Summer Lawn Care

Caring for lawns can be an arduous task even in very temperate climates that receive just the right amount of sunlight and water. In climates that are extremely cold or hot the task can be even greater and more demanding. Whether or not a lawn exists within a climate that's conducive to its growth and longevity, when summer rolls around a homeowner must care for their lawn differently than they do during other seasons of the year.

Summertime for lawn owners means heavy and consistent maintenance. Some homeowners will avoid this altogether by hiring a professional gardener and letting them worry about the hard work involved with caring for a lawn during that time of year. Homeowners who go it alone however will need to change their mindset a bit. Whereas a homeowner in the spring may focus on getting their lawn healthy and helping it recuperate after a long hard winter,  summer lawn care is a different beast altogether.

While in the springtime a homeowner can water their lawns practically anytime it suits them, the summertime will require homeowners to water their lawns in the wee hours of the morning. In the precious few fleeting hours before the sun rises, there is little heat and therefore little evaporation. This means that lawns can soak up all the water they need and even store a bit for the hot days that is to follow. Fertilizing lawns in the summer is also somewhat different than it is during other parts of the year. A homeowner will need to fertilize their lawn more than they do any other time of the year and will need to do so more frequently.

Depending on the type of lawn a homeowner has watering, feeding, and even fertilizing schedules will need to be reworked so as to promote growth and longevity in a lawn during the summer. This means homeowners with cool season grasses such as fescue, bluegrass, and wry will need to care for their lawns in either the early morning hours were shortly after the sun sets. These types of grasses grow and function best when temperatures are in the 60s. On the other hand however homeowners with warm season grasses like Zoysia, St. Augustine, centipede, and Bermuda function well in temperatures ranging from the 70s to low 80s. As a result these lawns can be cared for at different times during the summer months and are likely to remain healthier as a result of their more durable nature.

Also important for homeowners to remember is that once temperatures begin soaring into the mid 80's and above their lawns will begin to struggle a little bit and growth will slow to a crawl and may even stall together. Some lawns may even begin to show signs of wear and tear if they are not cared for properly and consistently during summer months. Homeowners who have lawns and function better in cooler temperatures may even wish to make their lawns off-limits to foot traffic and pets until the summer passes.

While caring for a lawn during the summer isn't by any means impossible it is a task that might make many homeowners feel overwhelmed and even defeated. Lawn owners who feel like this however should immediately call in a professional to care for their lawn. Most lawns are expensive to both put in ground and care for and it is a true shame and waste of money to let a lawn be destroyed or ravaged by the summer sun and the soaring temperatures it creates.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in general contractors in Orange County, Orange County ca contractors, and Orange County landscaping.

Overlooked Kitchen Remodeling Details

Typically when a homeowner considers remodeling their kitchen they don't often think of some of the nuances of such a project. Generally speaking, homeowners who want to remodel their kitchen will focus on new appliances, new flooring, and perhaps a new dining table and chairs. As the focus on the large in kitchen remodeling tends to overshadow things of a smaller but equally significant nature it behooves homeowners to think outside of the box when planning such a project.

Backsplash tile is one example of thinking outside of the box when it comes to kitchen remodeling or improvement. Backsplash tile became popular a few years back and represents a near perfect balance between design and function. While this type of tile is generally found in bathrooms and it functions well in those rooms, the kitchen can also benefit greatly from this type of tile. Having backsplash tile installed during a kitchen remodel is a great way to keep foods and water off of kitchen walls but it also can function as a transitional piece helping to bridge together the color palette and designs that flow from kitchen into an adjacent room.

Any homeowner who considers installing backsplash tile in their kitchen or have myriad of different color options and designs to choose from. Backsplash tile is available in a number of different colors and styles which makes it easy for even the most fastidious of homeowners to find a color and style that will work well for their kitchen. This type of tile is also available in a great number of different shapes as well as no two kitchens are exactly the same. Homeowners should have no problem finding backsplash tile that both accentuates the paint and decor in a newly remodeled kitchen and a nearby rooms as well. When remodeling a kitchen color coordination with the rest of the house is extremely important and backsplash tiles are a great way to ensure that a kitchen remains warm and fitting with the rest of its home.

