by Guest

If you have a dark room that you are trying to light, you probably already know that it isn’t an easy task to accomplish. It’s important to understand how different light fixtures illuminate a space differently. This way you are sure to get the right lighting combination for your needs.

Some things to consider when choosing your lighting…

Paint and furniture color: If your room has very little natural light, you may want to choose a lighter color for the walls since they will reflect the light from the light fixtures better. To bring warmth into the room, and to help offset the brightness of the wall color, consider using furniture or carpeting with warmer tones.

Ambient Lighting: To be sure you have adequate overall lighting in the room; it’s good to install overhead lighting—for example, flush mount fixtures, track lighting, recessed lighting, etc. These lights can be hooked up to a dimmer switch so that they can be used brightly for tasks and entertaining, as well as dimmed for a more relaxed setting.

Accent Lighting: For when overhead lights aren’t enough, or maybe aren’t needed, we turn to Accent Lighting. Whether you are ready to settle in for the night, or want to highlight a certain part of your room, I suggest strategically placing Accent Lighting in your space. Many types of lighting fixtures can be used for Accent Lighting, depending on your needs. To highlight a picture, or maybe a shelving unit—wall lighting or picture lighting might be what you are looking for. For something more task-oriented like extra light for reading—you may consider table/floor Lamps or wall lighting.

Task Lighting: Sometimes the overhead lights and accent lighting aren’t enough. Instead, you need some lights that directly illuminate a workspace. This is especially useful in a kitchen, over a counter space, or in an office at the desk and computer. Under-Cabinet Lighting could be what you need. These lights are usually small, and can be unseen, and are very useful in illuminating a space directly. You could also use a desk lamp or pendant lighting for this purpose. It depends on the room you are working in and which fixture would make the most sense for the activity.

As you can see, lighting a room is not as easy as buying a lamp and plugging it in—especially if your space is dark. To lighten the room, you can start by picking well-illuminating paint and furniture, but it doesn’t stop there. You need to use different lighting for different activities. If paired together properly, you will have taken a dark space and will have made it a very functional, well-lit space instead.

Bellacor is a one-stop showroom that promises a new way to shop the entire lighting and home furnishings industry from the comfort of your home by providing superior personal service and access to the largest collection of lighting and home furnishings on the web. Bellacor offers access to over 500,000 products from 700 manufacturers. http://www.bellacor.com.

HRG has had a great time at the 2010 National. It was the first year that we had a booth and it was great to get feedback from the attendants as well as other exhibitors about how our site HomeRenovationGuide.com is a great resource for people looking to renovate their homes. HRG is the official online sponsor of MarketPlace Events, which holds this annual trade show and HRG provides a little welcome gift for all of the exhibitors. The spring flowers by local florist Cool, Green, and Shady were lovely and really brightened up the show room with a breath of spring.

As well, it was the first time I had the opportunity to live blog from the National for spotlight.rogers.com, a Rogers Communications Inc. lifestyle site where you can catch up on the latest pop culture news.

Here are my articles, with a look at the show and lots of green tips:

http://www.spotlight.rogers.com/life/green/8289/live-national-home-show

http://www.spotlight.rogers.com/life/green/8411/dream-green

http://www.spotlight.rogers.com/life/green/8436/green-house

Now I leave with some pics of the cool Challenger Cube house as well as this year’s fab Dream Home - enjoy!

It seems like all of us are scrambling this week to have everything just perfect for the holidays. Last minute gift buying, big holiday meal plans and festive decorating may be just a few of the big items left on your list and so if like me, you can appreciate an extra helping hand. Check out the DIY Network website Diynetwork.com, an excellent resource on all things do it yourself and is packed with features, news, reviews and tips from a wide range of sources and experts to help those that want to do a bit of home improvement, plus of course helpful holiday ideas. Also, check out the somewhat amusing video of the a total tool girl/garage loving guy fantasy sequence promo recently released by DIY.

If you’re in a rut with your holiday decor, the following are some helpful decorating tips from Calgary based interior decorator, Cat Hackman, owner of Room4refinement.

Here are some things to do for holiday decorating:

• Discard or give away any ornaments or decoration you don’t love.

• Pick up an accent color from your home and continue this theme for your holiday decor. For example, if your cushions on your sofa are green, look for green ornaments and decor, then add a splash of sparkle, like silver.

• Arrange your Christmas decorations in groups or themes, creating vignettes. In other words, don’t scatter little ornaments here and there in your home. Look for areas, tables, consoles to turn into special displays.

