Spring Home Improvement Projects

Tips to get your home in tip top shape for the season

It is March, and spring is about to be sprung.  With warmer weather and longer days, March is a great month to add a few projects to your home improvement to-do list:

Prevent Dryer Fires.  This March weekend, clean out your dryer's venting system. This important cleaning chore is going to help keep you and your family safe, and cleaning your dryer's venting system only needs to be done once a year. Every year, an average of 14,500 dryers catch fire and can be responsible for up to ten deaths. The main cause for dryer fires is not a wiring issue, but lint that collects in the dryer's exhaust ducts. Lint builds up very fast, is highly combustible and can spread a fire quickly.   

You can take several steps to make sure that your dryer is operating safely.   Always clean the dryer's lint screen after every use.  Vacuum behind the dryer as part of your regular housekeeping chores. When you are behind the dryer, make sure the connector hose is made from aluminum.  A plastic dryer vent hose can get very hot and catch fire. If the connector is plastic replace it immediately.  Once a year, clean the dryer vent fully from the outside of the house and back to the dryer.

You will be amazed at what comes out of the dryer vent, so keep a trash bag or two nearby.  Remember to turn off the dryer when you are not going to be at home.  Dryer fires spread quickly and destroy everything in its path so it is definitely better to be safe and not sorry.

Replace batteries in smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors:  Spring marks the beginning of day light savings. Spring ahead and gain an extra hour that can be used in any way you so desire. Day light savings time is also an excellent time to remember to change the batteries in all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. The batteries in smoke detectors need to be changed at least yearly and carbon monoxide detector batteries changed according to the manufacturers recommendations. Be sure to give the detectors a test while you are up changing the battery to ensure they are working properly. 

If you haven't replaced the detectors in the past 5 years it might be a good home improvement project to do right now. The technologies have changed and advanced so much recently, helping to ensure your family's safety. The cost spent on new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is nothing compared to the possible dangers of a malfunctioning detector in your home.

New Life for Your Kitchen Cabinets.  This weekend, freshen up kitchen cabinets. Think flat panel cabinet doors have to be boring?  Not so!  Create the look of paneling for your kitchen cabinets by adding molding to the cabinet surface.  Molding can be applied to the cabinets to look as simple or as detailed as you like.  Pick out your style cabinet door at the home center and head over to the lumber section.  Experiment with different profiles and patterns to create the right look for your kitchen cabinets.  Add the molding to the cabinets using a pneumatic bard nailer or traditional nails and attach from the backside of the cabinet door. Be sure to nail in at an angle to properly affix the trim to the kitchen cabinet door. The trim work can be stained or painted to match the cabinet or painted in a different color or tone to add depth to the cabinet. 

While you are at the home center check out new hardware for your newly styled kitchen cabinets. Just adding new and stylish knobs and pulls to the cabinet doors and cabinet drawers can create a major change in the kitchen. 

Spring into a Blooming Garden.  Though it might still feel like winter in your part of the country, it is officially Spring, so get that yard and garden ready.  If you have placed mulch on your flower beds to help protect the garden beds from Old Man Winter, now is a great time to gradually start removing the old mulch to allow the warmth to reach the soil.  If you live in warmer parts of the country where the mulch continually provides moisture, start to refresh the upper layers to keep the beds thriving.  Be sure to trim back any winter shrubs or plant growth to prepare and make room for the burst that is about to happen.

All Systems Go for Summer.  Things are only just starting to warm up but it always best to prepared.  The cooling season is about to come into full gear an important home improvement is to make sure that your air conditioning units are ready to meet that demand.  If you have a central air conditioning system, be sure to schedule a service with the pros.  Let them test all systems and examine duct work, making any necessary adjustments and repairs.  Be sure to vacuum all of the registers and change any filters you are using to keep your indoor air quality at its best.  If you have window units be sure they are in good working order, and you should have them serviced as well.  

Resource: Moneypit.com

Cheap Home Security Tricks

Here are some valuable tips to prevent burglars from making themselves at home in your house.