As far as materials are concerned, there are granite, solid surface, stone, and even other less expensive options to choose from and the choice made will depend largely on existing decor and the personal tastes and desires of a homeowner. With so many choices available homeowners will benefit from the assistance of a professional contractor. Not only can a professional contractor or interior designer assist a homeowner with a selection of their new backsplash tiling but can also handle installation as well. A home's kitchen is the one room in a home that needs to be functional, warm, and efficient as it is used frequently and by everybody. Attempting to tackle a kitchen remodel, even a small one, by oneself is sheer folly. Hiring a contractor is the way to go.

Any homeowner who adds backsplash tile to their kitchen as part of their remodeling project will always be pleased with the end result and will usually consider adding the same to the bathrooms in their home as well. Backsplash tile is not only functional but it is extremely eye-catching and can add a touch of class to any room in which it is installed in.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in general contractors in Orange County, Orange County ca contractors, and Southern California home remodeling.

For Smaller Projects Hire A Handyman

For large home improvement jobs specialized contractors are a necessity. When dealing with smaller projects however, many homeowners will often attempt to tackle the job on their own. Projects such as new flooring, interior paint, new wallpaper, and even new screens and windows are often thought of as home improvement jobs that don't require a lot of skill or experience. While it is true that there are far more complex home-improvement jobs, smaller jobs can also benefit greatly from the hiring of a professional contractor. Even the aforementioned projects often require precise measurements, patience, proper tools, and a knowledge of construction.

While some homeowners may elect to tackle smaller home improvement jobs on their own, even the savviest of homeowners will have a difficult time with not only the project but achieving the desired results as well. Other homeowners however recognize that the results of even small home improvement projects benefit greatly from the hands and the attention of a professional.

It's important to keep in mind however that for smaller jobs a specific type of contractor isn't always necessary. In fact hiring a contractor who specializes in something specific can cost more than a project is worth. In such scenarios homeowners can and should opt for a handyman as opposed to a specialized contractor. Though there is a certain stigma attached to the word handymen the truth is that the majority of them are licensed professionals who once worked as either a specialist in one field or oversaw construction on a large-scale. In this respect handymen are sometimes thought of as being even more experienced than a specialist.

While it is common for homeowners to shy away from handymen because of the unfair stigma attached to the word, any homeowner with a small home improvement project or any number of small projects in the works, should find, interview, and then hire a reliable handyman for the job. Hiring a handyman for small projects not only saves homeowners a ton of money but a lot of headache as well by eliminating the need to tackle such jobs themselves. It also ensures that the end result of small home improvement projects will be something that homeowners can be proud of.

Any homeowner that has some small home improvement projects in the works or any that need some immediate attention should contact a handyman for no less than a consultation. Even if they don't hire a handyman, a homeowner can gain valuable insight into how to proceed with their projects and how to ensure that their project is completed in a timely fashion and on/under budget as well

Home Improvement Guide specializes in general contractors in Orange County, Orange County ca contractors, and Southern California home remodeling.

Unexpected Home Improvement Projects

While the majority of home improvement projects are projects that homeowners are excited about there are those that homeowners dread or have forced upon them by way of damage to their home. Examples of involuntary home improvement projects include homes damaged by water and those damaged by fire. Both unfortunate incidences must be dealt with quickly and efficiently by a homeowner if they are to save their belongings, their home, and restore it to livable condition.
Individuals with homes damaged by water, more specifically floods, have an arduous and daunting task in front of them. Not only must they deal with the reality of damage and even potential loss of their home in some circumstances but they must also find and hire a reputable contractor that can help them return their home to its former condition and even restore damaged furniture and other items. Flooding in a home can occur as a result of an issue with the roof, troubled plumbing, and of course natural disasters. Should anyone ever find themselves in the midst of an emergency flood cleanup there are a few guidelines that, if followed, can help get their home up and running once again.