• When you buy new items, buy at least two or three to have impact. For example, are you buying miniature trees or poinsettias or thick candles for your mantel or table? If so, buy two, rather three or more; a grouping makes a statement.

• Do look for a focal point, perhaps your tree or your mantel, but maybe not both side by side (you can find your focal point by closing your eyes while standing at the door to your room, and the first thing you see should be your focal point).

• Place your Christmas tree away from heat sources such as vents or fireplaces so that it does not dry out so fast, but place your tree where you can admire it the most.

• Hide your tree stand with fabric, maybe burlap, a tree skirt or a big fun bucket or pot.

• Use a timer for your lights to save energy and use white lights to mimic candles.

• Do put candles or ornaments (electric) in your windows toward the street.

• Look for natural decorations: a big bowl of pine cones, sugared fruit, red apples in a large bowl with holly or cedar branches.

• Greenery, greenery, greenery. If you have to cut branches from your tree (to make it fit in the stand), use the branches in arrangements, or lay them on your mantel. Ask the tree vendors for branches to use in arrangements.

• Arrange long branches of greenery in large vases, IKEA or HomeSense has some great big glass vases that can be used as fruit bowls, candle holders or for arrangements.

• Make your guest bedroom inviting with select decorations.

• Don’t forget to add a Christmas touch to your bathrooms, perhaps a bowl of scented pinecones.

• Decorate your front hall and outside your door with fresh greenery, make the entrance into your home the best it can be. Use lights on timers.

• For special nights, or every evening if you like, light a candle (tea light) in a safe enclosed lantern outside your home.

• For a fun piece, place a string of lights in a large bowl (they now come battery powered). You can add greenery or pretty shiny decorative balls to the bowl.

• Do keep apple cider spices simmering on your stove for a lovely scent.

For more on decorating, read the rest of the article “Holiday Decorating” and more interior design articles in Home Renovation Guide’s article library.

Season’s Greetings everyone!

by Guest

Dealing with mold can be a scary thing, but it doesn’t have to be.  Follow the five steps below to eliminate and prevent mold problems, so you and your family can move on to enjoying a healthy home:

Keep it Dry! Maintain indoor relative humidity between 30 and 50 percent, using dehumidifiers as required.  New houses require constant dehumidification, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Monitor humidity levels with a hygrometer: an inexpensive device found at many hardware stores.

Circulate, Circulate, Circulate! Nothing helps moisture breed quicker than stale, dead air.  Ensure ventilation of humid areas such as bathrooms and attics, and of moisture-producing appliances, such as clothes dryers. Encourage air exchange by opening doors and windows when possible; indoor mold spore counts are typically higher than outdoor counts.  Consider ceiling fans in several areas of your home (and keep them on as much as possible).  Air conditioning also helps circulate air in the home.

Seal it Properly. Avoid condensation-related moisture by properly sealing windows and insulating cold water pipes and air conditioning vents.

Investigate Monthly. Monitor mold hotspots such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements and attics for evidence of mold. It might be a good idea to take a look around these areas once a month.  Look for surface discoloration and ‘follow your nose’ – that musty, earthy smell could be hidden mold.

Treat it Right Away! If you find mold treat it immediately. However, there are more friendly products than bleach that are available. Treating mold can be something that homeowners can do easily themselves but beware if you have mold that makes up more than a 10ft x 3ft space — you should call in a professional to take a look.

This article has been provided by Concrobium®, makers of an earth friendly method to kill and prevent mold that is approved by Health Canada called Concrobium Mold Control®.

For all your home improvement needs, search North America’s largest online directory Home Renovation Guide. Looking for a home improvement professional? Get a free quote? Submit your project here and have local contractors find you.

by Julia Ritzenthaler

Vessel sinks are quickly becoming one of the hottest bathroom trends on today’s market. In this style, the sink is slightly or dramatically raised from the surface of the countertop and they are available in just about every style, material, and finish imaginable. Small vessels are particularly nice for guest and powder rooms, and larger vessels are great for master and full bathrooms.

Once you have determined the style you are looking for—for instance a square vessel sink is great for a contemporary look—it’s time to decide on the type of vessel sink you want. The type you choose depends on if you plan to add just the sink and hardware to an existing vanity or if you are going to buy a complete piece. Some vanities are designed to accommodate partially raised vessel sinks, while others are more suited to completely raised sinks. You may also choose to purchase a vessel sink vanity which includes the sink, countertop, and cabinet. When planning the installation of your vessel sink, you need to decide where the bathroom the vanity is going to be placed. It’s just a good idea to determine the layout out of the room first. Be sure to closely read the manufacturer’s instruction included with the bathroom vanity or sink first; you are sure to find helpful point in there to make the vessel sink installation a bit easier.

