Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Closet organization made easy
QUESTION: I need help organizing my closet. I own clothes that are 40 years old. I don't know how to organize. Can you help me? Betsy (Pansy, Man.)
ANSWER: You are not alone, Betsy. Although closet organization can be a big job, it does not need to be completed in one day.
Begin with one section at a time. Consider items you haven't worn in a very long time or those that no longer fit, but don't feel like you need to give them away right now. Place those items inside a box for storage. After a period of time you might feel like you want to get rid of the box, but don't rush yourself. After you have identified which items you want to put into storage, the task becomes less overwhelming because you are left dealing with fewer pieces.
Now let's organize the closet. Our goal is not to cram one item on top of another item. This leads to a mess and becomes frustrating when you are searching for a particular piece.
Shoes and accessories
-- If you have closet space large enough to store shoe boxes, take a photograph of the shoes or a label and tape it to the outside of each box. That way you see what you have and don't waste time searching.
-- If you don't have room to store boxes, put your shoes on shelves. Position one shoe with the heel out and the other shoe beside it with the heel in. Doing this saves space.
-- Hang belts on hooks either on the back of the bedroom door or on the inside on the closet door along with scarves and necklaces.
-- Over-the-door shoe-bag organizers are handy for more than just shoes. They can also be used for accessories such as jewelry, scarves, socks and gloves.
-- If possible, designate one of your bedroom drawers specifically for accessories. Position items worn most often near the front.
-- If you don't own a drawer organizer, collect little open boxes and lids to place inside the drawer to store small items such as earrings.
-- Add a little fragrance by placing perfume samples inside a drawer.
Clothing
-- If possible, install a clothing closet organizer in your room. Add several shelves to avoid wasted space. Once you have your organizer in place, divide work and leisure or separate clothes into colour or seasons.
-- Categorize clothes into pants, shirts (long sleeve and short), undergarments, sweaters, shorts, dresses and skirts.
-- Put out-of-season textiles away or on high shelves to make room for present-season items. Items most frequently worn should be stored at eye level.
-- Socks, tank tops, bathing suits, leggings and underwear take up less room when rolled and turned on their side.
-- Some people use large cloth bags to store items such as sweaters, purses or bathing suits. Take a few moments to label each cloth bag or basket, so that you always no where to find items without searching.
Extra tips to organize your closet
-- If you locate thin and narrow hangers, they will take up less room. Matching and well-chosen hangers are less likely to ruin and misshape clothing.
-- If you cannot remember which clothes you wore, hang all of your hangers facing in towards the closet. Each time you wear an item, hang the hanger facing you. That way you can keep track of which items you wore.
-- If you have room, store a stepladder inside your closet so every item is easily accessible.
-- Try not to jam pack clothing. Give every item breathing room; this prevents wrinkles.
-- Hooks are handy for storing clothing that you don't feel like putting away at the moment or when you choose an outfit to wear the next day. This prevents clothing from winding up on the floor.
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my website, Reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Trash microwave oven over safety concerns
QUESTION: I am hoping you might have a solution for getting rid of a burnt popcorn smell in a microwave oven. I have tried lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda, and even microwaving meat with a barbeque sauce on it, hoping to get rid of the smell. If I leave lemon juice and water in it with the door open, it almost disappears. But as soon as I microwave even lemon juice in water, the smoke smell predominates.
This smell came while heating up a "bed buddy," which contains grain for use on my sore joints. I have used this item for years, heating in the microwave on high for three minutes as the directions say, with never any problem. I am not sure what happened this time, but I heard a pop, and when I got to the microwave, smoke and a terrible smell was coming from the oven. There was even a burn hole in the material with lots of smoke coming out of it.
I have been working on getting rid of this smell for two weeks now. I have even washed the microwave oven inside and out with dish soap. I don't want to use anything that might be toxic to food. The microwave is not freestanding. It is boxed in against a wall over a built-in oven. Marian (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: In order to offer the safest advice available to us, I turned to a microwave manufacture. I want to share a quote I took from the General Electric website: "The popping noise is electrical or mechanical in sound, and GE recommends contacting service. If the arcing burned a hole through the cavity wall, the damage is non-repairable. You can continue to safely use the microwave if the hole is equal to or smaller than the hole size that you see on the door screen and additional arcing is not occurring during the cooking cycle. If the hole is larger than this, it is recommended that the microwave be replaced."
