tidyEmphasize organiza-
tion. Various organization techniques can help kids be more efficient when studying. Encourage kids to separate their learning ma-terials by subject, and keep a calendar or daily planner at home listing when their assignments are due and
which days they will be tested. Encourage young-sters to keep their home study areas tidy as well, as unorganized areas can make it harder to focus or force kids to spend some of their study time cleaning up.
A time for studyEstablish quiet hours at
home. Quiet hours at home while kids are studying can help them better absorb their coursework, and that may lead to improved perfor-mance in the classroom. While it’s important that a kids’ study areas remain dis-traction-free, it can also help if distractions outside those areas are minimized.
Keep televisions and other potentially noisy distrac-tions turned off while kids are studying. If you want to catch up on a favorite televi-sion show or watch a movie, do so on your tablet instead of the television, connecting earphones so kids are not overhearing anything while they’re trying to study.
Full stomachsKeep healthy snacks on
hand. Hunger can be just as distracting as electronics or noisy housemates, so keep healthy snacks on hand. In lieu of unhealthy fare like potato chips or empty calo-ries like pretzels, keep your home stocked with fruits and vegetables and protein-rich snacks like Greek yogurt. Such snacks will quell kids’ hunger pangs while also providing a boost of energy.
A strong home study envi-ronment can help students do their best in the class-room.
— PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
How to create a great environment to study at home
Metro Creative ConnectionsHaving a student excel can be as simple as provid-ing an environment for productivity.
Metro Creative ConnectionsWith a few simple steps, get your plants in new pots.
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The lillies start to bloom at Hawk’s Landscpaing and Nursery on Friday afternoon in Selinsgrove.
Diversity, simplicity are key to sprucing up your yardYARD, from Page El
Digging deeperMetroCreati ve Con nection.
com released a report from Zil- low, which surveyed real estate agents in 2014, that found that curb appeal was one of the five most important factors when selling a home.
Projects that improve curb appeal can be vast undertakings or simpler projects. The fol lowing are a handful of projects to improve a home’s curb appeal that run the gamut from simple to complex, according to the website.
■ Clean up the yard. Cleaning up the yard is among the simpler yet most effective projects to improve a home’s curb appeal. When selling their homes, homeowners should clear the yard of any clutter, including kids' toys, grass clippings or items that might be scattered throughout the yard. A cluttered yard suggests homeowners do not care much about their home’s appearance, and that may lead buyers to think that indifference extended to maintaining the home’s interior as well. Many buyers will ignore properties without any external aesthetic appeal, but cleaning up the yard does not requi re much effort or expense on the part of sellers.
■ Make the main entry way more inviting. Creating a more inviting entry way won’t be as simple as cleaning up the yard, but it can help create a strong first impression without breaking the bank. To begin, remove plants and furniture from the front porch or area surrounding the doorway, as such items
Justin Engle/The Daily ItemThe Double Knockout Roses at Hawk’s Landscaping and Nursery in Selinsgrove.
can create a cluttered feel. If the front door is old, replace it. Custom doors may be expensive, but they might add the wow factor buyers are looking for. If a new door is beyond your means or just unnecessary,repaint the door, ideally in a color that complements the color of your home and the surrounding landscape.
■ Address pavement problems. Paving problems are not necessarily an expensive fix, but the cost of repairing driveways and walkways can add up if it’s been awhile since these areas were refurbished. Still, one of the first things buyers will notice when getting out of their cars is the ground they're walking on, so patch and repair or even replace driveways and walkways that have fallen into disrepair.
■ Add or upgrade outdoor living spaces. Outdoor living spaces also can set a property apart from others on the market.
A recent study from the National Association of Realtors found that buyers would not hesitate to pay asking price for homes with outdoor livingspaccs. When adding or upgrading outdoor living spaces, try to depersonalize the spaces as much as possible, as buyers want to picture themselves, and not the sellers,enjoying these areas. Include some comfortable furniture, adequate lighting and a di ni ng area i n your outdoor living space as well.
In the end, Baralt said, it all has to do with preference.