Once the vanity is in place and you’ve read the instructions, give a good once-over to check for any pre-drilled holes for the faucet. If there are none, decide where you’d like the faucet to be in relation to the vessel sink. If you’re confident enough to start marking directly on the vanity, go ahead and indicate where you’d like to drill. If not, draw up a template and use it as a reference for the real thing. Remember the old saying, measure twice, cut once. You may also choose to mount your vessel faucet to the wall instead of the counter.

Use a jigsaw or a hole saw to make the cuts into the top of the vanity. A jigsaw is perfect for this kind of cutting because it gives you the range and flexibility to swivel as you cut. Pre-drilling the screw holes will make it easier to attach the faucet to the vanity. Once the cuts have are complete, carefully arrange the vessel sink and the faucet on the vanity surface to check that everything is lined up correctly. If it’s not exactly right, feel free to tweak and scrape until everything lines up just right.

If your vanity didn’t come with the mounting equipment and hardware for the vessel sink and faucet, you can find what you need at any hardware store. Your vanity might have specific instructions about how to fit a vessel sink and faucet. If so, be sure to stick to every word. Take the instructions to the hardware store with you so that you don’t forget anything. Simply put, attach the mounting ring; place the sink; and bolt the whole thing down. If your vessel sink is a particularly fragile material, such as glass, you might have to place some cushioning between the vanity surface and the sink. Silicone or rubber works well.

Now that it looks like a proper bathroom vanity, it’s time to get it working like one. Once the vessel sink and the faucet have been securely fixed onto the vanity, attach the water supply pipes to the vessel sink drain and the faucet or faucets. Check that all pipes and lines are firmly attached before testing it. Turn the water on and off. If it performs like it’s supposed to, then you are ready to enjoy your new vanity.

If you are unsure of any portion of the project, be sure to look into hiring a professional general contractor or a plumber.

This article has been provided by Julia Ritzenthaler, owner and founder of several online boutique home furnishing stores including http://www.UniqueVanities.com/ visit or call 1-866-526-1843 for more information.

image from Sico Paints

During these darkening days that more becoming more and more gray and chilly weekends make for more homebodies, it’s the perfect time to get started on perking up the home.

Quick & budget Ideas to improve curb appeal:

* Paint the front door - A high-gloss bold colour that complements the exterior material or coordinates with the garage door will instantly create a sense of new. Perhaps a perky new welcome mat would be a nice accessory.

* Add potted plants around the entrance way. For a greater spruce up, tidy up the landscaping. If you haven’t done so yet, it’s also a good time to get your plants ready for the winter. Trim unwieldy branches, lay down mulch, or rake up those soggy fall leaves.

* Brighten up with lights. Light up your walkway or backyard patio with a landscape lighting kit or install post lights, ceiling, or hanging types at entrance ways. Look for Energy Star rated designs.

*Upgrade fixtures: How is your doorknob holding up? How would a classic door knocker suit that new paint? New hardware can show off your individual taste or consider a new mail box or window boxes to dress up your home’s facade. At the very least touching up paint chipped spots and rust can go a long way.

If however, you’re more of a condo dweller, new light fixtures and fresh paint can do wonders.
What’s the best colour to set off the new mini chandelier in the dining room or trio pendant lights over the island? Whether it’s a neutral tone or dramatic hue, when it comes to a professional looking paint job, proper prep really makes a difference. Washing walls and lining edges with tape (or more taping over areas like light switches that you want to keep paint free) will make for better paint adhesion and straight edges. If you’ve decided to go with low or VOC-free paint, eco-friendly masking tape goes in tandem. Made of 30% post-consumer waste, recycled fibres and natural rubber adhesive, 3M’s Scotch (R) Painter’s Masking Tape is a greener choice.

If winning free paint however, is the impetus that you need to redo the living room, enter BEHR’s Paint Your Room Contest. Entrants are to submit a picture of the room in question and explain in 50 words and under why it needs a makeover. The winner scores 3 gallons of  BEHR’s PREMIUM PLUS ULTRA™ Interior paint.

Wondering about what the hottest colours are for 2010. A recent report from Sico Paints sho

wed that mood enhancing palettes are what homes will be dressed in. Deep, vibrant, or calming hues make the home a refuge from the tumultuous year we’ve all faced. Colour psychology has been referred to by many designers and homeowners to create rooms that evoke cheeriness (yellow), calm (blue), and warmth (reds and oranges).  For more details, read the rest of the article.

