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Ralph King Profile and Articles
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1). 5 Household Innovations Worth a Second Look
According to "Innovation Insider" Steve Greenberg, the availability of new technologies - and the accessibility of great design - have primed consumers to be on the lookout for new and useful products that will help better their lives.
"Consumers embrace new products or innovations when they help meet a specific need or solve a problem," he notes.
2). A Not-So-Desperate Housewife's Crash Course in Speed-Cleanin
Who wants to stay home and clean for hours when it's beautiful outside? Let's face it, cleaning is a chore many of us would like to avoid.
For eternal procrastinators, guilt about not thoroughly cleaning the house increases considerably when the ghosts of spring-cleaning come knocking on their doors.
The good news is that there are some new cleaning devices that can move your cleaning speed into high gear.
3). Accentuate Your Home's Architecture With Wood
The newest trend in home renovation is to add updates that are true to a home's specific architectural tradition, whether it's Old World Mediterranean, English Tudor, Craftsman or Victorian.
Wood features are especially important in drawing attention to your home's architecture. Because wood is a flexible and durable material, it is commonly used to achieve a cohesive look that accentuates a home's architecture and blends its focal points.
4). Appliances Make Laundry Day Easier
Traditionally, the washer and dryer have been necessary annoyances in the home. They're loud, inefficient and hard on clothes, but they're the only way to tackle the ever-growing mountains of laundry that families produce week after week.
Now, some innovations in laundry are changing the way people look at these appliances. New lines of front-loading washers and dryers save time, save wear and tear on clothes, and help save the environment.
5). Boost Your Home's Resale Value With Landscaping
If you want to increase the value of your home, invest in landscaping. A Clemson University study found that landscaping around your home can result in more than a 100 percent return on investment.
Since the return on investment is contingent upon the quality of the landscaping job, it's important that you find the right landscaping contractor for your project and use high-quality materials like segmental retaining walls and interlocking concrete pavers.
6). Bring the Elements of Nature Into Your Home
"Comforting," "calming" and "soothing" are words often associated with the colors, textures and patterns found in nature. According to scientists, bringing the elements of nature into your home can enhance your mood, improve your health and boost your energy up to 24 percent.
These nature-inspired tips will help you turn your home into a stress-free haven.
7). Candles Reign As Decorating Staple
While home renovation continues to be strong in this stagnant economy, people seem to be spending less on home decorating.
A study conducted for the National Candle Association found that the majority of adult women have spent less than $500 decorating their homes in the last year.
Though many home decorating budgets are tight, the study found that candles remain a steadfast decorating essential, and 74 percent of women still believe that candles are an important home accessory.
8). Cleaning Tips for a Healthier Home
Spring is in the air. There is no better time than now to get rid of a winter's worth of dust and grime.
As you prepare for your spring cleaning, remember to dig beneath the surface, because what you can't see can hurt you.
How clean is clean?
Understanding the difference between a home that looks clean and a home that is properly disinfected is especially important.
9). Concrete Masonry Walls Are Professionals' Choice
Homeowners know that quality landscaping enhances the beauty of homes, increases curb appeal and can dramatically increase a home's value.
To ensure the best-quality landscaping, design professionals and landscape installers look for top-notch products - those that are aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective and durable. According to the National Concrete Masonry Association, segmental retaining wall systems often exceed such expectations within both the commercial and residential markets.
10). Concrete Products Give Homes 'Curb Appeal'
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It's a small piece of advice that becomes ever more valuable when you're trying to sell your home.
The first impression your home leaves is based on its "curb appeal," which correlates directly to the home's perceived value. In fact, attractive, high-quality landscaping can lead to a 100 percent return on investment when a home is sold.
11). Covert Cams Bring Security at Home
According to the Vanished Children's Alliance, a child is missing or abducted every 40 seconds.
A car is stolen every 24 seconds in the United States, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
What can you do to prevent these crimes from happening to you and your family? Video surveillance is one option you may not have considered.
Video surveillance usually brings to mind retail stores and malls.
12). Create an Asian-Inspired Outdoor Room
Everyone needs a little getaway. How about creating one in your own backyard? An outdoor room can get you "out" of the house while keeping the comforts of home close by.
Whether your outdoor space is a screened-in porch, a patio, a balcony or even a rooftop deck, all you need are three basic elements to make it a relaxing oasis: comfortable seating, a soothing ambience and accessories that enhance the surroundings.
13). Customize Your Bathroom
Today, bathrooms are just as much about style as the rest of the house. It should also be a place that expresses your individuality and sense of style for increased comfort and enjoyment. Start small and coordinate smaller items or buy one luxury item that showcases your personal style. Depending upon your budget and creativity, you can easily impact the look and feel of your bathroom in one or two simple steps.