“If you pass a house, and it has a lot of figurines, and you find that attractive, why not?” he said.
■ Email Justin Strawserat jstrawser@dailyitem. com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinLStrawser.
How to determine if items can be compostedMetro Creative Connections
Compost is an eco-friendly way to grow a healthy and flourishing garden bed or landscape. Full of nutrients and rich organic materials, compost is often called “black gold” by gardeners for the many benefits it provides. One of the main advantages to compost, apart from the way it boosts plant growth and health, is that it is relatively low cost to produce.
Compost is created by food scraps and other materials that are left to break down naturally. Backyard composting speeds up the natural process of decomposition. In optimal conditions, organic matter can decompose more quickly. According to the University of Illinois Extension, microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes account for most of the decomposition that takes place in a compost pile. However, insects also can do their part to create compost. Such insects are referred to as “physical composters” because
they break down materials by chewing, grinding and digesting them into smaller pieces. Bacteria create an oxidation process that heats up the compost pile and aids in its decomposition.
Homeowners can create their own compost piles with just a few items. Some of the staples of composting include foods that normally would be discarded. Vegetable peels, fruit rinds, eggshells, coffee grounds, and the like can be put into a compost pile. Meats and poultry should not be placed in a compost pile because of the threat of harmful pathogens and bacteria.
Other items that are not food-related also can be added to compost piles. It may be challenging to determine which ones are applicable. These products are usually considered safe:
■I paper plates with no coating
■ products made from bagasse, a fibrous matter that remains after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed
■ cardboard boxes■I paper towels
Find out t who's inLOVEEach Sunday in E
The Daily Item
■ wax paper■ wax-covered paper cups■ products certified as
compostable by BPI■ certified bio-plasticsAnything that is coated in
plastic that is not a bio-plastic must go into the trash or be reused in another way.
Composting is a cost-ef- fective, viable way to reduce trash and produce a beneficial product for gardening and landscaping.
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Consider simple home eco-changes for easy savings
Did you know that being environmentally conscious is also an easy way to put money in your pocket?
You can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and energy consumption if you have an efficient home and use cleaner products. Consider a few, simple eco-improvements to reduce energy consumption and increase savings on your monthly energy bill.
Insulation: If your house is older, chances are the insulation doesn’t meet new code requirements. An improperly insulated attic is a primary source of energy loss and results in your furnace and air conditioning units working harder than necessary. By topping up the existing attic insulation you can significantly reduce energy loss. A popular product for this DIY project is Roxul ComfortBatt insulation. It is easy to install over existing attic insulation and can easily be cut to fit with a serrated blade or bread knife.
House appliances: Replacing your furnace, hot water tank and air conditioning unit with high-efficiency models is also a good way to lower your home’s energy consumption.
Windows: It’s usually obvious when it’s time for new windows. Replacing worn and drafty windows can also improve the comfort and overall look of your home. If you want to reap the greatest energy savings, request a custom brick-to- brick installation, because inserts can leave gaps, especially if placed in the old, inefficient jamb.
Landscape your home for energy efficiency. Plant a few tall, deciduous trees near your home to significantly reduce the amount of solar energy passing through windows and beating down on your roof. In fact, the
right amount of shade in the right places can reduce cooling bills by 10 to 50 percent.
The quick eco-list: Here are a few low-cost DIY projects you can tackle easily for greater energy savings:
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The Daily Item / The Danville News / The Weekly Item / Friday, June 17, 2016 Page E5
Summer Home Improvements
How toStability and comfort are key
Upon reaching retirement age, new retirees may face decisions regarding their living arrangements. Some seniors may opt to stay put, while others may want to downsize their homes to save money and relieve themselves of the burdens of maintaining larger homes.
But those are not the only situations seniors find themselves in. Some seniors realize they can no longer care for themselves without assistance. In such instances, seniors may opt for assisted living facilities or choose to move in with a relative, such as a grown son or daughter. While assisted living facilities are designed to meet the needs of the elderly, young men and women welcoming seniors into their homes may need to take on some home improvement projects to ensure their homes are as safe as possible for elderly residents.