Once the painting is all done, it’s time for the wall hangings. Whether it’s a mirror to bring in more light, favourite framed photographs or art, it’s always been more of a two person job because it’s not that easy to know how high to hang it or just where to hammer in the nail.

The Hang & Level tool by Under The Roof Decorating is a handy item to fix your hanging woes. The tool helps you to mark where th nail goes, has a built in level to keep things straight, and works with horizontal or vertical mounts, and is great for groups of hangings. Remember that positioning pictures higher up on the wall can create the illusion of a higher ceiling and that an interesting montage of sepia tinted photos can really dress up a naked wall.

The same company that makes the Hang & Level also manufactures the Stoppy - a door and window stop that comes in a variety of colours. It’s more becoming than an old school wooden wedge under the door and works for all types of surfaces and doesn’t mark.

To help with your decor dreams, Chatelaine and Home Depot are offering 4 prizes of $5000 certificates in their Home For The Holidays Contest. The contest closes January 5th.

For more painting or interior decorating articles, visit HRG’s article library. Check out our Hot Products section for more ideas from the latest in hot home products.

Want a free quote? Submit your project here and get contacted by local contractors.

by Tina Gleisner

Keep the Water Out

Today’s houses are built with a variety of materials. Vinyl siding won’t rot when exposed to water but many parts of a house are made from natural materials like wood. Wood becomes a food source for mold growth when the moisture level gets too high.

Our homes are designed to direct water down and away from your home. Roof shingles overlap to keep water flowing down but when they age (crack, curl, etc) water can get under the shingles and the plywood sheathing can rot.

Inspect and Repair Potential Water Leaks

You will save time and money if you periodically inspect your home for potential water damage. Of course you also need to make needed repairs quickly. Here are several different approaches to monitoring the water tightness of your home:

• Use a pair of binoculars to visually inspect your home every year – fall, spring or both. More frequent reviews will help you recognize changes that indicate potential problems. You’re looking for missing/deteriorating roof shingles and gaps/cracks around the chimney or roof vents. On each side of your home, check wood trim right below the roof line for discoloration (water stains or mold), wood siding and trim (windows, corner boards, etc) for cracked/peeling paint or gaps form aging caulk, and focus on window sills which are a common problem.

• Pick one aspect of your home to inspect more thoroughly. Learn which side of your house gets more exposure to the elements (sun, wind, rain and moisture) and has more repair needs, and check this side twice as often as the other 3 sides. If you’re on a 6 year paint schedule, consider painting this one side every 3 years.

• Check your roof – shingles, chimney and vent pipes, ventilation (inflow & outflow) plus gutters and wood trim immediately below the roof on all sides.

• Check windows and doors focusing on the bottom where water tends to collect, i.e., window sills and door thresholds and gaps/cracks in caulk used to seal seams around the windows.

• Check siding and associated trim like corner boards.

• Check foundation to make sure water is directed away from your home’s foundation. This is critical with new homes (or remodeling) where dirt is filled back after excavation, and settles over a few years. Shrubs should also be trimmed.

Learn to test for squishy or punky wood. Press gently with your finger and you’ll quickly learn to recognize the difference between solid wood and wood that is soft with hidden damage. You can then use a thin, pointed object (needle, paper clip, etc) to see how deep the damage goes but do it carefully to prevent the wood from disintegrating in front of your eyes!

Hopefully this list has given you ideas for how to break down the work into bite size chunks you can complete every 3 to 4 years.Your goal should be to find and correct problems quickly, which will save you money!

Keep Warm (or Cool) Air Inside

People are more aware of energy costs since gas prices rose above $4.00/gallon in 2007. Europeans have paid higher fuel costs for years, so the US government looked there when setting new energy standards. US manufacturers had to retool to meet the standards by June 1, 2009. Home owners have to the end of 2010, to use the $1,500 residential home energy tax credit (new construction different).

• Window Tax Credit Standards*

Most of the energy improvements in cars, appliances and building codes are driven by government regulations. We’ll try to update you frequently and you’ll want to research future purchases to benefit in new exterior products like siding, windows and doors to internal systems including heating, electrical/lighting and plumbing, i.e. there are new hot water heaters coming.

Inspect and Seal or Insulate: Don’t Lose heat out Your Window

Now lets break down home maintenance “energy saving” projects into bite size chunks, ones that won’t overwhelm you. Our goal is to help every home owner reduce their energy consumption … to save money, to improve the value of their home and to help the environment.

First you want to seal air leaks that allow cold (or warm) air to get into your home. Here are the most common areas for savings, and it’s okay to do one each year:

• Windows and doors should be caulked outside,and insulated between the window and the rough framing, to reduce unwanted air flow. Caulk can deteriorate over time and often, little or no insulation surrounds windows and doors.

