Category — Maintenance

Tips and Advice on Exterior Prep, Painting and Picking the Perfect Paint Color

Front Porch ‘Before’ Picture

Hooray, Front Porch Painting Is Complete! (Sort Of)

A fresh coat of paint on the front porch can do so much for the overall curb appeal of your home. That’s what I kept repeating to myself as I worked away at the prep work before the actual painting began. Did you know that the most labor-intensive part of any paint job, whether it’s interior painting or exterior painting, is the prep? Yep, all the effort you put into brushing or rolling on that new coat of paint is wasted if you haven’t taken the time to properly prepare a surface to receive that paint. [Read more →]

It’s the job that’s dirty - not my mind! That’s one reason why I put off cleaning the rain gutters. The other reason, which sounds so much more acceptable, is…

I like to save this particular job for late spring - after all the dirty trees have shed their litter and the spring rains have washed that debris off the roof shingles.

Cleaning rain gutters can be a pretty dirty job. Depending on the types of trees you have growing around your house, your gutters could be full of pine cones, pine needles, leaves, discarded blossoms or maple keys. Too much dirt and debris will plug the downspouts and prevent rain water from draining properly. Instead it will flow over the sides of the eaves troughs like a waterfall, which totally defeats their purpose. If you missed cleaning your gutters in the fall and your downspouts are blocked, you’ll be scooping out handfuls of tree dirt that has turned into a disgusting sludge from sitting in rain-filled troughs. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?! [Read more →]

There are certain efforts we must make to keep our homes looking good that aren’t nearly as much fun as decorating and interior design. These not-so-glamorous tasks fall under the category of home maintenance. Sometimes they involve picking up a paint brush or donning a pair of work gloves. Often the mere thought of performing these jobs turns even the most enthusiastic among us into time-wasting procrastinators. Sometimes we put things off because we’re not entirely sure where to start. Unfortunately, those little repairs or items requiring minor upkeep have the potential to become major problems if they are not addressed. I have a few home maintenance duties that have been put off long enough, so over the next few posts I’ll be sharing with you my endeavors to conquer the beast that is procrastination and get some stuff done around here! Hopefully you’ll be able to gather a few helpful tips and be inspired to get moving on the jobs around your house. If nothing else, I’ll be crossing items off my list that have been niggling away at my conscience.

Stay tuned for cleaning rain gutters, fixing a leak at the kitchen sink, repairing a nail pop, and trimming around the base of a shower.