Home Decorating Guru Blog

king Your Gutter Prevents Summertime Problems

 by: ARA Content

(ARA) - Gutter maintenance is something homeowner’s tend to think about only after a problem occurs. They may soon discover that poorly functioning rain gutters can cause many problems, including foundation erosion, basement leaks and rotten fascia boards. During the warmer months, it is a good idea to check your home’s gutter system for damages from ice and snow, heavy rains or clogged debris. If gutter inspections aren’t your forte, whole gutter systems can be replaced with the modern gutter system.

Once you’ve decided to tackle the job of inspecting your gutters, find a sturdy ladder to support you. If you have permanently installed gutter screens or gutter guards, they may be difficult to observe from the ground. It’s a good idea to check each run of gutters from a ladder, to make sure they are clean and free of debris before making any repairs. If your downspouts also have screens at the top, clear them as well, or replace the screens if they’re damaged.

While inspecting your gutters, you may find that over time, the spikes that hold the aluminum to the fascia board have loosened. Either drive the loose spikes back into place, or replace them with longer ones for improved support. Downspouts and other fittings can also be pulled away by snow and ice and may need to be reattached. Gutter neglect can also result in leaks. Most leaks occur at a joint and can be repaired with rubber tape or self-adhesive tape. The patches should be placed a few inches on either side of the leak area.

If you’re not a do-it-yourself kind of homeowner and the thought of tall ladders makes you queasy, the modern gutter system, known as the Rainhandler, turns do-it-yourself into done-for-you. Rainhandler’s unique louver design converts a stream of rainwater into a two-to four-foot wide swath of droplets that are absorbed by shrubs and lawn beyond the eaves.

Rainhandler provides a maintenance-free gutter system for homeowners and creates other benefits. According to the company’s VP Operations, Bob Zuklie, the single biggest problem of homes with no gutters or clogged gutters is ground erosion. Ground erosion can undermine a home’s foundation and cause structural damage, undermine walks and driveways and create safety hazards. Not only does the dispersion of water prevent ground erosion, it allows the transformation of what might otherwise be a torrential downpour of rain streaming from old gutters into a gentle distribution of water droplets, protecting shrubbery and flowers below.

The design of the product’s aluminum louvers also permits leaves and debris to simply blow away, since there is no gutter-like container. These louvers also prevent potentially damaging ice build-up from forming in gutters and eventually leaking into your home. “I used to have a problem in the winter with my conventional gutters with ice build up over my bow window and then the water backing up and running into the living room,” explained a Warwick, Rhode Island resident. “The problem has been solved since I installed the system.”

Whether you decide to hang on to your traditional gutters, or replace them with the Rainhandler modern gutter, the required care for conventional gutters is something homeowners should think about before a problem exists. Regular maintenance and preventative measures can protect you home from possible disasters that can end up costing you hundreds of dollars in the future. Gutter maintenance demonstrates that protecting areas of your home doesn’t necessarily begin from the ground up.

For more information, visit www.rainhandler.com, or call (888) 724-6426.

About The Author

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information, contact Ted Buckenmaier at (800) 942-3004.

Source: http://www.365articles.com

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acing the Irreplaceable

 by: ARA Content

There’s Hope for that Broken Tea Cup or Lost Fork

(ARA) - “They were the only ones that offered any encouragement,” says Margaret Winters. The Northridge, Calif. resident is talking about Replacements Ltd., a company that tracks down discontinued china, silver, glassware and collectibles. Winters lost the teapot from the tea set her husband bought her before they were married, as well as several pieces of her Noritake wedding china, in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which registered 6.8 on the Richter scale. She had lost other pieces of wedding china in a 1971 earthquake as well, and had decided it was time to make her collection complete again.

Unfortunately, Noritake no longer manufactured Winters’ pattern. A friend suggested she contact Replacements Ltd. “They found cups, saucers and a cake plate right away,” she says, adding she was very impressed by the way the china was packed and shipped, as well as the quality of the pieces she received. However, the company advised her that she might be in for a wait on the teapot. “Every so often, I would call them and check to see if I was still on the list,” laughs Winters. “They always told me they were still looking for me.”

Indeed, Replacements has about 1,000 “dish detectives” who are constantly scouring flea markets, garage sales and estate auctions for items requested by customers. “If we don’t have it, we will do everything that we can to try to find it,” says company spokesman Liam Sullivan.