Anytime a home has been damaged by water safety assessing damage should be top priority for a homeowner. Before any phone calls are made or anything is thrown out or replaced a thorough evaluation of the damage should be taken by homeowners. Once a homeowner has a good idea of what has been damaged and to what extent it's, they can begin searching for a reliable specialist that can help them with their home. In some cases it might even be a good idea for homeowners to call in a professional assessor to evaluate the extent of damage done to their home. While homeowners can utilize their eyes and their hands to assess damage, a professional has tools and experience at their disposal which will help them evaluate the damage done to the internal structures and even electrical structures within a home.

Once the damage incurred within a home is been assessed homeowners should take great care to document everything. Documenting items that have been damaged and even those left undamaged can be of great benefit to homeowners when they go to file a claim with their insurance company. Not only should damage be documented on paper with written word but pictures and even video should be taken of the damage in order to provide professionals and even insurance personnel with physical evidence of the damage incurred. The more documentation a homeowner has for their flood/water damage incident the better off they will be moving forward and getting everything repaired.

With the essentials out-of-the-way homeowners should prepare themselves for some hard work. Homes will need to be dried and cleaned up as quickly as possible in order to avert further damage. Additionally houses with water damage that aren't cleaned and dried immediately run the risk of allowing mold and fungus to take root and grow rapidly. In most cases homeowners are best served by calling in a professional to help them clean and dry their home. Professionals can bring in commercial grade dehumidifiers and large fans that expedite the drying process. Additionally professionals will have other types of equipment and knowledge that homeowners don't which will help make drying out a home all the more quick.

Once a home has been dried out, with or without a professional, homeowners will need to begin the substantial undertaking of repairs. The nature and scale of repairs will depend greatly on the amount of and the type of damage incurred by water in their home. Some homes will need only minor cleaning while others will need new construction. Additionally homeowners with water damage may need to seek out temporary alternative housing while professionals repair their home and in worst case scenarios, rebuild it.

Any homeowner who has had water damage in their homes should at least speak with a contractor before moving forward with anything. This can provide them with invaluable insight into how to proceed and give them a number of different options on how to do so. Such professionals might also refer homeowners to other professionals who can help restore their homes and living order as well.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in general contractors in Orange County, Orange County ca contractors, and Southern California home remodeling.

Formal Dining Rooms

Is your formal dining room a room that you rarely use? Even when you have guests, you often sit in the den or playroom watching the game on TV. Or everyone gathers in the kitchen. If you’re looking to replace that hutch filled with China that you never use, consider replacing the beautiful old dishes with books, games or other items that just sit around.

Or just get rid of the hutch. Place it in the corner of the garage. With the hutch out of the way, consider replacing it with a round table where no one sits at the head of the table, but see each other easily in plain view.

Instead of heavy old-fashioned furniture, replace with lightweight folding chairs, and new sheer fabric on the windows. Have bright placemats and contrasting dishes. If you have silver utensils and silver tea set, consider selling it and using that money to update your dining area. If your family has outgrown the kitchen table, use your new colorful dining room as a daily family dinner place; or where the kids can work on their homework.

Consider heavy-duty paper and plastic utensils when guests arrive to your new dining room, and instead of formal, call it casual. You can dress it up come the holidays, but you’ll still probably use it more when everyone is casual and less elegant. If the light fixture no longer matches the surrounding area, replace it with a ceiling fan and light.

If you like your heavy formal dining room, but you still want it to look more modern, remove some of the heavy picture frames and replace them with fun pictures of your family that will be sure conversation starters. When new grandchildren arrive, hang pictures of their parents when they were the same age. Compare the different hair dos and laugh as you remember the time when you took the pictures.