• Single pane windows should be replaced with energy efficient, double pane windows. If you can’t afford to do the entire house, pick 2 or 3 rooms where you spend the most time.

• Weatherstripping around doors, typically rubber, will become less effective over time and should be replaced to block small cracks.

• Where the wood framing of the house meets the foundation is prone to air leaks. Ideally you can insulate and seal these areas from the basement.

• Next you want to insulate to reduce warn air from escaping, i.e. you’ve paid to heat the air and want to gain as much benefit as you can.

• With warm air rising, the first place to improve insulation is the floor of your attic, to keep warm air in your living spaces.

• Outside walls are more challenging. The most practical time to add insulation is when you’re replacing the siding. We’ve helped customers with creative solutions like a second wall in upstairs bedrooms as opening up and insulating 2×4 walls won’t achieve today’s standards which assume 2×6 framing.

• Insulate (and seal) systems that carry warm air (ductwork) or water (exposed heating and hot water pipes) and put an insulating blanket on your hot water heater.

About the Author

Tina Gleisner is the founder of the Association of Home Professionals, which helps home owners find the information and resources they need to manage their homes with confidence (www.hometipsandtools.com). She has written hundreds of articles about home maintenance, repairs and remodeling to help customers find the best solutions for their home, lifestyle and budget. Through My Handyman of Southern NH, Tina offers services in home maintenance including wood rot and water damage, energy saving improvements and updates such as trim, tile, painting and creative storage solutions.

While most people enjoyed one of the last weekends of summer doing something fun like going up to the cottage, perhaps catching the finals of the Rogers Cup, or sunning at the local beach, I stayed in to take care of some much needed de-cluttering.

One of the most annoying little items I hate to deal with is cable & wire storage - where to put my various chargers and USBs that’s not tangled and uggo? There are some cute DIY ideas from Better Homes and Gardens for cell phone cubby and a ladder shelf.

Summer time isn’t usually when we’re thinking about energy efficiency for our windows, but with our air conditioners on full blasts during humid August, it’s just as important offset high energy costs. Windows and doors company JELD-WEN is offering a special “bailout” for the worst utility bill Stateside. In a recent PR blast, the company issued a release about how homeowners can submit an online entry form to win a complete window & door makeover and be featured on the “Emmy-nominated television show, Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford®.”

Another US contest is the HGTV’s Front Door, My first home sweepstakes that gives first time homeowners a chance at $2,500.

Winnings would be helpful if you were someone who decided to spend a little less on a house with an intent to fix up the kitchen. But take note that may be a considerable investment not just money-wise of course, but will most likely also be very time consuming and intrusive for your day to day.

Things to consider:

* Dust everywhere!

* a big mess; meaning you may not be able to use your kitchen. consider making some batches of home cooked meals to freeze that can be easily nuked because there will be days you’ll be sick of takeout.

*  delays or long wait times for parts to be shipped

* unexpected costs; some older homes have to be completely rewired while other components need to be brought up to code

These are just some issues you should be aware of. If these don’t deter, and you are ready to go, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) has a great article on the right questions to ask prospective contractors published on their website. Rather than the “wrong” usual questions that homeowners are prone to ask, these are more in-depth and valuable considerations that first timers might not think of. Have you considered little details like checking if the contractor is going to smoke on the job inside your house and would you be ok with that? Or if the person you are interviewing is actually going to be doing the work, or will there be a different trade/sub-trade (stranger) there everyday?

And don’t forget the people next door. It might be a good idea to be neighborly and let the Joneses know that there will be banging, pounding and a bright green portalet on the front lawn for the next six months.

Maybe such a disturbance will lead them to want to move. And speaking of moving companies,  ABF U-Pack Moving® recently held their “What Moves You” contest, where the winning entrant won free moving services. See the U Pack Contest videos and the winning entry that was a romantic ode from a man about his girlfriend (now, fiancee). They plan to make good use of the prize once they find a new home to buy.

With all the bad news that makes the headlines, it’s nice to hear a happy story to start the work week off.

Looking for tips and inspiration for your home exterior? From pumping up curb appeal, to re-envisioning outdoor nooks and crannies, the experts at Style at Home answer your most common queries with creativity and flair.

Read these home exterior articles and more.

www.styleathome.com

Check out the Style at Home page on HRG. There you’ll find some of their great content — a ton of inspiring, fun, interesting, and of course, helpful articles about renos and decor.

http://www.homerenovationguide.com/inspiration/style_at_home