But there is a very good chance that the Greensboro, N.C.-based business will already have what customers are looking for. They have an inventory of more than 9 million pieces in stock, representing 175,000 different patterns, and the list is constantly growing. “We discover a new pattern just about every day,” says Sullivan.

As pieces come in, employees inspect each one and give it a grade, then assign it to a spot on one of the 50,000 shelves in the warehouse, which is the size of more than four football fields. In the showroom, the Great Wall of China spans 40 feet and displays hundreds of china patterns. The display area is open to the public, and hosts thousands of visitors every year.

Those looking to complete their set of china or silver simply call the company or visit its Web site armed with the name of the pattern they’re looking for and the pieces they need. If you don’t know the name of the pattern, you can compare it to pictures on the Web site, or call and describe it to a customer service representative who will help identify it.

Bob Page, founder of Replacements, started the company in 1981 as a logical extension of his weekend hobby of scouring flea markets and estate sales looking for tableware. He started getting requests from people asking him to look for pieces they wanted, and from there a business was born.

Replacements has tracked down china for the rich and famous, including Sen. Ted Kennedy, Barbara Walters, Charlton Heston, Betty Ford and author Anne Rice. Television shows such as “All My Children” and “Everybody Loves Raymond” also come to the company looking for dishes. However, it’s stories like Winters’ that make the business so fulfilling, says Sullivan.

“This is a very emotional subject,” says Sullivan. “These are more than dishes, they’re part of people’s lives, part of their family history,” he says. “We’re really replacing memories.”

Winters would agree. Although it took some time, Replacements found her a new teapot just in time for the holidays. “I kept longing for that teapot,” she says. “Now I can fully enjoy my china.”

For more information, or to register your pattern with Replacements Ltd., visit the company’s Web site, www.replacements.com, or call (800) 737-5223.

SIDEBAR ONE:

Here are the top 10 most popular discontinued patterns based on requests to Replacements Ltd.:

• Weatherly by Lenox
• Desert Rose by Franciscan
• Ivy by Franciscan
• Azalea by Noritake
• Brookdale by Lenox
• Rosilande by Haviland
• Runnymede-Blue by Wedgwood
• Moonspun by Lenox
• Sunnyvale by Castleton
• Kingsley by Lenox

SIDEBAR TWO:

Liam Sullivan of Replacements Ltd. offers the following tips for caring for fine china, crystal and silver:

• Fine crystal and china should always be washed by hand in warm water with mild detergent. When preparing to wash by hand, use a rubber mat or towel to cushion the bottom of the sink.
• Modern china can sometimes be put in the dishwasher, but make sure the words “dishwasher safe” appear on the back of the china.
• Always store sterling in a case lined with soft cloth. Do not use a drawer in the kitchen that is opened frequently, as exposure to air promotes tarnishing.
• Store crystal right side up to protect delicate rims.
• Never stack china cups more than two high to prevent chipping and breakage.

About The Author

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about Replacements Ltd. contact Liam Sullivan at (336) 697-3000, ext. 2552 or liam.sullivan@replacements.com.

Source: http://www.365articles.com

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Uglier The Better

 by: ARA Content

American Standard Announces the 2002 America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest

(ARA) - Floor to ceiling harvest-gold ceramic tile … foam-padded toilet seats … that lovely peach and teal wallpaper from the ’80s. These are just some of the “fashion don’ts” still masquerading as bathroom décor. American Standard realizes that homeowners with such dated bathrooms will go to great lengths to avoid the public eye (or maybe even seek a 12-step program to deal with the embarrassment of harboring such heinous bathing facilities). Regardless, American Standard announces its call for entries in the 2002 America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest to prove that even an ugly bathroom can be transformed into a comfortable and stylish space.

Think your bathroom is atrocious? American Standard wants to see it. If your bath is judged the ugliest in America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest, you will win the beautiful bathroom you’ve been longing for.

“This is the chance for one lucky homeowner to have their unattractive bath turned into a beautiful retreat,” says Jeannette Long, director of marketing communications for American Standard. “The winner will receive a bathroom makeover with American Standard’s elegant new Town Square fixtures, faucets and accessories.”