■ Convert a room on the first floor into a bedroom. While this may not apply to all seniors, some men and women struggle with stairs as they age, and that can make it difficult for them to fully participatein a household. Homeowners with an extra room to spare can convert a room on the first floor of their homes into a bedroom so seniors won’t have to climb up and down stairs throughout the day. That ease of accessibility to the primary floor of the house encourages seniors to be active participants in a household. If possible, choose an area that is close to a first-floor bathroom.
■ Take steps to make bathrooms safer. The National Institute on Aging says that more than one in three seniors over age 65 fall each year, and 80 percent of those falls take place in the bathroom. Slippery tile floors can make it difficult for seniors to navigate bathrooms safely, and bathtubs and shower stalls present additional challenges. Install grab bars on bathroom walls and next to toilets to provide support. In addition, consider installing a shower chair or bench and removable shower nozzle in the shower or tubso seniors can sit down while they bathe and rinse without having to stand up on slippery surfaces. Make sure any mats around bathtubs and sinks are nonskid to reduce the risk of falls even further.
■ Install an extra phone line or two. While kids and adults between the ages of 18 and 50 may never use the
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prepare for elderly residents Maximize your basement potential
If today’s real estate market has you frazzled, a home renovation project may be just the right answer. With home prices on the rise, finishing a basement is the latest trend towards building even more equity in the home.
A finished basement can offer a little extra room and give a growing family space to breathe, and with so many uses, a renovated basement may be exactly what your home is missing. It can provide additional storage, a sound-proofed media room, craft room, guest room, or income suite. The possibilities are endless. Here are some tips on how to give your basement a 180-degree makeover:
Waterproof it. Check the interior foundation and floors to make sure there are no existing moisture issues, water damage or mold problems. Address any primary moisture issues before finishing the space. Examine grading to ensure water runs away from your foundation.
Soundproof it. Installing acoustic insulation is the perfect excuse to crank up the subwoofer, host a get- together or let the kids run wild. Soundproofing is the ultimate solution to maximize your basement’s peace, quiet and privacy. Industry experts suggest using Roxul Safe n’ Sound, which effectively ab
sorbs sound and is easy to work with.
Add or replace flooring. Installing a new floor can improve the overall comfort level and look of your basement. Vinyl, laminate, ceramic tile, and engineered hardwood are great options. Say no to carpet, which can harbor mold and allergens, particularly in the basement, and don’t forget to lay a subfloor.
Add color. Transform the dull and boring space into an inviting oasis or a colorful playroom with a simple coat of paint. If your basement has low ceilings or limited natural light, choose lighter, warmer tones to brighten the space. To add some drama, consider adding depth and visual interest to your space with a different colored accent wall.
Accessorize it. Throw pillows, rugs, lighting, and artwork are simple additions that can immediately enhance or change your basement’s look and feel. Pot lights can modernize, while artwork and throw pillows can add a splash of color. Accessories are really an opportunity to make it your own and let your personality shine through. They also provide an inexpensive way to keep your space looking fresh from year to year.
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landlines in their homes, many seniors still rely on traditional telephones as their primary means of communicating with the outside world. Install extra landlines in your home, including in seniors’ bedrooms, so they can more readily access the phone should they fall and need to call for emergency help. Phones in seniors’ bedrooms may also provide some additional privacy to seniors who don’t want to carry on phone conversations in busy areas of the home, such as the kitchen or living room. Such
lines may also reduce feelings of isolation.
■ Prioritize accessibility when storing items. When storing groceries, books, magazines, or other items seniors are likely to use, choose locations that are accessible to seniors. Avoid storing items on the top shelf of pantries, bookcases or entertainment centers, as seniors with limited mobility may not be able to reach them.
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may embrace the challenge of revitalizing their lawns and gardens,but many, especially those pressed for time, can benefit greatly from working with professional landscapes.
■ Professionals understand the local climate. Experienced professional landscapes will understand the local climate and the challenges it presents to your lawn. Experience can prove invaluable as lawns battle adverse conditions that threaten its survival. While homeowners going it alone may struggle through a trial and error period as they try to address problems threatening their lawns, experienced professionals are more likely to identify the problem immediate!}., providing a ready solution that can prevent potentially costly repairs down the road.