Listen to the laughter as the grands compare them. Then get out your camera and take more unrehearsed pictures and splash them around even on a corkboard for their next visit.
Having a formal dining room doesn’t mean you have to be stuffy, so make it a fun time for the family to gather; whether it is daily, monthly or yearly. With a little ingenuity your family will look forward to the time spent in your room that is no longer used sparingly.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.

Dinette Sets

Remember the days when the family gathered around the dinette set in the kitchen for every single meal? Are those days gone for good? How can we get that same feeling back in our busy structured worlds?

If you have room in your kitchen for a dinette set, invest in one that will fit the area as well as your needs. You’ll never be happy with a table that seats eight when there are only four in your family. If the reverse is true that would be difficult to fit eight people in the space meant for four. When you go shopping, check out a small local furniture store or you you’ll find many online. They usually have the table that will be just what you want. A table made of chrome, composite or wood will do nicely.

In the past the kitchen was where everyone gathered, so bring those days back with a light and airy dinette set that fits nicely in your area. Make sure the area surrounding the table is workable, things like a blackboard or a board for messages, or simply a calendar where everyone can mark their schedules. A tall mirror so everyone can check their images before leaving works wells too.

Another consideration could be a kitchen nook. They are available in built in models or with benches instead of chairs. The options are endless depending on your family’s needs and considerations.
Your object in dealing with dinette sets is to fill the needs of the entire family. For the young person, school homework could be done while the cook fixes dinner. A computer desk would be another item necessary in today’s modern family. It wouldn’t have to be near the dinette set, but could be where the kids feel comfortable being there.

If you’re good at drawing, draw out an area where the table will sit. Measure it because what looks good in the store may not fit exactly where you want it. The table that will sit in the middle of the floor doesn’t need the measurements as much as the table that will sit in a nook or window area.
Before you make your final decisions, check out magazines or catalogs. Sometimes you may not care for the way they decorate their areas in the magazines. However you may get some good ideas and then the decisions will be yours and yours alone. Try to either mix or match the items surrounding the table and make it a pleasant part of your home.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.

Pocket Doors Save Space

When you think of a pocket door, you probably think pocket doors can only be installed when the house is built. That is the easiest time to install them, but in today’s world with more modern hard nylon material with deluxe ball bearing rollers, the doors are quieter and easier to use. Even for those in wheelchairs or handicapped.

A pocket door takes up little space compared to other doors that require at least ten square feet of your living space to work. In the past the doors were noisy, but not so today, and the runner technology helps the doors stay on track.

The biggest factor when installing the doors in a home already constructed is what’s inside the wall where the pocket door will be installed? Many times, you won’t know until you tear into the wall, and that can be a difficult and expensive thing to do. Electrical wiring, plumbing and ductwork could run through the walls at that point.

Another factor will be; will the pocket door assembly fit inside the wall? And is the wall for the intended pocket door on a weight bearing wall or do the walls have cabinets attached to them. Then the pocket door might not work there.

Many larger homes have French doors on the interior of the house in order to close off one room from another. Pocket doors would work well there with the same concerns as other pocket doors.
Pocket doors do save space when you compare them with the traditional doors and the advantages are many. Those traditional doors hit other objects or obstruct foot traffic. While the pocket door is hidden from sight, and is quiet and out of the way.

If you’re a handyman around your own home, you might want to consider the help of a licensed contractor. They will know the ins and outs of pocket doors and whether or not they will take the job. It isn’t the easiest job because it takes time to remove a wall, see what’s behind it, install the pocket door, and then reattach the wall so no one will ever know that they removed it. It may be unwise to tackle the job yourself.

If you have a closet, bathroom or anywhere else where the door is an obstruction instead of the desired opening, the pocket door may be the ticket to enlarge the entire area.
Whenever you hire a contractor, check his claims, check his references, and don’t ever pay him for the entire job in advance.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.

