With school about to begin, now’s the time to tackle some do-it-yourself projects to improve your home

  • Jennifer R. Demuth
  • August 2, 2011
  • 332
                        
Web Summary: With the children going back to school, it’s a great time to get some quick and easy fall home improvement projects completed before the holiday season begins. Local experts from Keim Lumber Company and Ace Hardware offer great advice. As summer fun comes to a close and the kids prepare to return to school, it’s the perfect time to plan some do-it-yourself home improvement projects that can easily be tackled while the kids are at school. There are so many little things that can be done around the house that are quick and easy to accomplish. Numerous ideas abound on the Internet, and the local experts from Ace Hardware and Keim Lumber Company also offered ideas. Bobbi Eggeman, Marketing Coordinator for Keim Lumber Company at Charm, suggested enhancing a distressed or old piece of furniture. To begin the project, first select the furniture you wish to refinish and purchase paint/stain and Howard citrus shield paste wax. Next, to create a more distressed look, use a hammer or screwdriver to create indents throughout the wood. Then re-paint or stain the furniture. After painting/staining, apply the shield paste wax (available in four colors including golden oak, mahogany, walnut and dark oak) over the painted/stained surface. After applying, see your furniture transformed into a distressed work of art. The indentations will remain darker than the rest of the finish. Eggeman also noted that tiling a foyer or entryway is another easy project that could be completed while the kids are at school. The directions for this project are slightly more complicated, but the staff at the flooring department of a home improvement store, like Keim Lumber Company, are usually happy to assist customers with step by step instructions. Eggeman said that customers can benefit from helpful seminars and do it yourself demonstrations at Keim Lumber Company’s Ladies’ Night Out event scheduled for Friday, September 9, 2011. Attendance is free, and women can register and get more information online at www.keimlumber.com. Brad Schilling, full-time specialist at Ace Hardware at New Philadelphia, said that fall is a great time to catch up on outdoor lawn and gardening projects while the kids are away at school. Trimming shrubs and trees, raking leaves, repairing bald spots in the lawn, creating a compost pile and cutting back plants in preparation for winter are all easy projects that can be accomplished in just a few hours. Inside the house, fall is also a good time to rent a carpet cleaner and give floors a good scrubbing during the school day. Taking a day to simply reorganize closets or change the furniture placement in a room can be easy and affordable improvements to make. Painting kitchen or bathroom cabinets is another budget-friendly project to undertake. Painting a room a new color or sprucing up an old chair with some stencils can also dramatically brighten the home in a short period of time. Some energy-saving ideas include caulking windows and tiles, installing dimmer switches and winterizing the home. Truly, the possibilities for do it yourself projects are endless. Those who need more creative ideas and step by step instructions can visit www.keimlumber.com, www.acehardware.com, www.lowes.com and many other online sites that offer free how-to videos, project suggestions and more. When the kids go back to school this fall, discover the difference spending just a handful of hours daily can make to enhance the home.


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