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Transform Landscape Edging into Outdoor Metal Wall Decor

Landscape edging can make beautiful wall decor for your garden or the facade of your home. Metal landscape edging that looks like miniature fences can be hung in a line to create graceful metal wall decor between two windows. More ornate metal landscape edging can be hung in the shape of a square to create garden metal wall decor. While plastic landscape edging can be used to create wall decor around windows. Here are the simple ways landscape edging can be used to create affordable outdoor wall decor to ornament the facade of your home and garden.

Transform Landscape Edging into Metal Wall Decor for the Facade of Your Home

To create metal wall decor between two windows that face the street, begin by measuring the space, so as to know how many landscape edging pieces you will need. Next, at your home lawn improvement garden center choose metal landscape edging that looks beautiful and filled with rustic charm. You can run one line of landscape edging with the spikes facing down for a single metal wall decor between your two windows. Or two lines, with the spikes facing one another, for a double-sided metal wall decor. Hang the landscape edging with nails hammered in at an angle, to fold over the landscape edging and keep your metal wall decor firmly in place.

Transform Landscape Edging into Metal Wall Decor for Your Garden

More ornate landscape edging can make beautiful metal wall decor for your garden. Simply buy four landscape edging pieces, then hang them in a square, with the metal spikes meeting at the center in a crisscross pattern.

Transform Landscape Edging into Wall Decor Around Outdoor Windows

Plastic landscape edging is more versatile than metal landscape edging because you can easily cut the spikes off. After the spikes are removed, you’ll be left with the ornamental part of the landscape edging alone. Hang these under windows or around them, to create beautiful wall decor on the street facade of your home.

Kitchen Remodeling

Affordable Kitchen Remodeling – Remodeling a kitchen, just like a bathroom is one of the most expensive renovation projects of your house and it may sometimes go far beyond your expected budget. However, certain steps, if implemented can give it a great look without redoing the entire kitchen. It is also advisable to hire a kitchen contractor for innovative renovation ideas for your Federal Way kitchen remodeling.

Refinish your old cabinets and countertops
With any remodeling project, the main idea is to give a new look to the existing one and make it more functional. So, it is not necessary to change the entire layout of your kitchen. By just refinishing your kitchen cabinets and granite countertops according to your changing needs and preferences, you can solve your purpose in a minimum possible budget. Improving the doors of the cabinet, its handles and even its paint can make a world of difference.

Laminate Flooring
If you wish to change the flooring of your kitchen to give it a new look, it is advisable to go for laminate flooring and make your Federal Way kitchen remodeling affordable. They are cheaper in comparison to woods and tiles and come in a wide variety of patterns.

Coat the wall with new paints
A very easy way to give a fresh look to your kitchen is to coat the walls with new paint. Coating is quite affordable and with the help of Federal Way kitchen remodeling experts, you can select a good color and enhance the overall décor. To make it interesting, coat one of the walls with a bright color such as crimson red, forest green or sunny yellow and rest of the walls with any light color.

Update the Faucet and Sink
Another area in your kitchen where you can easily impart a new look in your Federal Way kitchen remodel is the sink and faucet. You can easily get a moderately priced sink and faucet that can add an element of freshness in your kitchen. They are available in a variety of style, finish and color, which you can select as per your preferences and tastes.

Add a backsplash
If you have a shoestring kitchen remodeling budget, and you can only afford to focus on one aspect, you may add a kitchen backsplash. A new backsplash can really dress up an otherwise boring and uninspiring kitchen. Backsplashes are available in a variety of materials, styles and colors. You can add tiles sideways like a diamond to impart a unique look and also save money because of the fewer number of tiles used in this style.

Seek professional advice
You can also seek advice from professional remodeling experts in Federal Way or nearby areas in Washington such as Seattle or Tacoma, who can suggest the best option for making your kitchen remodeling affordable. Take detailed bids from them for their services for the entire work proposed by them. Even though they will charge some fee for their services, they may help you save a lot of money by their useful advice.

Accidents happen, and sometimes that accident involves a certain object hitting the wall, missing the stud, and well… going through the wall. So now the dream house has an ugly gaping hole somewhere in there. While placing a large picture over the hole may seem like a viable (and inexpensive) solution, it’s not a good idea.

The reason home repairs cost so much is not because the work itself is difficult, though it may be at times, but because of the time used to fix the hole. As a rule, the repairman is not only going to charge for travel time and gas, but he is also charging for other contingiency plans, such as extra trips to the store for various reasons, like picking up the drywall or buying extra supplies.

Most of the time, drywall repair is easy to do, but there are times when Murphy is just itching to get a good laugh. At those times, you just have to go with your instincts and call in a pro. But for an enthusiasts who is willing to take on job that requires a little skill and imagination, doing this repair yourself can save a lot of cash.

This job is a little different because you have to do things out of the usual order. So before you head out the door and buy supplies, the first thing you want to do is begin some of the prepratory work and inspect the damage.

Begin by using a knife to cut a square around the hole. This hole does not have to be perfect, but it shouldn’t be any larger than it has to be. Cut the square, or squares if it must be, to the studs on each side of the hole. Pull the drywall off the stud and remove the nails. While you are there, it is a good idea to see the condition of the stud. Usually there is nothing wrong with the stud. What is important is seeing the handywork used by whomever built the wall. Sometimes there are truly bizarre findings. For example, I once worked on a repair where the drywall was attached to a pile of drywall. The patch of drywall was then attached to the stud. In other words, I was looking at three layers of drywall. If I hadn’t done the preparation work first, I would not have known that I would need to buy two different sizes of drywall in order to match the wall. This saved me a lot of time and an extra trip to the store, though I did waste a few minutes scratching my head.