Sounds like the smell is coming from the microwave mechanics, which is why the odor returns even after the box of the microwave is treated. Safety is definitely an issue.
QUESTION: I would like to know if you have any suggestions to get rid of some oil spots on my paving-stone driveway? Please and thanks. Judy (Winnipeg)
ANSWER: The fresher the oil stain, the easier it is to remove. For new oil stains, cover the area with cheap kitty litter or diatomaceous earth. Leave for three hours or more and then sweep. For older stains, begin by purchasing degreaser. Cover the area with degreaser and scrub with a brush, making sure the entire grease stain is covered. Another option is to pour hot water onto stones and scrub with dish soap such as Simple Green. Leave for 10 minutes. Do not allow dish soap to sit on paving stones for an extended period of time. Scrub with a stiff brush and rinse. Caution: Do not use muriatic acid on paving stones; it is too strong and may damage the stones.
QUESTION: I was at a garage sale the other day and wanted to purchase a chair for my home. I did not have a measuring tape on hand. What else could I have used to figure out the size of the chair? Maurice (Otterburne)
ANSWER: Here are a few bits of trivia you need to know (if you don't already). On most adults, the length from the tip of your thumb to your first knuckle is one inch. Since you were at a garage sale and probably had some cash on hand, you could have used the length of paper money to measure the chair because Canadian paper currency is six inches long. Lastly, take a moment to measure the span of your hand (in case you are ever stranded on a desert island, this may come in handy). The average adult hand span measures eight inches.
Avocado answers
I found a way to liven up devilled eggs by adding one mushed-up avocado. For 12 boiled egg yolks, I add three tbsp. mayonnaise, the juice of half a lime, and salt and pepper to taste. Delicious and healthy. Submitted by Belinda
Chocolate Avocado Pudding! Into a food processor: Combine three avocados, one third cup cocoa powder, half cup milk, one third cup maple syrup and half a tsp. vanilla. Process and refrigerate. Submitted By: Cynthia
Avocado Makeover: Into a food processor combine: One avocado, one egg, 1 tbsp. olive oil. Massage onto face and hair. Heat with a hair dryer and let sit 15 minutes. Wash as usual. Submitted By: Cynthia
The fastest way to remove an avocado pit from its skin. Cut around the lengthwise circumference of the skin; twist the avocado to open it. Tap the pit with the blade of your knife, twist and pull the pit out of the skin, the pit will stay attached to the blade. Submitted By: Darren
I enjoy your questions and tips, keep them coming. Missed a column? Can't remember a solution? Need a speaker for an upcoming event? Check out my website Reena.ca.
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Get professional opinion on roofing job
QUESTION: A friend noticed that the people doing her neighbour's roof had laid down felt paper this morning, before it poured for about 15 minutes. She was sort of expecting them to remove it and re-apply dry, but they shingled right over the soaking-wet paper, and left. She took a picture of the roof, and the new shingles are obviously buckling.
Should she tell her neighbours about this, or will the wet paper eventually dry and all is good? Thanks for your time. Kevin Holman
ANSWER: We all remember the experience of playing a game where several friends sit around a table or in a circle and someone begins by whispering a phrase or scenario in the next person's ear. This person then whispers it to the next, and so on until the last person tries to verbalize what they heard.
The results are rarely anything close to the original, and often quite funny. This is what often occurs when I receive inquiries like yours. Rarely is the event similar in nature to what is originally recounted, especially if it's based on a vague situation like you have described.
Firstly, I'm happy that the contractor actually used roofing felt or paper underneath the shingles, as this is good practice and not always followed. This thin helps protect the roof from leakage if there is damage or a small hole in the roofing, and to extend the life of the shingles somewhat. The extended life expectancy is nice, but the true purpose of roof felt is to shed water if the upper layer of roofing become compromised.
If this thin membrane was completely in place, with minimal holes only from staples, it may have prevented major roof leakage when the rain started. If your friend looked closely while it was raining, she may have noticed that the water easily ran off the roof. This felt material is impregnated with bitumen, making it quite moisture-resistant. It will not stand up to repeated exposure to sun and rain, but is normally quite effective when initially installed.
