| Do-it-yourself tips for summer remodeling | | | | "Though this rating may not be posted on the |
| projects | | | | can, a paint retailer should have information |
| | | | on the rating." |
| (ARA) - Ah, summer. Between neighborhood | | | | |
| softball games and trips to the community | | | | "One problem with using a flat paint on |
| pool, it's the biggest time of the year for | | | | interior walls is that it doesn't take kindly |
| moving and home remodeling. | | | | to scrubbing," he says. "If you scrub it with |
| | | | a damp cloth, you'll remove the dirt or |
| While many of us turn our thoughts to | | | | smudge, but the exposed pigment particles can |
| upgrading our homes, our budgets may already | | | | ruin the finish. To avoid this, choose a |
| be tapped. Here are some simple | | | | high performance paint (not flat), that can |
| do-it-yourself ideas to spruce up your home, | | | | stand up to a good washing." |
| specifically the kitchen and bath, without | | | | |
| breaking your budget. | | | | Expand space with drawer organizers. |
| | | | |
| Jazz up cabinets with snappy new drawer | | | | Is a small-sized kitchen or bath cramping |
| pulls. | | | | your style? Try adding drawer organizers to |
| | | | increase your storage space. These days, you |
| One of the simplest ways to add pizzazz to | | | | can find a nice range of inexpensive racks |
| the kitchen is to install new cabinet | | | | and slide-in baskets at discount and hardware |
| hardware, says home improvement expert Don | | | | stores. Whether you store cleaning utensils, |
| Vandervort of "At your local hardware store | | | | Grandma's vintage pie pans, or your favorite |
| you'll find a wide array of drawer pull | | | | bath salts you can create new nooks and |
| designs - from painted ceramic or metal | | | | crannies for all of your stuff, and get the |
| knobs, to whimsical designs shaped like | | | | clutter off the counter. |
| knives and forks. Simply unscrew your | | | | |
| existing cupboard hardware, replace with the | | | | Gain a foothold on more attractive flooring. |
| new, and presto, you've completed a quick an | | | | |
| inexpensive update for your home." | | | | Flooring makes a huge difference in the |
| | | | appearance of a kitchen or bath. "Oftentimes |
| Pour on the charm: upgrade the faucet. | | | | vinyl flooring is dated and worn," Vandervort |
| | | | says. "But the good news is that you can go |
| A beautifully designed faucet can change the | | | | ahead and lie new vinyl or laminated wood |
| look of your sink area and the way you feel | | | | material right over the old flooring. Many |
| about your drinking water. Simple faucet | | | | of the items available today give the look of |
| design lines can make a clean and modern | | | | ceramic tile or natural wood at a lower |
| addition to the kitchen or bathroom sink, | | | | cost." |
| while some faucet models can even improve the | | | | |
| taste of the water coming from the tap. "Not | | | | Brighten it up. |
| everyone likes the taste of their tap water," | | | | |
| says Vandervort. "For those who choose the | | | | For an easy and inexpensive way to brighten |
| filtration route, an attractive, yet | | | | up a kitchen, install under-the-counter |
| practical solution is the ClearTap Water | | | | lighting. A small purchase at the hardware |
| Filtering Kitchen or Lavatory Faucet, made by | | | | store is all it takes to completely change |
| American Standard. It removes contaminants, | | | | the way the light hits the surfaces of a |
| retains fluoride, and produces clean, good | | | | room. You can also save energy dollars by |
| tasting water with the turn of a faucet | | | | choosing the right lighting. "Switch from |
| handle." | | | | incandescent light bulbs to highly efficient |
| | | | compact fluorescents, and you'll use about |
| Kids climbing the walls? Try scrubbable | | | | one-quarter to one-third less energy to |
| paint. | | | | produce the same amount of light," Vandervort |
| | | | says. Another tip: move natural light |
| Ketchup, food, scuff marks, mud all these | | | | further into rooms by bouncing it off the |
| things can just be wiped clean with some of | | | | ceiling. A window located close to the |
| the new high-performance paint finishes | | | | ceiling works for this, as do louvers or |
| available today. "Interior paints have a | | | | operable blinds that can help direct light. |
| scrubbability rating, established through | | | | |
| standardized testing," Vandervort says. | | | | Make a tiny bathroom look larger. |