Home care car care 2015

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Home Care & Car Care

Spring 2015

A special publication of the Ludington Daily News

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Spring is here and it’s time to start thinking about getting ready for summer.

Here are some ideas to think about when getting ready for the season:

1) Tune up lawn and garden equipment

2) Replace furnace or air handler air filter

3) Clean out the central

air conditioning system

4) Seal the exterior

5) Clean out dryer venting

6) Replace refrigerator water filter

7) Clean off refrigerator condenser coils

8) Troubleshoot and repair appliances and

equipment

9) Check for water leakage

10) Use a pressure washer to thoroughly clean home siding and decks.

11) Change batteries in carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

— Information from RepairClinic.com

Spring home maintenance checklist

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Don’t forget headlights when performing maintenance(MS) — Veteran and

even novice drivers un-derstand the importance of visibility when they get behind the wheel of their vehicles.

When visibility is not an issue, drivers can eas-ily see their fellow motor-ists and better anticipate potentially dangerous situations. But when vis-ibility is compromised, drivers and their passen-gers are vulnerable to a host of dangers, includ-ing inclement weather and aggressive motor-ists.

Many things can affect drivers’ visibility on the road, but those who take a proactive approach to improving their visibility can put themselves in a better position to handle any negative situations that may arise. One of the ways to do just that is to pay more attention to your headlights.

The following are a few ways drivers can improve the performance of their headlights to make their vehicles safer for them-selves and their passen-gers.

• Pay attention to the headlights’ output.

Perhaps the most no-ticeable indicator of an aging headlight is its light output. As bulbs start to dim, drivers may find themselves strug-gling to see during twi-light and at night. That difficulty is not necessar-ily because drivers’ own vision is failing, but may be a result of aging bulbs whose light output is gradually reduced by the

effects of humidity, elec-trical resistance and fila-ment fatigue.

• Say “so long” to the status quo. Recognizing dimming bulbs is just the first step toward improv-ing the performance of your headlights. The next step is for drivers to rec-ognize that all headlight bulbs are not created equal.

Instead of replacing existing bulbs with the same type of bulbs pro-vided by their vehicle’s manufacturer, drivers can vastly improve their visibility by upgrading to a bulb designed to pro-vide more light than the standard halogen bulbs found in many of today’s vehicles. Headlight bulbs

that offer up to 100 per-cent more light on the road than standard hal-ogen bulbs are offered by some major retailers. That’s a significant ben-efit to drivers, as motor-ists’ visual acuity is re-duced by 70 percent at night, when statistics from the National High-way Traffic Safety Ad-ministration indicate 49 percent of all fatal acci-dents occur.

• Find the right fit. The right headlight

bulb can dramatical-ly improve visibility when driving at night, but what’s good for the goose is not always good for the gander.

That’s because mo-torists drive for various reasons and on various roads, so the right bulb for seniors who don’t of-ten take to the highways will not necessarily be the best fit for commut-ers who routinely drive long distances.

• Let there be light. Regardless of how ef-

fective a bulb has the potential to be, drivers

who don’t routinely clean their headlights will con-tinue to have their visibil-ity compromised. Certain preventative measures can help drivers address

headlight issues before they appear, ensuring their visibility is not com-promised.

When checking your oil in the driveway or even

when you’re filling up at the gas station, take a few moments to inspect your headlights and ad-dress any issues that arise as soon as possi-ble. Headlight

Restoration Kits may include a post-treat-ment that provides long-lasting UV protec-tion for headlight lens-es. The kit also includes a cleaner/polish and restorer/protector so drivers can restore their headlight lenses to “like new” quality while in-creasing visibility and re-ducing glare.

Quick and simple main-tenance can ensure your headlights are perform-ing optimally.

as bulbs start to dim, drivers may find themselves struggling to see during twilight and at night.

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Advice from the pros: Do not neglect auto service(MS) — The average age

of a personal vehicle on the road today is more than 11 years, according to recent news reports.

In tough economic times, it’s natural to rein in spending. But the ex-perts at the nonprofit Na-tional Institute for Auto-motive Service Excellence (ASE) warn that putting off routine auto mainte-nance or ignoring service intervals is false econ-omy. Small issues can morph into more expen-sive repairs.

For example, failure to replace worn brake pads or a faulty oxygen sen-sor — both relatively easy services for qualified auto technicians -- can result

in expensive brake rotor service or costly replace-ment of the vehicle’s cata-lytic converter.