■ Professionals can provide inspiration. In addition to maintaining properties, many landscaping professionals have vast experience improving properties through landscape design. Professional landscapes may have a host of ideas for your property that you would never think of. Homeowners with little to no lawn and garden experience may not realize all the things they can do with their properties, and those who go it alone may end up with unappealing landscapes that do not attract buyers’ attention when the home hits the market. Professionals typically have a wealth of ideas and, perhaps more importantly, they understand which ideas will and won’t work on a given property.
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pose a threat to plant life. Those helpful insects help keep harmful insects at bay. Compost is a type of organic mulch that may attract harmful insects. While that does not mean homeowners should shy away from using compost as mulch, they should know that they may need to employ organic
insecticides to combat their unwanted guests.
Mulch is a potentially valuable tool homeowners can use to improve the look and health of their properties.
- PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
The majority of homeowners want their properties to appear as appealing as possible. While many homeowners want to be proud of their properties and come home to a welcoming home each night, the benefits to maintaining, landscaping go beyond the notion that well-cared for lawns make for more comforting retreats.
Because numerous variables, including landscaping, influence property values, it’s difficult to assess just how much the property values of homes with impressive landscapes are influenced by those very landscapes. Indeed, studies have produced varying results regarding the effect of well-landscaped homes on property values.But what many studies have shown and what many realtors indicate is that impressive landscaping adds a significant. amount to property values, with estimates suggesting landscaping increases home values by anywhere front 5 to 20' percent.
Such estimates are good news for homeowners, and they also highlight the stakes involved when making landscaping decisions. Homeowners with green thumbs
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A good lay of mulch can aid in lawn care through spring, summer and fall.
Make the most of mulchLawns and gardens can of
ten benefit from the laying of mulch. Mulch serves various purposes in lawns and gardens, and many experienced lawn and garden enthusiasts lay mulch to ensure their properties make it through spring, summer and fall unscathed.
First-time homeowners with little or no landscaping experience may not understand the benefits of mulch, which can be used to strengthen soil and protect properties from ihe elements.
What is mulch?Mulch refers to a material
spread around or over a plant to enrich and/or insulate its soil. Many homeowners prefer mulch made of wood chips, which is both effective and readily available. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that organic mulches, which include leaves, wood chips, compost or grass clippings, can he used by homeowners who want to develop eco-friendly landscapes.
Why mulch?Mulching can benefit
plants around a property in various ways. Many people lay mulch because the mulch helps soil retain moisture in the summer, when temperatures tend to be at their hottest. This can help plants survive summer heat waves.
Mulch also can be used to suppress weeds. Weeds, which steal moisture plants need to build strong roots and survive summer, need light to grow. When laid correctly, mulch deprives weeds of the light they need to grow. Organic mulches can even provide homes for crickets and a type of beetle that feed on weed seeds.
Mulch also can deter harmful pests depending on the type of mulch homeowners choose. When purchasing mulch, homeowners will have to choose between the aforementioned organic mulch or man-made mulches, which may be made of plastic or rubber. While man-made mulches may repel pests, they also can have adverse effects. Plastic, for example, can heat up in the summer and cause plants to burn. Certain organic mulches can repel insects that can threaten plants. That’s because the majority of organic mulches increase the amount of beneficial bacteria in the soil, and they also increase the presence of helpful insects that do not
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Page F2 The Daily Item / The Danville News / The Weekly Item / Friday, June 17, 2016
Summer Home Improvement
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Lawn and garden en-thusiasts are often on the lookout for new trends that can make their lawns and gardens healthier and more robust. One trend that has gained considerable popu-larity in recent years is the move toward greenscaping, a set of landscaping practices that the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency says can improve the health and appearance of lawns and gardens while protecting and preserving the planet’s natural resources.
