If You Only Do Three Things To Get Ready For Winter….

Since the weather has been pretty pleasant this autumn, lots of people have put off the household jobs that will help them prepare for winter. Are you one of them? If so, listen up. I hate the be the bearer of bad news, but in the very near future, we are going to begin to see the weather make a turn for the worse. So now is the time to get prepared. If you do nothing else, knock off these three simple jobs this weekend.

 

Clean those gutters. The leaves are finally falling, so it’s time to get rid of them and make way for the snow and ice. If you don’t remove debris from your gutters, it will prevent winter water from flowing off the roof and down away from the foundation. If water has nowhere to go, it will refreeze in your gutters and at the base of your roof, resulting in dangerous ice dams and potential leaks in your home. A gutter cleaning can be handled by a handy homeowner or a professional cleaner in just a few hours. I’ve been busy installing gutter guards all over town, which is a popular choice if you don’t like the idea of dealing with this job every autumn. Regardless of how you choose to tackle this task, you have to keep your gutters clean. The alternative is a potentially expensive bill for a roof replacement or to fix interior damage come spring.

 

Seal up the air holes. I get calls all winter long from people who are wondering why their house is so drafty. The cause can be many things but generally, the culprit is the lack of proper insulation in an attic. While insulation installation is an easy improvement with an excellent resale value, there are even simpler jobs you can complete yourself to keep warm this winter. First, install an insulated box to cover the hatchway that leads from your living space up into the attic. If you don’t have insulation, your attic will be freezing and all that cold air will be seeping into the house. A box made from heavy duty insulated foam board will do some of the work to block the airflow from the attic into your home, although it is just a temporary fix. Also, don’t forget to remove your air conditioning units from the windows. Many people leave them in all year long which makes it easy for cold air to flow right through the house. Finally, if you don’t use your fireplace during the winter, get that sealed too. Any passageways from the inside to the outside can act as wind tunnels when the frigid winter air comes calling.

 

Turn off outdoor faucets.  You won’t be watering the yard anymore this year so you have no reason to keep outdoor faucets on. People often forget and leave them on all year round which can lead to frozen pipes that can burst and leave you with a nasty plumbing bill. Drain all hoses and put them in the basement so they don’t get damaged and make sure any faucets or fixtures are in good condition and not leaking.

 

If you do just these three things this weekend, you’ll be in much better shape when the wicked weather finally decides to come our way. Plus it’s much more pleasant to get these jobs out of the way before the deep freeze sets in. Good luck and as always, don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help or advice.

 

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.

Don’t Let a Poor Installation Void Your Roof Warranty

If you’re like me, you’ve been keeping an eye on the situation in eastern Connecticut where over 30,000 homeowners are dealing with cracking and crumbling foundations. It pains me to see people wrestling with insurance companies and pleading with government agencies for assistance, all while worrying if they’re safe sleeping in their own home at night.

When it comes to building or remodeling a house, two of the things many homeowners rightly need to worry about are defective products and improper installations. After 40 years of being in business, I know all too well how a job that's incorrectly done can cause a homeowner time, money, and headaches that could have easily been avoided if the job had been done right in the first place

About one-quarter of the jobs I get called to today are to inspect a roof that has been installed incorrectly by someone else. A homeowner will call me up wondering why their brand new roof is leaking, or why there is mold growing in their attic, and I have to give them bad news. Not only was the job done wrong, but their product warranty is also void.

Choosing to get a new roof can be a nerve-wracking process, but even more so if poor installation ends up leaving you with a useless warranty and a massive out-of-pocket expense. Most roofing manufacturers offer a 30-year warranty on their products, but that peace of mind is only good if the installer takes the correct measures to properly ventilate the attic. Without that ventilation, you can kiss your warranty goodbye.

Ventilating a home enables good air to get in and bad air to get out. A ventilation system is comprised of 50 percent intake and 50 percent exhaust, whereby air can get pulled in under the eaves of a home and can escape at or near the peak of the roof, ensuring there is constant circulation and no threat of moisture buildup or too much heat.

If moisture builds up in the attic, mold spores will begin to grow. Excess heat will feed that mold, enabling it to colonize and infiltrate the insulation and wood in your attic. In the winter, moisture can become frost, which will melt as the air warms, causing “rain” to seep down into your walls and ceiling. If you think these issues sound rare, they’re not. Only 10 percent of homes are properly ventilated, which is partially due to poor education on the importance of ventilating a home, and partially due to “cutting corners” during the installation process.

Sometimes, when dealing with a faulty product like those folks in eastern Connecticut, there is very little a homeowner can do. But if you’re in the market for the big remodeling job, you as the homeowner can always ask questions, do your research and understand the steps necessary to ensure that your roof, siding, or other home improvement job is being done correctly. For us pros, an educated homeowner is the best kind of customer.  

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.

Give Your Kitchen a New Look with a Cabinet Makeover

One of my favorite ways to give a kitchen new life is by updating the cabinetry.

Many homes in our area of Connecticut were built or updated with darker wood accents, which was a popular remodeling choice during the 1970’s and 80’s. While dark wood has its charms, it can really bring down the brightness of a kitchen, especially during the autumn and winter months when there is less natural daylight.

Of course, replacing your old cabinetry is a great option, but it might not be possible for people on a tight budget. Not to worry, you can still give your kitchen a beautiful facelift by recycling those old cabinets and giving them a great new look. While a quick lick of paint can do wonders in the kitchen, there are a few tricks to ensure your budget reno looks like a million bucks. So, let’s get started!

Firstly, plan ahead for the job. Giving your cabinets a makeover might only take a few days, but during that time, your kitchen will likely be out of commission. Stock up on paper goods to use while your dishware is packed away, and don’t plan to tackle this job right before a major holiday or when you’re having guests over to stay.

Once your cabinets are empty, you’ll want to give everything a very good scrub with a degreaser. Any oil will prevent the primer from sticking, and food particles or build-up will become bumps and lumps in your paint job. Pay special attention to the cabinets closest to the cooktop and hood, as they’ll likely have the most gunk stuck to them.

Once everything is clean and dry, use a hand sander with 100 grit sandpaper to remove the finish from the cabinets. Don’t forget the hard to reach places like molding or other decorative finishes. Sanding creates a lot of dust, so make sure you wipe down all the surfaces thoroughly.

Now it’s time to apply the primer. It’s worth noting that wall primer and cabinetry primer are different because wall primer is made to absorb into the pores in the drywall, whereas wood doesn't have the same makeup. I recommend using a bonding primer which will adhere to the wood and help the paint to really “stick”. I recommend starting in the middle, covering the main panel of the cabinet before moving on to the areas around the molding. Don’t forget to prime all of your edges, as they will be visible when the cabinets are in place.

Unlike walls, cabinets take a fair amount of abuse from daily use. If you have a big family and the kitchen is the major gathering place, you might want to consider adding latex to your choice of paint. Latex agents are made up of ceramic beads which when added to water-based paint will create a bond that improves hardness and will be more resistant to bangs, dings, and scratches. When you’re choosing your paint, opt for an enamel trim paint which will often have a higher sheen and stronger durability. For brushes, you can use a roller for larger areas, a three-inch flat brush for medium panels, and a two and a half inch angled brush to get into the cracks and crevices around the molding. Be careful not to rush the painting process, not letting each coat dry properly can result in bubbles and smudges that will ruin the overall look of the job.

One of the best parts of giving your cabinets a facelift is picking out new fixtures. Depending on your design taste, new knobs and handles can give the kitchen an industrial, contemporary, farmhouse or colonial look for just a few dollars per piece.

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.