In the security of your own home, it’s easy to avoid thinking about how comfortable a burglar could get while you’re away or even fast asleep. According to the FBI, the number of home burglaries ticked down a bit last year, but they’re still frequent enough that the Bureau’s one-burglary-every-15-seconds estimate holds. That means every home is at risk for a burglary or break-in, especially those offering easy entry to thieves through the neglected details that lead to big losses.

If installing a top-of-the-line home security system is beyond your budget, fear not--there are many cheap home security tips and tricks you can use to keep your family and property secure.

Light It Up

• A well-lit home is much less likely to be broken into, so make sure your home's exterior is fully illuminated with motion-detector spotlights and other strategic outdoor lighting fixtures.
• When you’re away, use timers on interior lights to give the impression of home life as usual. Manual and digital timers can be found at your local hardware store or home center for a few dollars a pop. 

Keep the Landscape in Shape

• Tall trees can be accessories to crime when dense branches come close to your home and create pockets of darkness where burglars can hide. Keep trees well-trimmed to avoid giving thugs a place to hang out.
• Dense shrubs can also create a hideout, so keep hedges low and plantings near doors and windows neat and transparent. 

Door Stops

• A door with only a handle lock is an easy mark for a crook armed with finesse, a plastic credit card and the desire to break your home security. Instead, add a good-quality deadbolt at each entry. The best deadbolts require a key on the outside and incorporate a thumb latch on the inside. Further strengthen every installation by substituting long, heavy-duty screws for those provided by the manufacturer so that entry doors can be secured to the wood-framed door opening in the wall.
• No matter which lock you choose, it’s only as strong as the door itself, which is generally weakest around the lock. Add a decorative door reinforcement plate (about $10) to make this zone more secure. For more entry door security tips, check out our Front Door Entryways tips.
• Improve home security at the patio door by adding a patio bar, which can stop the inside door from sliding open or being pried off if the lock is broken. A sturdy piece of wood strategically placed in the open track can also improve door security.
• When leaving home for day trips or longer, keep your garage closed to intruders by inserting a large stove bolt through one of the side track holes to prevent the door from being slid open.
• Install a wide-angle (200-degree) peephole in your front door so that you can easily see who’s come knocking. 

Secure Your Keys

• Never hide spare keys in “secret” places outside your home, because smart burglars know which flowerpots to look under.
• Be smart about issuing spare keys. Even though you may be careful about who they’re issued to, you can’t control the paths they may cross or situations in which your key may be exposed to duplication.

Weak Windows

• Windows can be the weakest link in home security, especially if left open and unattended. Make sure all units are closed and locked before you leave home for even the shortest errand, and add window dressings and shades to discourage prying eyes.
• Modern windows include sash locks, but you can improve security by drilling a hole from front to back where the top and bottom windows overlap and installing a long nail in the hole. If the integrated window lock breaks, the nail will stop the window from sliding open. Security bars on ground-level windows are also an option, but make sure they’re fitted with quick-release mechanisms that allow them to be opened from the inside in an emergency. 

Self-Service Security Systems

• Low-cost, high-technology home security systems incorporating infrared motion detection, remote controls and easy-to-install door and window break-in sensors are available for application in apartments and small homes. If you have pets, you can prevent false alarms by looking for systems incorporating “pet alley” settings that keep detection just above their usual paths.
• For more security with doors and windows, purchase individual alarms to supplement existing security measures. 

Make a Thorough Inventory

• Perhaps the most important home security measure of all is to document your home’s contents, particularly the valuables. Get out the video camera and take a thorough tour of your home, then deliver a copy of the resulting tape and any other helpful documentation to your safe deposit box. If your home security is ever really threatened by a burglary, you’ll have the proof you need to supply to the police and to your homeowners insurance company.

Resource: moneypit.com


Another option of protecting your home and family is with a Tomboy Tools Home Security System.  Our easy-to-install, state-of-the-art GE Wireless Home Security System has five flexible packages to meet your needs, budget, and lifestyle.  Contact your local Tomboy Tools Consultant for more information.

June Weekend Home Improvement Projects

Summer is here, and it's time to get busy with home improvement projects during the warmest season of the year. June is a great month to organize your garage, sharpen up your home safety skills, celebrate Father's Day with a new work space for Dad, and entertain guests in comfort with your newly installed low voltage lighting.

