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Wlft CJiarlotte ^ost
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2006
4D REAL ESTATE
Spiff some
things up
for spring
By Morris and James Carey
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Making the best use of the
space in your home can be
pretty easy — depending on
how lor^ you’ve let it go with
out that special gentle touch
that you have.
However, keep in mind that
organizing your home is a
never-ending task that will
need to be thought out time
and again as your family
grows and as your needs and
interests change. Here are a
few steps you can take to
ensure a clutter-free exis
tence no matter what stage
you are at. There are only a
few basic rules;
• Get rid of everything that
you don’t use.
• Organize what’s left.
• Create more space within
the space you already have.
• Cleanhness is next to spa-
ciousness-
Getting rid of eveiything
that you don’t use is probably
the single most painful part
of organizing your home.
Simply put, most of us tend to
be packrats.
Most experts suggest that,
‘Tf you haven’t used it for a
yeai- - get rid ofit.’’We say two
years - we are packrats of the
highest order. We don’t care
how you get rid of it - just get
rid of it. Sell it, donate it for a
tax deduction, or simply give
it away - but get rid of it - all
of it.
None of us seems to be able
to come to grips with just how
much “stuff” we can collect in
the way of useless space-con
suming junk. We recently got
rid of all of our old cassette
tapes. We haven’t listened to
them in several years and
they were occupyir^ a large
storage drawer. The drawer
is now being used for our CD
collection which was in a box
on the floor. Our kids have
the cassettes at their place
and they are having a ball.
Make points with a neigh
bor and give away that old
push mower you’ve been
keeping ever since you
bought that new power
model. Make someone less
fortunate a happier person.
Exchange junk in the garage
for pocket change — sell, sell,
sell!
Clearing away the dutter
that you don’t use will make
it easier to oiganize the clut
ter that you do use. Every-'
thing in your home will be
much easier to organize. Go
through everything from
dothes to coffee cups as you
attempt to dear out what
isn’t needed.
Organizing your home
involves the creative use of
file boxes (and other contain
ers of all sizes shapes and
forms) coupled with big
bri^t labels or samples of
the contents. It is an absolute
no-no to store anything any
where without prominently
labeling the contents. A box
with 20 rolls of ribbon should
have 20 half- or one-inch long
strips of ribbon taped to the
side of the box. Just labeling
the box “ribbon” won’t do the
trick.
• Store hke items all in one
place. For example, if you
have a home office, you prob
ably have a tape dispenser
there. In the laimdry you
may have a gift wrap area
where there is another roll of
tape. Oh, and don’t forget the
craft room or garage where
more tape is kept. Once you
start looking you may discov
er that you have six partial
rolls of t^pe all over the place.
This holds true for rubber
bands, paper dips, napkins,
towels, pens, pendls, stereo
cables, telephone accessories,
tools - you name the item and
we bet you can find more
than one.
Please see SPIFF/5D
PHOTO/ARA CONTENT
Punching up the color of a room is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to transform space.
Creative deeorating
helps spring new
Life into your home
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
Ah, spring, it’s almost time to let your hair down,
step outside, breathe in the fresh air and have some
good old-fashioned ftui. Or, in some cases, it may be
time to start your spring home decorating projects.
The promise of the warm weather and longer
days has the tendency to make almost all of us
want to spruce up our homes with updated decor.
\Mth that in mind, the foUo'wing are some inexpen
sive and highly effective ways to motivate you,
while making the most of your spring decorating
dollars;
Add an area rt^. Unlike wall-to-wall carpet, area
lugs can bring colorful designs and patterns into
your room without overwhelming it, and once you
buy them they are yours to keep; as you can take
them with you if you move.-Area rugs can be well
used by the fiugal decorator, as they’re extremely
versatile, and can serve many purposes. For exam
ple, they can start off in the living room, move to the
family room or bedroom, and eventually end up in
the garage or an indoor/outdoor room.
Punch up the color with paint. Painting is one of
the easiest and least expensive ways to transform a
room. So, if you’re thinking of painting but are hes
itant about covering the walls of an entire room
with a brighter color, Pratt & Lambert Color Mar
keting Manager Peggy Van Allen says there are
plenty of ways to experiment with color — even
before putting it on your walls.
“There are numerous tools on the market that
can help tap into a consumer’s imagination by
Please see CREATIVE/5D
PHOTO/ARA CONTENT
Unseen benefits of energy
efficient windows and doors
ARHCLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION.
When it comes ,to protecting
your home fixim the damaging
effects of the siui, what you can’t
see - invisible ultra-violet (UV)
rays - can definitely impact you.
Thankfully there’s an easy and
practical solution that provides
built-in “sunblock” for the home.
Most homeowners know that
upgrading windows and doors can
help them shve money and con
serve energy However, a_ lesser-
known benefit of energy efficient
windows and doors is their proven
resistance to harmful UV rays.
For example, windows and-
doors with Low-E glass block
most UV rays - the in'visible part
of the spectrum that causes pre
mature fading of furnishings and
is linked to health hazards like
skin cancer.