Budget Granite Countertops

Have you ever read the real estate advertisements and noticed that the first item they often mention as they describe the house is granite countertops. That’s because granite countertops are valued highly when a person is selling their home. However, are all granite countertops expensive? It is a fact that they are more expensive than many other types of countertops. The advantages are hard to beat so let’s look at the reasons why granite countertops are so expensive.

The first thing you must consider is that granite is spread all across the entire globe. If you purchase granite from an exotic country, you should expect to pay more, while granite is often available right in your own back yard. Those should be a bit cheaper, but you’ll still have to pick out the slab from a local construction firm that specializes in the product.

When they extract the granite from the earth, it takes specialized skill and your first dollar goes to them. Next comes the dealer, then the fabricator until it finally arrives at your door by the installer, and it usually takes more than one person to transport it into your home.

The more expensive granite may be quite thick, and the different colors and designs spread through it. If you want uniform color on your countertop, granite may not be for you. Also you will see seams in the granite, but the advantages far outweigh those disadvantages. The best way to avoid disappointment as they install your new countertop is to pick out the exact slab from the contractor or businesses that have many slabs sitting on their sides in a frame made specifically for the granite. Remember granite is a natural stone and each slab is unique.

To maintain the beauty of granite is simple, but necessary as the granite ages. You will need to reseal and treat it on a regular basis. Then you should be able to sit hot pans on it and it shouldn’t crack, scratch or peel.

There are budget granite countertops, and they may be a bit thinner, not near as heavy and the price will be lower. It still retains its shiny beauty as long as you spend a few minutes every so often to reseal it. Other ways to protect your countertop will be to put hot pans on hot-pads, use a cutting board not your countertop, and keep juices like grape juice in the jar because they will stain countertops.

Pick and choose your budget granite countertop and you won’t be disappointed.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.

Exterior Paint: Beauty And Protection

When one member of a neighborhood paints the exterior of their home is not long before you see other homes in the same neighborhood receiving a fresh coat of exterior paint. One might believe that neighbors just like to compete and try to keep up with “The Joneses” but the truth is that a new exterior paint job makes a home look fresh, it adds resale value, and can make a home feel new and even boost the overall aesthetics of a street or cul-de-sac.

In truth most homeowners, whether a neighbor has painted their home or not, seek to give their homes a new exterior paint job simply because it beautifies a home and adds a lot of character to it as well. Creative homeowners working with contractors can also use exterior paint to give a home personality as well. As an exterior paint job can do a great many things for a home it's important to sit down with a professional painter, at least for a consultation, to determine which colors, shades, and style of paint a homeowner will want to use.

Once colors and styles and things of that sort have been settled upon it's important to select paints and application process that will help new paint serve as a primary line of defense against whether, bugs,  and other types of debris and damage. Many modern paints contain preventative chemicals and even protective chemicals that can go a long way in keeping a house looking good long after it receives new paint.

It's also important for homeowners to remember during the choosing process that paint should be tested on their homes before any big purchases are made or painting begins. Test painting can easily be done on nondescript parts of a home in order to determine whether or not a particular color or shade will work on a home. Best of all the small test areas can be easily covered by the final paint once the process begins.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.

Where Do I Put These Things? Home Storage Ideas

Home storage can be a real conundrum for some homeowners. More often than not families will move into a home that provides them with ample storage space but over time families will procure even more items. As the procuring of items continues over time storage space dwindles and more often than not many parts of the home that aren't really meant for storage become makeshift storage spaces .
When this happens the question of where to put things becomes a constant thorn in the side of a homeowner. As time passes organizing efforts will begin to seem less effective than they were in the past which can make staying organized even more difficult as time goes on. Additionally most homeowners would prefer not to have to cram and jam their belongings into any storage space. The good news is that there are ways to re-organize a home even as families bring more items into their home. Even better, many of these methods are inexpensive though as a last resort some homeowners may call in a professional organizer for assistance.