Why greenscape?While the opportunity to
protect and preserve natural resources is reason enough for many lawn and garden enthusiasts to embrace greenscaping, there are ad-ditional benefits to turning a landscape into a greenscape. Greenscaping promotes the planting of native plants, which are already accus-tomed to local climates and therefore do not require as much time and effort to care for than non-native plants. Non-native plants may
struggle to adapt to foreign climates, requiring home-owners to water them more frequently than native plants. And homeowners who plant non-native plants can expect to spend money to ensure they survive. So non-native plants can waste water and also cost homeowners time and money.
How can I greenscape?Planting native plants is
just one element of green-scaping. The following are a handful of additional ways men and women with green thumbs can turn their proper-ties into healthy greenscapes.
Build and maintain healthy soil. The EPA notes that a single teaspoon of healthy soil contains roughly four billion organisms. These organisms help create a loose soil structure that promotes strong, healthy roots. In ad-dition, healthy soil recycles nutrients for plants while protecting them from cer-tain pests and diseases. One way to create healthy soil is to conduct a soil test to determine if it has any nitro-
gen, phosphorous, potassium or lime deficiencies. Another way to build healthy soil is to add compost when mix-ing top soil for new garden beds or plants. Among its many benefits, compost can help soil retain nutrients and water.
Water effectively. Lawns and gardens need water to thrive, but overwatering can be just as harmful to lawns as drought. Make a list of the types of plants (including the types of grass) in your yard, and then do your homework to determine how much water each plant needs. The EPA notes that vegetables and other annuals should be watered at the first sign of wilting, while perennials typically only need water if they are still sagging when temperatures cool in the evening. Trees and shrubs with fully established roots usually do not require any
watering, though they might need some in years that are especially dry. Avoid water-ing in mid-day, when sum-mertime temperatures are typically at their hottest and water is likely to evaporate. In addition, watering in the evening may encourage the growth of mold or disease, so water in the early morning.
Practice “grasscycling.” When mowing the grass, leave clippings on the lawn (though not in large piles dumped from buckets at-tached to the mower). It’s a misconception that grass clippings contribute to the buildup of thatch that blocks water from getting to the soil. In fact, when clippings are left on the lawn, the soil recycles the clippings into fertilizer.
— PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Embracing new trend for a healthy lawn
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Leaving grass clippings in the yard after mowing can contribute to a healthier lawn.
Gardening is a rewarding hobby that can pay a host of dividends, both for the planet and the people doing the gardening. Healthy plant life can help clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and various air pollutants, while the act of gardening can help gardeners combat stress.
Published in 2011 in the Journal of Health Psychology, a study from researchers in the Netherlands found that gardening promotes relief from acute stress. In the study, two groups of participants were asked to complete a stressful task and then in-structed to either read indoors or garden outdoors for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the latter group had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and even reported being in a better mood than the group instructed to read indoors.
But gardening does more than just provide garden-ers with a reason to spend some time relaxing outdoors in an effort to relieve stress. Gardeners who raise certain plants may be able to bring those benefits with them when going inside as well. Accord-ing to an article published in the journal Environmen-tal Health Perspectives in October 2011, houseplants can work wonders when it comes to improving overall health, removing toxins from air, soil and water by metaboliz-ing some toxic chemicals and releasing harmless byproducts while sequestering such tox-ins by incorporating them into plant tissues.
Clean indoor air is im-portant for everyone, but especially so for those people who suffer from respiratory ailments like asthma. In fact, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Im-munology considers indoor air filtration an essential part of any strategy to improve respiratory health. But filtra-tion systems and air purifiers
are often not enough, and those who want the air in their homes to be as clean as possible may benefit from in-troducing certain houseplants into their homes. The follow-ing are a handful of plants that can help to improve indoor air quality.
Aloe vera: Aloe vera might be most often associ-ated with hand creams and hand soaps, but the aloe vera plant, a succulent that even novice gardeners should have no problem growing, can clear indoor air of formaldehyde and benzene, two common byproducts of chemical-based cleaners many people use in their homes.
Spider plant: Spider plants are resilient, and that makes them great houseplants for busy men and women who tend to be forgetful when caring for their plants. In addition, spider plants are pet-friendly and can be used to combat benzene, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde and xylene.