That’s because the coatii^ on
Low-E ^ass both absorbs heat
and reflects the sun’s H^t back
into the outdoors.
For the ultimate in UV protec
tion and energy efficiency win
dows with laminated glass can
block almost all harmful UV rays.
Laminated glass has an interlay
er sandwiched between two win
dow panes.
This gives windows the strength
needed to stand up to impacts
caused by storms, and it also fil
ters the sun’s light, admitting the
desirable, visible spectrum and
blockir^ harmful, invisible UV
rays.
“Homeowners are becoming
increasingly sensitive to interior
fading and wear and tear,” said
Brian Hedlrmd, product market
ing manager for JELD-WEN win
dows.
“It’s not only because they want
to keep the carpet and drapes
fix)m fading, but also because UV
exposme is perceived as an
increasing health hazard.”
While UV resistance is a valu
able collateral benefit of energy
efficient windows and doors, there
are practical benefits too. Savings
for a typical home fium replacing
single-pane -with Energy Star
qualified windows ranges firom
$125 to $340 a year, depending on
the region, according to the U.S.
Department of Eneigy
For homeownere and builders,
here are a few basic tips for sdect-
ing energy efficient windows and
doors.
1. Consider upgrading outdated
windows and doom. Refdace older
single-pane windows -with dual
pane units, which insulate the
home fix)m both hot and cold
Please see UNSEEN/5D
SPRING ZING
Small-scale
improvement
projects with
big results
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
After bimdling up all winter, spring elicits
feelings of joy and excitement with its promise
of sunshine, warmth and renewed life. Ibke
the cue fix>m Mother Nature and rejuvenate
your home this season. VHthout spending an
overwhelming amoimt of time and money on
an extreme remodel, achieve high-impact
results ■with small-scale home improvement
projects sure to give any home zit^ this spring
— inside or out.
Begin by opening windows and drawing the
curtains, allo-wing fi^sh air and sunli^t to
infiltrate the atmosphere. Pack away the
apple-cmnamon scented candles and potpour
ri, and introduce aromas of fii^sia, lavender
and rose. lighten the decor by exchanging
dark-hued hnens with white and neutral
tones, and incoiporate vibrant tones in every
room with vases of fi;eshly-cut flowers. Now
that your home is infused with spring scents
and colors, decide on home improvement pro
jects to pursue.
Gatherings with family and friends often
bring everyone to the cent^ of the home, the
kitchen. It is an ideal place to begin refurbish
ing. Ranging fiom $500 to $800 and a few
hours of time, a granite island extension cre
ates an eye-appealing and functional kitcheai
addition. Granite adds a touch ofluxury to any
space and has become today’s building materi
al of choice due to its elegance and dtirabUity
Just a small amoimt of this lustrous stone has
a big effect, so replacing all of the countertops
to upgrade a kitchen’s appearance is unneces
sary
Due to its complexity, professionals should
always handle cutting and preparing granite.
In an effort to keep the cost to a Tninimum,
homeowners can consult with local suppliers in
search of small, remnant pieces of granite.
Suppliers frequently have small portions fix>m
previous jobs sitting idle in a warehouse and
are often willing to sell them at a reduced price.
They will provide a template of the desir^
design for approval, cut the granite to your
specifications and.deliver.
The homeowner can accomplish the installa
tion injust a few easy steps. After deanir^ the
existii^ coxmtertop, nm a bead of Liquid Nails
Ultra Duty Poly around the perimeter as well
as a zigzag bead down the cent^. Carefully
place the new gi'anite countertop in place. Ver
ify spacing is accurate on all sides. If removing
the existing coiuitertop is desired, apply a bead
of Ultra Duty Poly to the perimeter of the cab
inet and continue with installation. Allow
adhesive to set over night or a minimum of
eight hours.
Now that the inside has been given a breath
of fresh air and is ready for entertaining, begin
focusing on the outside. Take a step back and
look at the home’s exterior. The winter months
tend to wreak havoc on the landscaping and
the overall appearance of a home, leavit^
homeowners ■with a long list of outdoor to-dos.
Begin with the flow^beds by pruning poenni-
als and remo'ving annuals. Add li'vely new
plants infused with the colors of sprii^. Nect,
take a look at the home’s overall curb appeal.
Have years of winter wear-and-tear taken
their toU, requiring a fresh coat of paint?
‘Exterior paint not only makes for a beauti
ful home, it pro'vides a barrier against wind,
rain and direct sunlight,” said Vanita
Mai-zette, ICI Paints brand manager. ‘Eor
many, exterior painting can be an overwhehn-
ing undertaking. For this reason, This Old
House paint is offering homeo-wners the
chance to ■win 30 gallons of exterior paint, plus
$2,500 to be used towards the labor and mate
rials needed.”
Log on to www.thisoldhousepaint.com fium
May 1- June 15 for complete contest rules and
to enter to ■win. The winner wfll be selected by
A r^dom drawing.
PHOTO/ARA CONTENT