The America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest winner will choose bathroom fixtures and fittings from American Standard’s Town Square collection of bathtubs, whirlpools, showers, toilets, sinks, faucets and accessories. Town Square is the first bathroom suite designed as one complete solution for new and remodeled bathrooms of any size. Inspired by Shaker and Prairie School designs, the Town Square collection features clean lines for a look that is both sophisticated and comfortable, creating a timeless and elegant appeal.

Designer Barb Schmidt will work with the contest winner to transform their ugly bath into a Town Square dream suite. Barb Schmidt is a nationally known home interior set designer and stylist with more than 16 years experience working with clients like Target, Formica and Hurd windows. Her designs have been featured in many national publications and at kitchen and bath tradeshows.

America’s 2002 Ugliest Bathroom Contest kicks off on July 1, 2002. To enter the contest, American Standard invites homeowners to send a 100-word essay explaining why they deserve a bathroom makeover, along with photographs of their current bathroom. To receive a complete list of the contest rules and regulations, homeowners can visit www.americanstandard-us.com/press or call (866) 455-6118. Entries must include the homeowner’s address and phone number and must be entered online at americanstandard-us.com/press or postmarked by Aug. 31, 2002. The mailing address is America’s Ugliest Bathroom Contest, c/o Carmichael Lynch Spong, 800 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403.

In late August, American Standard will announce a finalist from each of the seven U.S. regions — West, Northwest, East, Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. Finalists’ essays and photographs will be posted online at www.americanstandard-us.com/press where visitors can read the essays, see the photos and participate in a poll for the bathroom they deem most in need of a makeover.

A panel of designers and American Standard experts will select the Ugliest Bathroom Contest winner based on the originality of the essay and need for a new, updated bath. The winner will be announced in late October, 2002.

Last year’s American Standard contest awarded Mike and Bonnie Smith of Edina, Minn., with their dream bathroom makeover. The Smiths’ previous master bathroom was functional and roomy, but the style of the room was a source of discomfort for the couple. From floor to fixtures, the bathroom was decorated with ’70s style turquoise, mustard yellow and brown.

Bonnie Smith explains, “Our bathroom was badly in need of an update, and we were thrilled when we won the American Standard contest. The remodeling is almost done. The new American Standard products look fantastic and have transformed our blah bath into a really beautiful room.” Thanks to American Standard, the Smiths’ wish for a dream bathroom will soon be fulfilled. Their elegant new bath is scheduled for completion July 30. For more information on American Standard and Porcher, call (800) 524-9797, Ext. 199 or visit www.americanstandard-us.com/press to locate the nearest showroom.

About The Author

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information contact Sara Mulder for American Standard, (612) 375-8544, smulder@clynch.com or Stephanie Hoch for American Standard at (612) 375-8526, shoch@clynch.com. American Standard is a global manufacturer with market leading positions in three businesses: Trane, the nation’s leading supplier of central air conditioning equipment for commercial and institutional buildings and a premier brand for residential buildings; American Standard and Ideal Standard, the world’s largest manufacturer of plumbing products; and WABCO, the leading supplier of electronic braking and control systems to the world’s manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks and buses. The company employs approximately 58,000 people in 36 countries. American Standard is included in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

Source: http://www.365articles.com

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rooms are a Home’s True Underachievers

 by: ARA Content

Research shows Americans are slow to invest in major bathroom remodels, but new products can enhance an existing bath

(ARA) - Judging by the myriad of magazines, decorating shows and how-to books that assail the average homeowner, it’s easy to believe that Americans live in the lap of lavatory luxury. It’s a world of gold-plated, claw-footed soaking tubs, special steam showers and huge, double-sink vanities in everyone’s home but yours, right?

Wrong. While new home builders and developers know and provide what people really want in the bath, homeowners tend to be painfully slow about upgrading their existing baths.

Leading plumbing fixture and accessory manufacturer Moen Inc., which is also a leading researcher in trends related to kitchens and baths, says its data shows that most Americans have plenty of work to do if they are to catch up with the bathroom ideal.

For example only 14 percent of American homes’ master bathrooms have a stand-alone tub and separate shower stall. That compares with (an estimated) 98 percent of the bathrooms shown in the average home-decorating magazine! But it’s no wonder — more than half of homeowners report that their master bath is less than 75 square feet in size.