English ivy: NASA researchers exploring the pos-sibilities of long-term space habitation found that certain houseplants were more ef-fective at cleaning air inside energy-efficient, nonventi-lated buildings than others. One such plant was English ivy, which can effectively combat the formaldehyde found in certain household cleaning products.
Bamboo palm: Bamboo palms also found their way onto NASA’s list. Bamboo palm plants thrive indoors, where they are especially effective at filtering out the chemicals benzene and tri-chloroethylene.
Gardening has been proven to be a soothing hobby that can help gardeners reduce stress. But the health ben-efits of gardening can extend indoors as well.
— PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
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The Daily Item / The Danville News / The Weekly Item / Friday, June 17, 2016 Page F3
Summer Home Improvements
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Many people routinely find themselves confronted with situations that could be made simpler if they were just a lit-tle more organized. Whether it’s lost keys, cramped cabi-nets or misplaced documents, minor yet inconvenient situ-ations can be mitigated if not eliminated if men and women simply commit to being more organized.
Men and women who struggle with organization may be surprised to learn just how much time and produc-tivity they lose to disorganiza-tion. For example, a survey from Ikea found that men and women routinely spend six minutes just looking for their keys. When added up, that’s a substantial amount of time that can be put to better use.
Becoming more organized is a popular resolution come
New Year’s Day, and many people benefit from hiring professional organizers to make their resolutions a real-ity.
Professional organizers can help men and women reduce clutter in their homes and of-fices and regain control over their surroundings. Such pro-fessionals also can help solve organization problems, and that can help men and women reduce stress.
Professional organizers know which strategies work, but men and women should know that not all organizers are the same. Some organiz-ers may work as a hobby or be part of a larger cleaning com-pany, while others are certi-fied in organization. When searching for an organizer, determine if he or she belongs to the National Association of
Professional Organizers and/or if an organizer has been certified by the Board of Cer-tification for Professional Or-ganizers®. While certification may not be necessary to help you organize your home or business, certified organizers may have more experience.
Organizers may specialize in certain areas. Some deal with corporate and business organization, while others help with real estate staging. Look for one who has experi-ence working with people of your ilk.
Organizers will want to examine clients’ situations before they develop a plan of action. Therefore, do not feel the need to prepare for the organizer’s arrival by clean-ing up, as doing so may only mask the problems you’re having. The organizer will
walk through your home or business and assess your needs. Many organizers will suggest you work with them to learn organizational strate-gies that you can implement on your own so you remain organized for years to come.
Check with the organizer to see what type of packages he or she offers. Some packages may be detailed, while others may just provide a founda-tion for you to become more organized.
Getting organized is more than just having a clean space. It’s about taking control of your environment and im-proving your quality of life. Professional organizers can help accomplish that goal and keep you organized for years to come.
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One springtime task on homeowners’ to-do lists is checking cooling systems to ensure they are ready for summer. Proper maintenance of cooling systems is es-sential to saving energy and keeping utility costs down. Fortunately, homeowners need not be certified HVAC technicians to maintain their cooling units.
Clean filters. Whether a home is kept cool by a whole-house central air condition-ing system or window units, clean filters are necessary to keep the units working effi-ciently. Routinely replacing or cleaning filters is one of the most important maintenance tasks to improve airflow and increase efficiency. The U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy says re-placing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower an air conditioner’s energy con-sumption by anywhere from 5 to 15 percent.
Know the square foot-age. When replacing a cooling system, have an understanding of the size of your home (or room if installing an window unit). Determine the area of the home so you buy a unit that suits your needs. Air conditioners use BTUs (British Thermal Units) to define cool-ing power. The more BTUs, the larger the space that can be cooled. However, homeown-ers do not want to exceed the necessary cooling power. This
leads to energy waste. Energy-Star.gov can help homeowners find the right cooling system for their needs.
Inspect system coils. The evaporator and condenser coils on air conditioners can collect dirt, even when filters are maintained. Dirty coils are less efficient at absorbing heat, so periodically remove the dirt. Outdoor coils can be kept cleaner by cutting back foliage from the unit to allow better air flow.