Frequently neglected items include oil chang-es, tire and brake service, wheel alignment, air and fuel filters, and transmis-sion service, according to ASE-certified auto techni-cians.

Besides, a well-main-

tained vehicle gets better gasoline mileage, pollutes less, is safer to operate, and lasts longer than one that’s neglected, notes ASE.

To help consumers choose a repair shop that fits their needs, ASE of-fers the following check-list:

• Look for a neat, well-organized facility, with vehicles in the parking lot equal in value to your own and modern equip-ment in the service bays.

• Look for a courteous staff, with a service con-sultant willing to answer all of your questions.

• Look for policies re-garding estimated repair costs, diagnostic fees, guarantees, and accept-able methods of payment.

• Ask if the repair facil-ity specializes or if it usu-ally handles your type of

repair work.• Look for signs of

professionalism in the customer service area, such as civic, communi-ty, or customer service awards.

• Look for evidence of qualified technicians: trade school diplomas, certificates of advanced course work, and certifi-cation by ASE.

• Look for the ASE sign or logo; it means the shop employs nationally certified technicians.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent organi-zation dedicated to improving the quality of automotive ser-vice and repair through the vol-untary testing and certification of automotive technicians.

ASE-certified technicians wear blue and white ASE shoulder insignia and carry credentials listing their exact areas of certi-fication. Their employers often display the blue and white ASE sign. Visit www.ase.com for seasonal car care advice and more.

Putting off routine auto maintenance or ignoring service intervals is false economy. Small issues can morph into more expensive repairs.

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Signs your roof might be wearing down(MS) — Replacing a roof

is a costly venture few ho-meowners look forward to. What’s more, homeown-ers who choose more up-scale roofing materials can expect to spend al-most more on their roofs.

Such costs make it no small wonder that many homeowners fear the dreaded diagnosis that their home needs a new roof. While there’s little homeowners can do to re-duce the cost of a roof re-placement, there are warn-ing signs homeowners can look for. Recognition of these signs can help ho-meowners be more finan-cially prepared should the day come when the roof needs to be replaced.

The presence of algaeIf the roof has lots of

dark streaks and stains clinging to it, that is likely algae, which can grow on

the roof for quite awhile. Algae does not necessarily do any damage to a roof, but it does do some dam-age to a home’s physical appearance, as algae on the roof is not very pleas-ing to the eye.

Algae is most often found on the roofs of homes located in cli-mates that have warm, hu-mid summers. If algae is a problem on your roof, spray washing with a mix-ture of water and bleach can effectively remove it.

Buckling shinglesLike algae, buckling

shingles are another un-sightly problem on a roof.

But buckling shingles are more than just an eye-sore, they actually might indicate significant prob-lems. When shingles buck-le, that’s typically because hot air from the attic is forcing the shingles away

from the home. Buckling shingles also

indicate that the roof is poorly ventilated, which can take years off the roof’s life expectancy while driving up home cooling costs along the way.

Granule lossGranule loss is typical-

ly a byproduct of normal shingle wear and tear that results from inclement weather, such as hail.

Older roofs might expe-rience granule loss, but granule loss can also oc-cur on a new roof if a de-fective roofing product was used.

MoldUnlike the warning signs

already discussed, mold is not visible on the outside of the home.

Instead, homeowners should look in the attic of

a home to see if there is any mold growth. If there is, the roof is likely leak-ing, and the health risks of mold growth in a home are substantial.

Mold is not necessarily easy to detect, so a profes-sional inspection might be in order if mold growth is suspected.

Roof rotPerhaps the most dis-

couraging sign a hom-eowner can see on his or her roof is roof rot. Roof rot appears when a roof is in considerable decay and, if not addressed, its consequences can stretch far beyond the roof, dam-aging other parts of the home thanks in large part to water getting through the roof. If roof rot is ei-ther not noticed or just ig-nored, it won’t take long for water to get through the roof and blaze a de-structive path through the

rest of the home.Homeowners might fear

a full roof replacement be-cause of the cost associ-ated with such a project.

But if ignored, problems with a roof could eventu-ally prove far more costly than the price of replacing the roof.

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(BPT) — Warmer weath-er and sunnier days are on their way and many homeowners are itching to begin home improve-ment projects.

If you are one of them, consider these areas of your home when prep-ping for spring.

