Don't Let Winter Be a Time for Rodent Infestation

I recently received a question from a reader that I thought I’d share with all of you. She asked, “When the colder weather sets in, I sometimes get mice or rats in my house. I assume they are looking for a warm place to settle in and find food, but they aren’t welcome here! How can I deter them this year?”

My reader is right - her rodent problem absolutely has to do with the little buggers looking for a nice warm place to hide out from the winter weather and to grab a meal while they’re at it. Here are a few simple tips to reduce the chances of them making a home in yours.

Firstly, seal off the premises. Make sure doors and screens are always closed tight, and look for breaks, rips or holes that lead outside Generally caulk is a good sealant, but weather stripping around windows and installing new door sweeps on doors will keep insects and small animals out and will do double duty by helping to insulate your home for winter.

For bigger areas such as the chimney, you can use a thick wire mesh to keep the critters out, just make sure the material is thick enough that it can’t be chewed through. Believe it or not, a mouse can get through a hole the size of a dime, so be diligent in your search for entry points.

Another tip is to make sure you don’t leave any food lying around. Mice and rats are pretty resilient to the cold, but they have to eat to survive and looking for a meal in your house is a lot easier than trying to find one outside in the cold. Many pet owners leave animal food out for long periods of time, which makes a delicious meal for a rodent. If a mouse can get into your house, the last thing you want to do is give them a reason to stay. Keep that food, pet or otherwise, sealed up tight.

If you have a garden that thrives through the autumn, that’s most likely where your rodents are coming from. They are smart, and they’ll be waiting to dart through your door at a moment’s notice. As a general rule of thumb, keep edible plants at least a few feet from any door, and the same goes for your garbage bins.

If your home is susceptible to rodents and you’ve tried to get rid of them with no luck, you might want to consider having the problem dealt with by a pest control professional. There are plenty of traps, sprays, and natural solutions on the market, but using the wrong deterrent might drive pests up into the walls where they can start chewing on wires and causing longer term, more expensive damage.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. Email your questions to info@odonnellbros.com with the subject line “Ask the Pro.” All questions may be considered for publication. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

10 Ways to Spruce Up Your Bathroom on the Cheap

With the cooler weather coming, now is a great time to take a look at some of the smaller projects you can tackle in the house. This week, let’s look at how to breathe new life into a bathroom while sticking to a tight budget. Here are some ideas:

If your bathroom doesn’t have proper ventilation, you will end up with mold and mildew growing on the walls and ceiling. A replacement fan will cost under $100 and you can install it yourself to ensure that the moisture caused from the shower is being extracted properly. Remember, you’ll need to measure the bathroom first to ensure you get the right fan for the job.

If you want to do your part for the environment, you can update your bathroom with water saving fixtures. Both Lowes and Home Depot carry eco-friendly lines that can cut water flow by upwards of 30 percent, making for a healthier planet and a happier utility bill.

If you can’t stand cleaning the shower, this one is for you. Today you can find shower doors that are finished with a water resistant coating which sheds the droplets that leave unsightly little stains. If you’re constantly walking around with a squeegee in hand, this upgrade might just make your weekend cleaning routine just a little easier.

If you’re looking to replace your cabinetry, take a look at some of the semi-custom options available from the major retailers. There are even companies that spruce up IKEA furniture to make it look more personalized and stylish. If you can’t afford to replace the cabinets, a new lick of paint can breathe new life into old wood.

Replacing fixtures is a great way to spruce up the bathroom for very little cost. Even if you can’t be bothered to give cabinets a new finish, replacing knobs and pulls can give your bathroom a little lift.

If your cabinets are in good shape but they are tough to reach or annoying to get into, a cabinet organizer might be for you. Most systems include sliding surfaces which making reaching items in the back a whole lot easier. No more digging in the dark.

Dated mirrors or lighting fixtures can bring a bathroom down. Kick it up a notch and keep an eye on the sales flyers for accent pieces to give your bathroom a boost for very little effort.

Granite countertops are a pricey remodeling project, but these days you can get the look for less by getting creative. Talk to your local countertop expert about where to look for remnant slabs, or consider cheaper options like a preformed laminate finish.

Make your shower more luxurious by replacing the old head. I personally love a rain shower, but a handheld sprayer can feel great after a long day and it makes cleaning a cinch. You can also replace your old shower curtain with a more modern update for less than $20. You won’t believe how a little change can make a big difference.

Certain tiles can be expensive, so instead of doing a whole floor, why not create a simple border or pattern. Breaking up larger, more expensive tiles with a strip or band will give your bathroom a designer look for a lot less than doing the whole floor.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg and I bet you have a few creative ideas on how to update your bathroom for less. I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/odonnellbros.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Get Prepped for Autumn with These Trusty At-Home Hacks

With autumn coming fast, now is a great time to tackle the at-home projects that you may have ignored while enjoying the summer sun. Here are a bunch of my favorite fall hacks to get your property ready for the change in temperature.

After dozens of summer barbecues, your grill might be looking a bit worse for wear. Cleaning a grill can be a messy and tedious job, but did you know that you can get rid of almost all those baked on food particles with a simple coffee soak? That’s right, just brew up a few pots of the cheap stuff and put it into a large, shallow, plastic tub. Drop your grill grates into the tub of joe for an hour and then rinse clean for a good as new finish.

With all the humidity we experienced over the summer, you may have noticed black, streaky stains on your roof. While it may be just cosmetic today, leaving mold and mildew to grow can lift your shingles, allowing for melting ice and snow to get in and cause leaks. Hire a pro to give your roof a good cleaning to ensure any unsightly stains don’t grow into a bigger, much more expensive problem.

Remove any window air conditioning units and inspect all windows for damage or potential air leakage. It’s better to get leaky windows repaired now than wait you have to combat the deep freeze by cranking up the thermostat.

Get your fireplace ready for use with a professional inspection and clean. Stock up on firewood before the cold, wet weather begins and make sure you store it safely in a dry place away from your house. Remember, woodpiles are a breeding ground for termites, you would love nothing more than to feast on your home.

Fix up your flowerbeds by clearing out any dead or dying plants and give the soil a good aeration. Then spread a thick layer of mulch over the beds to help keep the temperature even through the winter freeze. If you’re planting bulbs, I like to use evergreen branches to keep the ground a bit warmer and give the bulbs some protection from the snow. If you enjoy vegetables, keep some poly spun garden fabric handy to lay over your boxes after the fall harvest.

Lock in a reliable plowing professional. Most people wait until the first snow and then panic because they can’t get out of their driveway and can’t find anyone to do the job in a pinch. Start calling around now to get quotes and book in a professional who is reliable and can get the job done quickly.

What are your favorite ways to get ready for the colder weather? I’d love to share your ideas. Send me a message on Facebook.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.