Inspect condensate drains. Energy.gov also sug-gests making sure condensate drains, which take moisture pulled from the air away, are functioning properly. If they’re clogged, they may not be effective at reducing humidity in a home, and they may even leak.
Clear debris. Remove fallen leaves or other plant material from condenser units and fan blades. Obstructed components can cause the system to retain heat, com-promising its ability to work effectively. Some homeowners prefer to cover their condens-ers at the end of the cooling season to keep leaves and dirt out of the unit.
Check window unit seals. When installing win-dow units, make sure all seals around the air conditioner are in place to prevent cool-air loss.
Hire a technician. Air conditioner technicians can
be very helpful and will know how to prepare a system for hot weather. Technicians typically conduct multipoint inspections and measure such things as refrigerant levels and duct leakage. Airflow through the evaporator coil also may be checked. If a homeowner suspects the ther-
mostat is not working prop-erly, a technician can verify if that is true and even install a new one if necessary.
As summer approaches, homeowners should prepare their air conditioning units for the busy months ahead.
— PROVIDED BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTIONS
Prepare cooling systems for warm weather
Metro Creative ConnectionsProper upkeep of cooling systems is imperative be-fore the summer heats up.
When drafting a to-do list for home improvements that can increase home value and appeal, several renovations may be atop homeown-ers’ lists. While kitchen or bathroom remodels may be popular renovations, home-owners also should consider outdoor lighting schemes that can make homes safer and more alluring.
Outdoor lighting serves various purposes. Such lighting can draw attention to more impressive parts of a property. In addition, such lighting can improve secu-rity and deter criminals.
To get started, homeown-ers should first examine the exteriors of their homes and make note of existing lighting and where improve-ments can be made. If you’re not sure where to begin, speak with an electrician or a landscape designer, each of whom can offer sugges-tions on lighting and which options are the best fit for your particular property.
Next, you’ll want to consider efficiency and function. The United States Department of Energy sug-gests incorporating energy-efficient lighting, including energy-saving LED bulbs or fluorescent lights, into your plans. Timers and other au-tomatic controls can prevent waste by turning lights on only when they are needed. Solar lights can be used as accent lights, further saving energy.
BeautyWhen addressing aesthet-
ics, think about the appeal of an accented landscape. Include lights to frame the front door and call atten-tion to certain elements, such as decorative trees or water features. Use lights to light up deck stairways or to accent planters. Speak
with a lighting professional about how to position lights to cover the most territory in the most attractive way possible.
SafetySafety is an important
consideration when improv-ing a home. Lighting can help illuminate potential hazards or draw attention to borders or property bound-aries. Navigating in the dark can be treacherous, so put lights along pathways and near pools or spas. Be sure that lights will clearly mark other walkways around your home, such as those leading from doors to the yard or from the garage to where trash and recycling pails are kept. If a design ele-ment such as a bridge over a water feature or a particular ornamental tree or shrub is difficult to navigate in the dark, use lights to improve visibility.
SecurityAdded security is another
reason to install more ex-terior lighting. Dark homes are attractive to burglars. Eliminate dark corners by lighting up areas where thieves may be able to gain access to your home. This includes areas near door-ways and ground-level win-dows. Install motion-sensor lights in such areas so you are not wasting energy.
Lighting may not only de-ter human intruders, but also it can scare away animals. A raccoon, skunk or opossum may think twice about hang-ing around your home when your property is bathed in a spotlight.
Revamping exterior light-ing elements can improve the safety and the look of a home.
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Exterior lighting can improve the safety and appearance of a home
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Page F4 The Daily Item / The Danville News / The Weekly Item / Friday, June 17, 2016
Summer Home Improvements
Home renovation projects vary in scope. Something as simple as repainting a bed-room counts as a renovation project, as does a full kitchen remodel. But no matter how big or small a project, home-owners’ top priority should always be safety.
Before beginning a proj-ect, make a list of possible hazards and how to avoid them. Here are some potential dangers that can spring up.