14). Do-It-Yourself Patio Tips
Thinking of installing a brick patio?
Here are some tips from Laura Schwind, a registered landscape architect for Pine Hall Brick, the largest supplier of clay pavers in the United States.
* Consider the size. Most people make their patios too small. The average patio is 150 square feet. To get an idea of the size and space, place furniture, a grill and your kids' toys in the proposed area and outline the area with a garden hose.
15). Do-It-Yourself Paver Project Is Easy and Fun
Anyone who knows Stacy Stevens knows that she and her husband, Dwayne, are usually involved in some kind of home- improvement project. Their latest venture? Rehabilitating their front yard after they had to tear it up to fix a drainage problem.
To turn a catastrophe into an asset, they decided to replace their sidewalk with something that complemented their 1940s brick home.
16). Don't Let Ants Spoil Your Summer
Summer is here and so are the bugs. While we are planning picnics and firing up the backyard barbecue, ants are moving inside to forage on our countertops and invade our refrigerators.
We all expect to see ants in our backyard; it's a sign of summer. But when they start to move indoors, they become a nuisance. Ants can often be found around sinks and countertops looking for food and water.
17). Don't Let Heating Bills Get the Best of You This Winter
During the cold of winter, nothing makes your blood boil like those rising heating bills. With a few home improvements, you can stop those bills from adding fuel to the fire of maddening energy bills.
To keep your energy costs lower this winter, try these ideas from the makers of Heil brand heating and cooling products:
* Be more energy conscious.
18). Eleven Things You Should Know About Mold
Mold: You can't always see it, but it's there, thriving in the dark, moist corners of your basement or creeping under your family room carpet.
It can hide and go undetected until some unsuspecting person smells it, notices a damp spot or stain, or begins to feel its presence with the onset of asthma attacks, allergic reactions and other respiratory issues.
19). Escape the Stresses of Life With a Backyard Waterfall
Colorful fish gliding through clear water. Plants and flowers blowing in the wind. The sound of water cascading over rocks. What could be more relaxing than having a waterfall right in your own backyard?
After a hectic day, the pleasant sound of falling water carries you to your own private getaway, away from daily stresses and neighborhood noise.
Creating this oasis by adding a waterfall to your outdoor space is easy with the new Beckett Waterfall Kit.
20). Expert Advice on Planning Your Next Move
The warmer months are when many people buy a new home. This means a new beginning, a new phone number and new things to buy. When families purchase a home, they typically purchase all new household products. Often, people go a bit overboard and get more than they need.
When moving, there are a few steps all homeowners should take to ensure their move goes as smoothly as possible.
21). Fast Fixes For Spring
Springtime home repairs can be costly and time-consuming, so homeowners often rely on duct tape for quick fixes or inexpensive repairs.
Duct tape has been around since 1942, but the recent introduction of Gorilla Tape takes this traditional handyman's tool to a new level, offering more uses than before for spring chores.
The manufacturer says Gorilla Tape has a thicker adhesive that bonds to surfaces that other tape won't stick to, like brick and stucco.
22). Get the Highest Possible Price for Your House
Now that you've determined how much your house is worth, how do you go about getting it sold at your asking price?
There are three simple things that you can do to get a higher sales price. Professional real estate investors have used the following strategies for years. Now you can, too.
1. Fix it up. Since potential buyers' first impressions of your home hinge on the state of the yard and the first few steps inside, that's the most important area on which to concentrate your efforts.
23). Home Improvements Save Energy, Increase Home Appeal
Your home is one of your greatest assets. It's important that you protect and improve on that asset to get the most value from your home.
Whether you are trying to sell your home or just ready for a change, there are a few improvements you can make that offer the double-benefit of reducing your energy bills while you increase the value of your home.
24). Internet Abuzz About Home Safety in Hurricanes
Just as Hurricane Frances began to whip the storm-torn state of Florida - and only two weeks after Hurricane Charley ripped through - Internet chat rooms and discussion threads were buzzing with fear and dread.
Posting on www.murmurs.com as Trillium Lili, a Florida resdient wrote, "All I can say is that it is very hard to leave my house, not knowing if it will even be there when I get back.
25). It's Election Time: Get Out the Vote and Win Big
With the presidential election campaign in full swing, it's that time of year again when Americans are reviewing the issues and choosing our next president.
In the spirit of the election, PartyLite, the leading direct seller of quality candles and accessories, is asking Americans to exercise their right to vote in another way: by choosing their favorite candle fragrance through its "Get Out the Votives" sweepstakes.