Here are some tips to get your home in tip top shape for the season!

Weekend #1:  Safety First!

June is National Safety Month, brought to you by our friends at the National Safety Council. The NSC's main goal is to encourage individuals to learn about safety education for the home and workplace. Their provided safety advice is designed to greatly reduce the risk of unintentional injury and death during everyday activities.

The National Safety Council website is filled with useful safety advice about making your home less hazardous by correcting situations that might cause falls, improving indoor air quality, poisoning prevention, and fire prevention. Some of the tips include:

• keeping outdoor walkways in good condition
• removing clutter from walkways
• maintaining  well lit steps and pathway inside and out of the home
• using proper step ladders
• testing smoke detectors
• having fire extinguishers in multiple places inside your home
• installing CO detectors 
• storing hazardous materials out of reach of small children

Most of the information may seem like common sense, but can easily be forgotten as the business of life takes over. Take this first weekend to review the NSC's safety materials and create a true safe haven in your home for your family and friends.

Weekend #2:  Home and Garage Organization!

June is a great month to organize your home's garage. As humans, we love to acquire stuff, which means we easily run out of space. Our natural instinct is to cram items we use everyday into the garage. But kids play things, seasonal items, tools, sporting equipment, and the things we just can't bring ourselves to toss should not go into the garage. There is absolutely no reason why all of those items can happily coexist in the garage in an organized and tidy manner with a workshop, the car, or gardening table.

First, take everything out of the garage and sort through it. Create a giveaway pile for donations, a pile for trash, and a pile for the things you are going to hold onto. Then go through the items you are keeping and divide them into everyday common items, seasonal décor, sporting equipment, tools, garden, etc. Once you see what you need to put back into the garage, you can then go and buy or build proper storage units and containers.

Keep items organized and off the floor with wall and ceiling mounted hangers. Put items you use more frequently toward the front, making sure kids items are where they can easily reach them. Hazardous items should be placed where children can't get their hands on them. Be sure to properly anchor storage shelves and cabinets, as the items you organize and store on the shelves in the garage tend to be heavy. With all that new tidy organized space in your garage, you might even find you have room to create a Father's Day gift; a new work shop for Dad.

Weekend #3 : Celebrate Father's Day and remember Dad this weekend with a surprise home workshop.

Happy Father's Day everyone! Dads do so much for the family, so take this weekend to do something really special for the dad in your life.  Create a workshop in your newly organized garage and stock it with his favorite tools. Organize all of the small items, such as nails, screws, washers, wood plugs, etc. into compartmentalized storage bins in the work space, and label each drawer with the contents. Dad will easily find whatever he needs. 

Pegboards are a great way for Dad to organize hand tools and keep them off the work table. Paint the shape of the tool onto the pegboard so it will always go back to the same place. If you are in the market to buy tools for your dad this Father's Day, buy him tools in the same brand as his current tools so they can operate off the same battery and keep clutter in the workshop to a minimum. Once Dad gets over the shock and surprise of his brand new work shop, treat him to a tasty barbecue with all his grilled favorites. Whatever you and Dad choose to do this Father's Day, be sure to enjoy your time together and have fun!

Weekend #4:  Enjoy your outdoor retreat day or night with the perfect lightscaping for your yard and garden.

Now that summer has officially arrived, lazy days of hanging out around your yard and deck entertaining friends and family will get into full swing, no doubt continuing into the twilight hours. Take full advantage of what your outdoor escape has to offer by adding some lighting.  Low voltage lighting has made it easy to create beautiful areas of light on your garden or to highlight architectural details of your home.

Low voltage lighting fixtures are available in many styles, so you can find ones that suit your tastes. Low voltage is a great improvement for outdoor lighting because it casts an even glow, which is great for highlighting flower beds or walkways. You can attach a fixture in a tree to cast a moonlit glow, or use low voltage lights to highlight your favorite tree or arbor. Many low voltage items are sold as kits at your local home center, and are a perfect weekend do-it your self project. Not only does low voltage lighting help to enhance your outdoor escape, it adds value to your home and helps keep everyone safe on those newly lit pathways.


Resource:  The Money Pit