Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
MIKE HOLMES: Avoid a Christmas reno ho-ho-horror story
Homeowners always want renovations done in time for the holidays -- there's this big rush to make sure the house looks good when company comes. And, this year there's added pressure to take advantage of the home renovation tax credit before the end of 2009. I'm even hearing ads from big box stores: "It's your last chance to save the tax."
I'm never in favour of rushing a job -- not to save money, not to impress your guests -- because odds are if you rush the job, it'll cost you more in the end.
The question of whether or not it's a good idea to renovate just before the holiday season has to be answered by you, the homeowner. If you're the sort of person who gets stressed out by the holiday season, a renovation project might put you over the edge. In that case, waiting to start any major home alterations would be the way to go.
Is there any good reason to renovate in the weeks leading up to December 25? The best one I can think of is contractor availability. Many homeowners don't want to get into a renovation project in December, so this turns into a typically slow period for certain types of contractors who are otherwise booked solid the rest of the year. For this reason alone you might choose to chance it and hope it gets done in time, or this may be the only time slot your preferred contractor has until next December 2010 -- so it becomes a take it or leave it situation.
So let's say you are going to go for it -- here are a couple of points to keep in mind.
The holiday season can get you where it hurts the most -- in the wallet. And there's almost nothing more expensive than a big reno project. A common situation occurs when the renovation budget gets slashed at the last minute because of a cash flow problem caused by the overlapping events.
The month of December is a busy social time for homeowners and contractors alike. If your project is running behind schedule (and by that I mean it's not ready for the day your 26 family members descend on your house for Holiday dinner) don't expect that your contractors will miss their own family obligations to get your project done in time. Your contractor has a life and family and the holidays can also be a stressful time for them too.
If you are renovating a part of your home that is critical to the success of your holiday get-together, like your main bathroom or your kitchen, make sure the completion date has loads of contingency built into it. Be prepared for the unexpected -- things that could throw your reno schedule out the window -- like snowstorms or backlogged custom ordered products. At this time of year, Santa's workshop is working overtime and so are many suppliers and retailers. If a shipment is ever going to get lost, you know it is going to be at this time of year. If something critical is required for your renovation, it's wise to order it well in advance of the start date, and not rely on it arriving on time.
If your holiday renovation project includes demolition, sawing wood or sanding drywall (and show me a renovation that doesn't), you can bet there will be dust. Unless you like the idea of a dropsheet over your tree, it might be wise to delay putting up all the inside decorations until construction is complete. But then again, a sprinkling of white drywall dust all over the house might look just right at this time of year.
If your contractor makes the effort to be as clean as possible and you've left a margin of safety in the construction schedule, a pre-holiday reno can be smooth sailing. You just need to make sure that you've left nothing to chance, so you can save your holiday stress for the shopping mall and your 26 visiting relatives.
But on the other hand, you have some family always overstaying their welcome, there's nothing like a home in the middle of a renovation to get Aunt Matilda to take the first available bus back to her Florida condo. I'm just saying.
-- Canwest News Service
Catch Mike in his brand-new series, Holmes Inspection airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. For more information visit www.hgtv.ca
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Remove that busted light bulb with a spud
QUESTION: I was trying to replace a burnt-out light bulb in my overhead kitchen light fixture, and the bulb broke, leaving the socket and some broken fragments behind. How do I get this out? Moira, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Turn off the electrical power, put on leather gloves and safety goggles. Slice a potato in half and jam the exposed white potato into the socket. Turn and pull. Or insert pliers into the base and spread the handles apart. Rotate the pliers clockwise until the base comes out. Or insert a screwdriver between the base and the socket. Insert pliers and gently turn the base counter-clockwise until it comes out.
QUESTION: My daughter's washing machine has some black spots on the inside of the machine and on the rubber part. I believe that it may be mould, but am not sure. I leave my washer door open all the time so it dries out. She doesn't, and I think that these spots are from a buildup of moisture. Is there a safe way to remove these black spots? Val, Winnipeg
ANSWER: You are right about leaving the door of the washing machine open between uses. As for mildew on the seal, your daughter's best bet is to scrub the top of the seal as well as underneath the seal with 50/50 bleach and water. Following a good cleaning, soak the empty machine with one cup of bleach once a week. Leave bleach in the machine overnight and rinse in the morning. If you are hesitant to use bleach (like I am), vinegar is a great substitute.
QUESTION: How can I clean the non-slip flooring in my bathtub? It is going grey. I have tried Javex, Vim and vinegar but nothing has worked. Darlene, Winnipeg
ANSWER: I, too, am going grey but the following solutions won't work on me. Here are a few tricks with which readers have had success; make sure to test all solutions on an inconspicuous area first because you don't want to damage the finish. A mixture of salt and turpentine can return the bathtub non-slip flooring back to its original colour (ventilate when using turpentine). Other products to try are: Iron Out, toilet bowl cleaner or washing soda, a scrub with a green scrubby pad, not an S.O.S. pad. Rinse well between product uses!