The first step in staying ahead of the home organization game is to streamline belongings. Getting rid of items that have sat unused for any great length of time should be moved out of the home as should items that are used infrequently. Spending a weekend or two going through belongings in storage spaces throughout a home will allow a homeowner to determine what can stay and what needs to go.

Many homeowners are surprised to find that the simple act of streamlining their things can free up more than half of their dedicated storage spaces. While some homeowners may have a difficult time letting some of their items go, it's important to remember that not everything needs to go. Items for example that invoke good memories or items that were very expensive don't necessarily need to be discarded or given away and instead can be put into a different storage space or brought out for use or display within a home. If there are many things in a dedicated storage space that are of a sentimental value, homeowners should take some time to select just a few related items to keep which will help make letting the rest go much easier.

After belongings have been streamlined and either put in the trash or donated, homeowners can turn their attention towards furniture that they may have in cluttered rooms like bedrooms and living rooms. Many modern pieces of furniture contain drawers, cabinets or small nooks that can and should be utilized for storage whenever possible. Cluttered bedrooms for example can benefit greatly from a bed that doubles as a storage space. Small knickknacks, toys, clothes, and even things like games can be neatly tucked away to create walking space and even playspace in a bedroom. The same goes for living rooms. Many entertainment centers often contain cabinets and drawers which can be used to house electronic equipment, remote controls, and even things like keys and wallets.

When homeowners are confronted with shrinking storage space in their homes one of the most important things they should consider is utilizing the unused or neglected spaces within their home. These spaces might include a bedroom left vacant by a grown child, a game room that no longer gets used, and perhaps even an empty attic. All of these rooms can be easily converted into storage spaces at very little cost to a homeowner and usually offer homeowners a great deal of space.

Homeowners would do well to remember that home organization should be an ongoing thing and not an annual or biannual project. By staying focused on keeping their home organized homeowners will never end up with clutter nor the need to spend an entire week or more reorganizing their home.

Home Improvement Guide specializes in Orange County home improvement, Orange County general contractors, and San Diego home improvement.

Orange County Contractors: Steps for Hiring Service Professionals

A few words of caution, when you find the need to hire a contractor or service professional and if they claim to be bonded, licensed, and insured insist that they show you proof of the licenses, and keep copies of them to protect yourself. Then check the licenses out to make sure they are still in effect.

Several states do not require a person be licensed if the job they are doing is below a certain amount.
Also if the company you are hiring uses sub-contractors, make sure they have been paid before you give them the final payment. This is very important because if the contractor does not pay the sub, the sub can come back and sue the homeowner for the money even though you paid the contractor that part of the job. After the job is completed you should insist on a signed release from all sub-contractors. This is not necessary when a person is on the payroll of the business.

As for the insurance part, if the professional does not have insurance, you will be obligated to pay for all expenses if the person is hurt on the job. Insurance companies provide service professionals with the proper information naming you as the homeowner and that they guarantee that the contractor is in good standing.

Before they step one foot on your property to begin the job, have a contract with the firm’s name clearly printed at the top with the name, address, phone numbers, license numbers, and workers compensation number.

The contract needs to include the work that will done, and dollar amounts, a start date and approximate date for completion. Payment schedule should include the start, at least one mid payment like when material is delivered to your home, and the final payment when the job is completed to your satisfaction. Never pay a person or company in full before the job begins, however they usually ask for $1000.00 or 10% which ever is less. Workers Compensation insists on this amount.

Never write a check or pay cash to the person doing the job. The check should be made out to the company, never an individual. In today’s world a small contractor may not have the funds to pay for materials, but has met all the above requirements. If this is the case, you should ask for a receipt of the materials purchased and pay for that amount after the material has been delivered to your home.

Last but certainly not least, insist on references, and check them out. Do your homework, and expect all the contract promises.

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