Also, more than half of us shower every morning not behind a decorative etched glass door or a marble dividing wall, but behind the common shower curtain. You won’t see many of those advertised in the latest edition of “Dream Baths.”

Too often, the bathroom plays second fiddle to the kitchen when it comes to prioritizing home renovation projects, according to Wanda Jankowski, editor of Kitchen & Bath Business magazine. “The kitchen has retained and even built upon its position as the focal point of the home and a center of both socialization and function. But the master bathroom is still stuck in its hygienic role and remains a private abode that doesn’t get as many opportunities to impress visiting guests,” said Jankowski. Couple that with the fact that a bathroom renovation can be nearly as involved and expensive as a kitchen makeover and you have the makings for procrastination on the part of otherwise conscientious homeowners.

Research Reveals The Bathroom “Truth”

Moen’s research shows that the bath is definitely behind the times. In fact, there’s a good chance that a master bathroom will have an old-style combination shower and tub — a 72 percent chance if the home is more than 20 years old. There’s still a 62 percent chance of finding a tub/shower combination in an 11- to 20-year old home.

Even the folks at Moen were a bit surprised at some of the findings their research turned up when the company recently conducted a “bathroom inventory” survey that took an in-depth look at the bathrooms of more than 2,400 U.S. homeowners.

According to Jack Suvak, Moen director of consumer and trade research, the company deals so much with new construction or professional sources of remodeling, that even it can get a somewhat skewed view of what’s really out there in people’s homes. “This sort of research is good for us, because it reminds us of what people have in their existing homes — and that gives us a better idea of what sort of things professional remodelers and do-it-yourselfers will need in the future,” Suvak said.

Innovations for Existing Bathrooms

Thanks in part to researching what people want and what they will use, Moen has introduced products that will make the most of an existing bathroom. For example, its Revolution massaging showerhead economically turns an existing shower stall into a personal masseuse.

The idea for this product was born out of extensive research with consumers, including conducting in-depth interviews with people who kept diaries of their showering habits, surveying shoppers in the showerhead aisle, and actually videotaping people’s shower routines (with permission, of course).

Because the Revolution showerhead can be added to an existing shower arm, this product is the perfect addition for consumers who want something different in their baths but don’t have the space (or budget) for a complete remodel. Revolution spins, twists and swirls the water for phenomenal coverage and a unique showering experience.

Another recent Moen introduction, the M*PACT valve, was created for the consumer who constantly desires change and an updated look. This valve, once installed, allows for easy faucet changeouts to new trim from above the sink. Changeouts can be accomplished just as easily in the shower by removing the trim without having to go behind the wall. And, the new look can even be carried over to accessories. In this way, consumers can easily change the look of their bath in just a few minutes — without a large expense.

“The world is very stressful today and bath products can help you de-stress and offer you a better quality of life,” says Jankowski. She adds that bathroom makeovers can increase the value of the home to both its present owners as well as potential future buyers.

So, if you’re looking through one of your favorite home-improvement magazines wishing you had a bathroom like the ones inside, take a fresh look at the products currently on the market that can update your existing bath. Look for products that can provide luxury benefits and great looks to further enhance the quality of your life, as well as the value of your home.

For more information about products or remodeling projects, contact Moen Incorporated at 25300 Al Moen Drive, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070-8022, call toll free 1-800-BUY MOEN (1-800-289-6636) or visit its Web site at www.moen.com.

About The Author

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com; e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com

EDITORS NOTE: For more information, contact Ginny Long, Director of Public Affairs, Moen Incorporated, (800) 321-8809, Ext. 2019 or Chris R. Lynch, Robert Falls & Co. Public Relations, (216) 696-0229

Moen Incorporated is one of the world’s largest producers of residential and commercial plumbing products. Moen is the #1 brand of faucets in North America. The company manufactures a complete line of single and two-handle faucets in a wide assortment of styles and finishes. It is also a leading producer of residential and commercial sinks, a variety of shower accessories, bathroom accessories and a complete line of plumbing parts and accessories (sold under the trade names Moen, Chicago Specialty, Cleveland Faucet Group, Creative Specialties International, Dearborn Brass, Hoov-R-Line and Wrightway Manufacturing).

Moen Incorporated is an operating company of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO, www.fortunebrands.com), the consumer products company, with headquarters in Lincolnshire, IL.

Source: http://www.365articles.com

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