26). Lifestyle Expert Helps Women With Weekend Chores
Moms around the country are being pulled in every direction. During the week, almost every hour is filled with work, carpool, homework help and feeding the family, leaving them with little time to do anything else, much less attend to their homes.
"Weekends are the only time that women have to take care of their homes," said Katie Brown, lifestyle expert and author of the new book "Katie Brown's Weekends.
27). Make the Garage an Extension of Your Home
Today's homeowners expect the garage to be more than a vehicle shelter and stopover for seasonal equipment and family castoffs. The standard 18-by-24, two-car garage can add 432 square feet of usable real estate to a home's layout.
Families on the go want extra space for do-it-yourself projects, easy access to car-care supplies and recreational gear - and even a play area for children.
28). Make Your Energy Bills Look as Good as Your Home
Even the nicest homes can be uncomfortable if you're trying to keep energy costs low during the cold winter months.
With these improvements, however, you can increase your home's efficiency.
* Add padding. Make sure your home is properly insulated to help trap heat indoors; it's one of the most convenient and cost-efficient ways to reduce energy usage.
29). Money-Saving Ideas for Energy Efficiency
Few things come with a recipe that helps make our lives easier.
There is a recipe, however, to help you save money and improve your home comfort - and it's no secret. It's a simple combination of a little work and a few changes to make your home more efficient. Prepare for winter with these money-saving ideas from the company that brings you Heil brand heating and cooling products:
1.
30). PartStore Makes Finding Parts Simple
Have you ever broken a knob off of your stove while cooking dinner or lost your original TV remote right before the big game? Did your laptop battery run out of juice? Then you know just how hard it is to find replacement parts.
Now, thanks to PartStore.com, you don't have to go through a major ordeal to get replacement parts and accessories for household products.
31). Power-Saw Safety Tips
Whether you're remodeling a basement, fixing a porch or building a deck, chances are you'll use a power saw.
Power saws make any home fix-it job easier, but be careful: Contact with saw blades spinning at 5,000 revolutions per minute sends more than 91,000 people to the emergency room every year.
"Kickback," a hazard inherent to all power saws regardless of brand or style, is a leading cause of power-saw injuries.
32). Prepare Your Home For a Power Outage
The temperature's rising and summer is just around the corner. That means the risk of power outages is increasing.
Staying cool on a hot day requires a lot of extra electricity. The last thing you want during the summer is to be without electricity as a result of a power outage. In the summer of 2003, the Midwest and the Northeast experienced an electrical power blackout that left an estimated 50 million people in the dark for days.
33). Professionals Prefer Segmental Retaining Walls
Design professionals and landscape installers prefer to use products that meet the aesthetic requirements of a diverse market, provide cost savings and provide long-term durability.
According to the National Concrete Masonry Association, segmental retaining wall systems, or SRWs, are meeting or exceeding these expectations within both commercial and residential markets.
34). Quiet, Compact Boiler Saves Money, Energy
Dana Morton is perhaps the only homeowner in Kennebunkport, Maine, who can't wait for winter to arrive.
More precisely, he looks forward to enjoying continued energy savings during his third winter with a Baxi wall-hung heating and hot water boiler.
"I'm a big fan of the Baxi Luna boiler, and there's no question I'm looking forward to my third winter with this appliance," says the professional engineer.
35). Recreate Craftsman Charm in Your Home
Arts and Crafts - also known as Craftsman - homes were originally constructed as a response to the highly styled, elaborate Victorian popular in the early 20th century. Today, these homes are enjoying a comeback, and many homeowners aspire to create the clean lines and charming design in their own environment.
Craftsman homes imbue warmth and simplicity, a getaway from today's hectic everyday life.
36). Redecorating Your Home? Start with the Windows
For many, the thought of home decorating can be overwhelming, though experienced interior designers make it look so easy. But, with a good understanding of your home and lifestyle needs, embarking on a decorating project can be just as easy as it is for the professionals.
The best part about decorating is that it only takes a little to make a huge difference.
37). Redwood 'Shade Shelters' Cool Summer's Sizzle
During the gray days of winter, memories of barbecues and days by the pool keep us going until summer returns. What we fail to remember, however, are the things that keep us from enjoying the precious summer months - namely, scorching heat and annoying insects.
A well-planned redwood "shade shelter" can solve these problems, allowing you to enjoy more of summer's fun in comfort.
38). Selecting a Good Heating Or Cooling Contractor
Be careful when choosing a heating or cooling contractor to service your home's comfort system. A bad one is a money pit, but a good one can actually save you money.