Usually, nothing too far afield is going to be found. The main purpose of doing the prepratory work is to see what size drywall you need. Although the standard drywall thickness is half-inch, you simply don’t know until you see it.

The supplies for drywall repair are simple: drywall, drywall nails, hammer, drywall sandpaper, and drywall mud.

The key to drywall repair is exact measurement. It is a good idea to cut the new drywall a little too large and scrape it down so that it fits snugly inside the hole. The common error in drywall repair is using tape. When you repair drywall, you do not use tape. Just take the mud and put it on the crack. Like normal drywall work, you will need to put too much mud on and let it dry.

Drying usually takes about 24 hours. When the mud is dry, use the drywall sandpaper to to scrape it down. When you are sanding the mud, be sure to feather it out across the wall. The more you feather it, the less visible any bumps from the repair will be, so it is not a problem to have the dust spread about a foot away from the repair.

After you are satisfied that the wall is smooth, take a damp cloth and remove all the dust. The final step is painting. It is best to simply paint the entire wall, and depending on how old the paint is, you may want to paint the entire room.

With the expiration of the federal housing tax credit, existing home sales plummeted 32.7 percent in May to the lowest level in four decades, according to the Department of Commerce. Those who lost out on $8,000 in tax credits are now pondering whether to keep shopping or stay put.

Home owners who decide to not to sell should focus on adding value to their homes as they wait for the right time to jump back into the housing market. Here’s a look at three home improvement projects that can boost your home value now.

Kitchen Remodeling is Here to Stay

The kitchen remains the prized room in the house, but it should be remodeled with care in today’s market. Create a realistic budget and consult with a real estate agent about what is expected in your neighborhood and what will set your house apart. Check out the best Granite and quartz countertops Inventory in the Arizona.

One big plus for anyone remodeling or installing granite in your home right now is the reduced cost of labor and household products. As contractors, plumbing suppliers and cabinet-makers work through the recession, they are willing to cut deals that can translate to 20- to 30-percent savings to the home owner, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Industry.

With a budget of $5,000 to $10,000, you can create a whole new face for your kitchen. New granite countertops, a nice hutch and some smaller details are just the start, according to Kitchen and Bath Ideas.

Focus on upgrading the main elements — cabinetry, countertops and appliances — while adding in a few “wow” factors, such as a stainless steel backsplash or a high-arching faucet. Whenever possible, reuse what you have. Your kitchen appliances can be refurbished by building decorative cabinetry around them. Cabinetry can be refaced or painted to create a new look.

By focusing on a timeless look, you can create a dream kitchen that will attract buyers in two, five or 10 years.

Add a Spot for Outdoor Entertainment

Outdoor rooms are all the rage these days, as home owners in different climates — Chicago to Atlanta to San Francisco — look for ways to extend their interior living space to the outdoors. Among the options for boosting your home value (and enjoyment level) are a new patio or deck, complete with a pergola, trellis or nearby gazebo or pond.

Select one or two spaces for seating and add in comfy chairs, decorative seat cushions and a few furniture pieces to give it a decorator’s look. It’s also easy to create an outdoor kitchen area with a grill, portable refrigerator and a small countertop. You’ll have an exciting new space and added curb appeal for future home buyers.

Speaking of Curb Appeal

Curb appeal remains a vital element in selling, as it can pull people in or prompt them to drive by without seeing all those fancy interior upgrades. Start by taking a look at your home from across the street. What stands out or blends into the neighborhood? A red door, a new white picket fence, fresh paint and new shutters are among the remodeling projects that can add an attractive finishing touch.

In neighborhoods where the homes have similar styling, try expanding your front stoop, adding a large perennial garden or a curved brick sidewalk. Anything that can set your home apart can pay big dividends when you decide to jump back into the housing market.

Why You May Need to Hire a House Cleaner

Many think of a house cleaner as an extra and unnecessary expense, while others see it as an opportunity to make time for themselves and relax a bit. For those who see having a house cleaner as a luxury, read on, as it may actually improve the quality of your life greatly, to those who already have a house cleaner in the first place, you can take a second look and see if you really need one, especially in these hard and difficult times. In the end it is you who will decide if a house cleaner is for you, this is just a guide to help you decide on what to do.

Now it is time for you to decide as to whether or not you should hire a house cleaner. First and foremost should probably be your financial capacity. Can you afford to pay for a house cleaner in the first place? Are you willing to set aside a part of your monthly budget to specifically pay for this service? Are you the type of person who has a lot of spare time, or is all your time spent working, and once you get home you are spent?

Answer these questions first, and if you finally decide to hire a house cleaner you have to choose which type of house cleaner you want.

House cleaners come in two varieties, first those who are part of a company where it is possible to have different cleaners each time they provide their services. This can be a double edged sword, because if there is a cleaner that you particularly like, you cannot request for him or her, you usually are bound by whom the company decides to send you. On the other hand, if you dislike a particular cleaner, it is easy to complain about their service, and they can send a more acceptable replacement the next time they come.

There are those house cleaners who own their business and go solo. They are not beholden to any company but themselves. The good thing about this is that their reputation is at stake with whatever they do whether good or bad. This means that they are usually more careful in providing their services and you can generally get good results. But before anything you should check if they are bonded or insured, so you can decide beforehand if you are willing to take this risk.

You should also do prior research, compare rates, services included, who provides what? There is no harm in canvassing to get the best bang for your buck, after all, it is your hard earned money.