This means that the rain water should not have been able to easily penetrate unless there were holes or openings. That's why the roofers could likely complete the job without the attic or ceilings in the home being damaged. If this roofing membrane is able to shed the water and not absorb a substantial amount, there should be little problem with covering it with shingles when the rain stops.
Some roofers also use a squeegee or other tool designed to quickly remove excess moisture from a smooth surface. Your friend may simply have not seen this tool used.
A plastic tarpaulin may also have been laid over top of the unfinished roof once the rain started. Most roofers carry tarps in their vehicles just for such a situation, to avert a potentially disastrous leak. This may have been used but was beyond the vision of your observer.
Here's another point to consider. There are often frequent rainstorms that blow in and out during our non-winter months, especially during very hot weather. With many of these brief storms, the sun will immediately re-emerge, and can quickly dry out the surface of building materials that have become wet. t would not take long for a hot summer sun to evaporate any water sitting on the surface, especially with bitumen-impregnated paper. The natural slope of the roof would also assist in removal of any of this excessive moisture.
The last issue to address is the curling of the shingles. Most bitumen shingles designed for pitched roofs are self-sealing. What that means is that there is a small tab of adhesive on the top or bottom of each shingle, which seals it to the shingle immediately above or below. This seal is heat-activated and often requires several weeks, or even months, to properly seal.
If a roof is installed in the late fall or early winter, it may not be fully sealed until the next summer when a hot sun heats up the adhesive. For a new roof, like the one in question, the shingles would probably not be sealed yet. They also would have been pulled apart and manipulated during installation, which can also cause them to look curled or buckled until they are sealed.
When trying to determine if a job is properly completed by a contractor, one should seek the advice of a seasoned professional rather than relying on third-party hearsay from friends or neighbours.
If the buckling persists, contacting an experienced Registered Home Inspector, municipal building inspector or reputable roofing contractor may be the right move for your friend's neighbour.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the President of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be e-mailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca.
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
Sassy tips will make your reno shine
At times the thought of renovating can be so cumbersome that doing nothing becomes an alluring alternative. We continue to take on reno jobs large and small because caring for the homes we love pays big dividends. There are practical considerations, such as replacing old wiring, heating systems and worn out materials. There may be a need to add or reconfigure space for a growing family. There are also the esthetic elements that come into play. Decorating a renovated space, especially when the budget has been slimmed down with other major work, can suffer if not planned in advance.
I make a point of creating a special touch in each room I decorate, a detail that changes the dynamics of the space in some exciting way. In her new book, designer and author Nicole Sassaman demonstrates how one or two details can transform ordinary into extraordinary. 100 Sassy Tips -- Renovations moves room by room to show what a difference her simple tips can make. The rooms have been beautifully photographed to highlight each of Sassaman's fresh ideas with before and after shots to show the contrast. Here are a few sassy tips to inspire you.
In the bathroom shown here, a rough edge on the countertop ties in with the rustic wall tile, and is an eye-catching detail. (This would be a dramatic addition to a kitchen counter or island as well.) Recessed handles in the cabinets make a smooth, clean line that has a modern touch and contrasts nicely with the rough edge and stone. The stone on the walls, usually seen on exteriors, brings the outside in and creates a natural style.
Other tips for improving a bathroom cover stealing space from an adjacent hallway or closet to enlarge the room. Modernize by changing old shower doors to frameless glass. Build in a large medicine cabinet that stretches the full length of the sink and counter space. Use the awesome array of tiles and stone to bring new life to walls.
The role of a living/family room is multifaceted. Here you have to balance lounging, entertaining, watching TV, groups and singles. Since the fireplace is the focal point, here's a chance to really up the wow quotient. Here, a fireplace with an architectural feel is surrounded by a wall of stucco designed to look like concrete. The stucco can be as rough or smooth as you choose, and can be left its natural colour (here the brown coating used under stucco was used) or painted. This surface is less expensive than tile or stone, and makes a modern statement. Floating shelves have recessed lighting that emphasizes the spare lines and is mood-enhancing. Why not mix and match furniture? Splurge on a stylish coffee table or a set of modern chairs, keep the sofa or love seat and artwork that you've collected.
In other chapters you'll discover the difference a custom door can make, either interior or exterior; how to enhance a staircase, and make an inexpensive wine cellar. Lots of inspiration... 100 ideas and counting.
Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.