Whether you're purchasing a new heater or air conditioner, or having your existing one serviced, you want value. Anything less than optimum energy-efficient functioning is a waste of your hard-earned money.
39). Seniors Hold Tight To the American Dream
As you edge toward retirement, do you see yourself swinging a golf club on your backyard fairway or wiping the sweat off your brow as you mow your own lawn?
The active-adult community lifestyle can't compete with the lure of owning a single-family home (yard work included), according to a recent national survey of senior men and women conducted on behalf of ERA Real Estate.
40). Seniors: Don't Overlook Your Changing Sleep Needs
Many seniors are becoming all too familiar with the "tired" part of "retired." While many anticipated a new and more relaxing chapter in their lives in retirement, some are finding that a good night's rest is more and more difficult to obtain.
The culprit might be more than noisy grandkids. Experts say it might be the quality of their mattresses..
41). Simple Steps to Quick And Easy Window Care
When it's time to decorate the home for family celebrations, clean windows and patio doors add to the enjoyment of the occasion. But with all of the planning and preparation, window cleaning often falls to the bottom of the "to do" list.
Jeld-Wen, a window and door manufacturer, offers these simple steps for cleaning windows and patio doors quickly and effectively.
42). Simplify Your Chores
It's springtime. The birds are chirping; the flowers are blooming; the dust is collecting.
If you'd rather be out flying kites, follow these tips from the experts at Merry Maids to make spring-cleaning a breeze.
* Develop a task list. Prioritize the list and tackle the most difficult jobs first. Your sense of accomplishment will empower you to finish off the rest more quickly and easily.
43). Speed-Cleaning Tips to Help You Take Back Your Time
One in three Americans are chronically overworked, according to a 2005 Families and Work Institute study.
Many would agree that making the most of one's time is essential to achieving happiness and life balance. In the spirit of "National Take Back Your Time Day" on October 24, the experts at Merry Maids offer these time-saving tips to help you breeze through the dirty work fast.
44). Spring Cleaning Ideas For Outdoor Living
Before the spring season gets into full swing, take a weekend to get your home ready for outdoor living with some cleaning tips from Merry Maids.
* Give the garage a makeover. First, tackle the junk pile. Rid your space of unwanted items such as broken tools, rusty fishing tackle and old magazines.
Overhead storage, such as lofts and ledges, offer great spaces for storing small toys, coolers and winter sleds.
45). Stay Warm, Save Money By Winterizing Your Home
For many, winter means cozy evenings relaxing in front of a crackling fire. For others, it means high energy bills just to stay warm.
The latter is true if your home is poorly winterized, since 50 percent of a home's energy needs are credited to heating and cooling costs. By following a few important tips, homeowners can cut down on a home's energy needs during cold weather months to stay warm and save money at the same time.
46). Take the Mystery Out of Buying Windows and Doors
Of all the remodeling projects undertaken by homeowners, replacing windows or doors ranks among the top five. It is one of the most cost-effective ways to add to a home's value, comfort, security and "curb appeal."
With hundreds of window and door options, the dilemma for many homeowners is choosing stylish, high-quality products that will stand the test of time.
47). Termite-Proof Your Home With These 5 Tips
A silent threat is spreading across the United States. Termites: They are found in every state except Alaska and cost consumers billions of dollars in repairs and treatments each year, according to national pest control experts.
In most regions, warm, windless nights awaken swarms of newly hatched termites that take wing to found new colonies. One dreaded variety, the subterranean Formosan termite, will eat through lead, asphalt, rubber and plastic to find food.
48). Tips For Choosing the Right Windows For Your Home
According to the National Association of Home Builders, the fourth most common of all home-remodeling jobs in 2002 were window and door replacements (44 percent). It's no wonder why: Reliable products can help homeowners save energy, reduce maintenance and increase comfort.
But how do homeowners choose windows that are best suited for their home and their climate? Leading manufacturers offer these tips.
49). Tips for Shipping Bulky Items
If you're planning a move, packing is probably the one thing you're not looking forward to. So, you rent a truck or call a moving company and the problem is solved.
However, if what you really want to do is ship an overstuffed sofa to your son at college or a priceless oil painting to your mother across country, the solutions aren't as obvious.
How.
50). Tips on Controlling Mold in Your Home
The growth of mold in your home not only can promote health-related problems, but it also can require expensive home repairs.
Mold can damage your furnishings, cabinets and even the structural elements in your home. Some homeowners who discover mold in their homes find that the only way to remedy the problem is to remove and replace the walls and ceilings where the growth was found.
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