QUESTION: I put tinfoil in the bottom of my oven to catch spills. Some pieces are now baked-on. It is a self-cleaning oven. How do I get the pieces of tinfoil off? I enjoy reading all your tips. Thanks, Jane (St. Andrews, Manitoba)
ANSWER: I guess it's too late to mention that foil should never be placed on the bottom of a self-clean oven for this exact reason. In my opinion, the best solution for you is to do very little because there isn't any safe way to quickly remove the foil without damaging the porcelain finish of the oven. You can use a plastic scrub pad, some liquid dish soap and a plastic scraper to remove what you can, this is best done when the oven is warm (be careful not to burn yourself). When you are wiping out the oven periodically, use a plastic scrub pad and each time more will come off. The great news is that the self-cleaning oven feature will eventually remove the foil; but it may take several cleaning cycles and a bunch of patience. Extra tidbit: "The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it." -- Arnold H. Glasgow
QUESTION: I have been having "fun" with those little black fruit or plant flies the last several weeks. They are from my houseplants and I have tried putting them outside and spraying the plants with a bought spray but nothing so far has worked. I was wondering if you had any ideas I could try. Thanks so much, Glenda, Winnipeg
ANSWER: You are at war with an insect but it may not the infamous fruit fly. The bugs that you are describing sounds like a fungus gnat. Sure, they disguise themselves to look like fruit flies but they are a cousin to the much-loved mosquito and sometimes bite.
Fungus gnats are caused by over watering and decaying material on the soil of houseplants. The fastest road back to happiness is to dump the infested plant soil into a garbage bag and re-pot each plant with fresh soil. Don't delay -- these little critters multiply quickly and will make their way into coffee cups, soup bowls and other food products.
If you think that you are dealing with fruit flies, you can make a fruit-fly catcher by putting a piece of banana in the bottom of an empty jam jar. Cover with plastic wrap; make a small hole for fruit flies to enter. Or fill an empty pop bottle one-quarter full with pickle juice and leave open on the counter. Or fill several coffee cups half-full with apple cider vinegar. Leave overnight where flies tend to congregate and in the morning they will be floating on the bottom of the cups.
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
* If you leave a metal can like shaving foam on the side of your bath, you will end up with a ring of rust from the base of the can. Combat this problem by covering the bottom of your shaving can with clear mailing tape.
* Are cockroaches in your home driving you nuts? Try this tested trick. Fill a large bowl with cheap wine and leave it under the sink. The pests will drink it, fall in the bowl and drown.
I enjoy your questions and tips; keep them coming!
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Steaming may restore flattened velvet pile
QUESTION: I purchased a grey velvet sofa. It had some creases on the middle of the cushion so I foolishly decided to iron them out. Consequently, I flattened the pile. Is there anything I can do to refresh this velvet pile? Thanks.
Jean, Winnipeg
ANSWER: This sounds like a permanent condition. Judging by your description, the fibres became heated and shrank much the same as when one puts teddy bears into the dryer. Attempt to rectify the problem by steaming the area and gently pulling the fibres up.
QUESTION: Can you tell me the best way to clean Tyndall stone on my fireplace? The whole thing has become discoloured over the years and there is a smoke smudge left from previous fires. Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Thank you.
Gerry, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Since Tyndall stone originates in Manitoba, I decided to call Gillis Quarries Ltd. Tyndall Stone in Manitoba so that I could provide you with the best possible advice.
If the surface is smooth, your best bet is to sand any stained areas with 50-grit sandpaper. A belt sander is a little easier and will save time. Do not use TSP on the surface; because of the salt in TSP, you may end up with white residue (efflorescence) on the stone. If the stone is rough, clean with a nylon-bristle brush.
In both cases, avoid using water, but if you feel that it is very necessary, protect the surrounding area and clean with 50/50 bleach and water.
QUESTION: I have a tan-coloured leather recliner that needs cleaning. I read newspapers and books in the chair and over time the ink from the newsprint has made the arms dirty. I tried liquid dish soap and a soft brush to remove the dirt, but it has little or no effect. Do you have any ideas on how to clean the arms of the recliner?
Myron, Steinbach
ANSWER: Whenever attempting to clean leather, you must always test cleaners on an inconspicuous area first. Over the years, readers have had great results getting rid of newspaper-ink stains be using one of the following: shaving cream, rubbing alcohol, Goof Off, Goo Gone, Sunlight bar soap, saddle soap, Windex, Calvin Klein Obsessions After Shave or Axe Body Spray. Discontinue application if leather dye begins to fade. Another favorite leather cleaner and renewing product is Urad (available online). Taken from Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions
Feedback from a reader:
Original problem: Lemon-juice stain on sealed Absolute Black granite countertop.
Dear Reena,
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I decided to soak the entire counter with lemon juice (I used over 40 lemons!), as it was the juice from a lemon which took the sealant off in the first place. (I did try this on my sample first). The same source you cited pointed out that after using lemon juice everywhere and seeing the surface uniform, choose one area and apply more juice. If it looks lighter, bad news: etching! If the second shot of lemon juice doesn't disturb the finish, a cure has been found... the sealer is gone!
It does look better. The smudgy marks and rings are basically gone. The rings are ever so slightly visible when the counter is wet, but only to me because I know where they were.
On the sample, I had originally used paint stripper, and while that didn't seem to work on its own, following it with lemon juice seemed to make the ring 100 per cent gone. I think if I used paint stripper as well on the counter, the rings would be 100 per cent gone, but I could see damage happening by accident to our painted cupboards, hardwood floor, etc., and I hate the idea of something so toxic in the kitchen, so I am going to live with it as is. Thanks again Reena! You're the best! Marg
Fabulous Tips of the Week:
Dear Reena,
A couple of weeks ago I read a question in your column about removing a substance burnt to the bottom of a pot. I have used a dryer sheet in the bottom of my pot and just covered it with hot water. I let it sit for an hour or so and then using the dryer sheet, I scrub the pot clean and then wash normally. It really works! Pat, Winnipeg
Dear Reena,
To remove glue residue from jars: Soak the jar in hot water. Leave for 30 minutes. Dry the jar with paper towels and apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly, margarine or bacon fat. Allow to stand 24 hours. Wipe area with a paper towel. Repeat if necessary. This works on most glue. Mary, Winnipeg
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.