Asbestos: Many homes built when asbestos was legal still contain asbestos materi-als. Asbestos has been used in many applications, such as in ceiling materials, insula-tion, siding, and more. That’s because asbestos is flame retardant and serves as an effective and inexpensive insulator. However, asbes-tos fibers released into the air during renovations can cause respiratory problems and even lead to lung cancer. Asbestos needs to be removed under specific guidelines and disposed of properly. Disposal typically requires hiring a professional service.
Dust and dirt: Sand-ing, sawing, welding, and other home renovation tasks can cast debris into the air. Ventilation may be needed to maintain clean, breath-able air. Ventilation can also shuttle any harmful fumes generated from construction materials outside of the home. Do-it-yourselfers should wear masks and eye protection to guard themselves against debris.
Electrical lines: All homes may not have been built in adherence to modern-day codes. Electric lines can be discovered where they are least expected. When doing demolition or drilling/nailing into walls, it’s not uncom-mon to come across electrical wires. Extra caution needs to be taken, and an electrician should be consulted if the wires need to be relocated.
Chemicals: Chemicals, such as sealants, cleaners, lubricants, and fuel, may be used during renovation projects. Such substances can be dangerous to pets and chil-dren if they are touched or ac-cidentally ingested. Exercise extreme caution when using chemical products, making sure all product containers are sealed and kept out of reach when not in use.
Tools: Cuts, abrasions, burns and more can result when power tools and even manual tools are used incor-rectly. Learn how to use tools before beginning a project,
and always put tools away when work is done for the day.
Falls: Falls are a leading cause of household injury, and the chance of a fall may in-crease when climbing ladders during home improvement projects. Don’t climb beyond where indicated on ladders and always have a spotter on hand when climbing is neces-sary. Wear harnesses, sturdy footwear and gloves as well.
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Repurposing salvaged wood is a popular trend in the home improvement industry. Not only can using salvaged wood give a home a one-of-a-kind look, but it’s a handy way to incorporate the three Rs of green living into your lifestyle: reduce, reuse and recycle.
Reclaimed wood is often used in flooring, beams, wall treatments, and doors, but it also can be turned into furniture or home accent items. Reclaimed wood adds warmth and historical interest to a home’s decor that newer materials may lack. Although finding wood that can be salvaged takes time and some legwork, such efforts can quickly pay off. Many businesses are now devoted to reclaimed timber, which can help make the process of find-ing and using salvaged wood even easier.
Homeowners consider-ing reclaimed wood may be interested to learn that such wood can serve various func-tions aside from benefitting the planet.
■ Match old-growth wood. New regulations may pre-vent certain species of trees from being cut down. That means it can be challenging to match old wood in a home, particularly if you’re looking to maintain historical value and authenticity. Relying on
salvaged wood items can al-leviate this concern, ensuring that you can find rare woods that are no longer available brand new.
■ Salvaged wood has char-acter. It’s difficult to mimic the natural age marks and character that older wood may have. Instead of being raised on farms, wood harvested decades ago probably grew in natural environments, making the wood both durable and strong. The color and grain of salvaged wood may also be unique.
■ Look at objects in a new way. Doors are versatile pieces of reclaimed lumber because they’re already flat and rather large. Doors can be turned into headboards, tables or benches. Staircase or porch posts can be turned into candlestick holders, and wood shutters can dress up walls and provide a place to hang
artwork and other wall items. ■ Reclaimed wood can
be found everywhere. Most people do not have to look too far to find wood they can salvage. Check salvage yards, landfills, dumpsters in front of older homes being reno-vated, or older, unused barns in rural settings. You also can collect driftwood or discarded shipping crates.
While some reclaimed wood can be used as-is, some pieces may require millwork, including sanding, cutting, shaping, and finishing. If you do not have these skills, you probably will have to hire someone who does.
The Internet is awash with ideas for putting salvaged wood to use. Get inspired and then find the pieces that will fit your project.
Salvaged doors, fences, shutters, beams, and so much more can be put to new use.
Who benefits frompublic notice?You do. Public notices arerequired because a government body or corporation wants to do something you need to know about.
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