Windows and doorsFrom a full window re-

placement to a simple coat of paint, updating your windows and doors can have a big impact on your home.

If your windows felt drafty this winter, it may be time for replacements. Replace your old single-pane windows with ener-gy-efficient double-pane windows.

Double-pane windows can help you save on heat-ing and cooling bills; they help keep the tempera-ture in your home consis-tent year-round and help protect your furniture, carpet and window treat-ments from the sun’s fad-ing rays.

Need to bring some fresh color into your home but don’t want to paint? Try updating your blinds or shades. From different styles to color-ful fabrics, blinds and shades can add a pop of color to your room. Mo-torized blinds and shades with Pella Insynctive tech-nology come in more than 300 style and color op-tions so you can find the right fit for your home’s decor.

Your front door is a ma-jor focal point of your home, enhancing your home’s curb appeal. Make a bold statement and im-prove your home’s ener-gy efficiency with a new ENERGY STAR-certified front door. Consider op-tions with decorative glass accents, and side-lights to add more natu-ral light while maintain-ing a sense of style and privacy.

Looking for something even easier? A new coat of paint to your existing door is a quick and easy way to give your home a

fresh, new look. Give Pan-tone’s Color of the Year marsala a try, or get in-spired by your favorite Pinterest collection of fa-vorite front doors.

Gutters and downspoutsExcess water near your

foundation can cause thousands of dollars in damages.

Luckily gutter cleaning and downspout repair is fairly low-cost.

After all the snow melts, you’ll want to make sure to clean your gutters and clean out any debris

that may keep spring rains from flowing free-ly through your down-spouts.

Along with replacing damaged gutter or down-spout sections, you’ll also want to make sure you have added downspout extenders to ensure water is draining far away from your home’s foundation. Extenders should reach at least five feet into your yard.

Gutter covers can also be added to minimize debris from gathering in gutters throughout the year.

Air conditioningIt may be a few more

months before you’re turning on the A/C, but spring is a great time to start getting your cooling system ready.

Often you have to call in the pros for air condi-tioning work but things like spraying off any over-growth or debris, clean-ing coils and changing filters are fixes you can easily do on your own.

Also, trim back any shrubs that are near by. Keeping the outdoor unit

clean from debris will boost your A/C system’s efficiency.

You can keep part of your indoor duct work clean by removing reg-ister covers and wiping clean any of the visible parts. You’ll need to con-tact a professional for a full duct cleaning.

Visit Pella Windows and Doors on Pinterest or Houzz for more home tips and design inspira-tion, or visit Pella.com for product information.

Spring projects to spruce up your home

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Call 811 before digging for

landscaping and home improvement projects(BPT) - With the snow

melted and the ground thawed, many eager ho-meowners and landscape professionals across the country will roll up their sleeves and reach for their garden shovels to start projects that require digging this spring.

During the transition into “digging season,” Common Ground Alli-ance (CGA), the associa-tion dedicated to protect-ing underground utilities and the people who dig near them, reminds hom-eowners and professional

diggers that calling 811 is the first step toward pro-tecting you and your com-munity from the risk of unintentionally damaging an underground line.

Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a free call to 811.

Installing a mailbox or fence, building a deck and landscaping are all exam-ples of digging projects that should only begin a few days after making a

call to 811. Calling this number connects you to your local one-call utility notification center.

Nearly half of American homeowners say they do not plan to make a free call to 811 before digging, according to data collect-ed by CGA in late Febru-ary. Extrapolated to the full population of U.S. ho-meowners, approximate-ly 38.6 million people will dig this year without first calling 811.

A utility line is dam-aged every six minutes in America because some-one decided to dig with-out making a call to 811 to learn the approximate location of buried utilities in their area. Unintention-ally striking one of these lines can result in incon-venient outages for entire neighborhoods, harm to yourself or your neigh-bors and repair costs.

As a result, CGA offers the following tips to make sure you complete your project safely and with-out any utility service in-terruptions, so you don’t become a statistic.

Here’s how the 811 pro-cess works:

1. One free, simple phone call to 811 makes it easy for your local one-

call center to notify all ap-propriate utility compa-nies of your intent to dig. Call a few days prior to digging to ensure enough time for the approximate location of utility lines to be marked with flags or paint.

2. When you call 811, a representative from your local one-call center will ask for the location and description of your dig-ging project.

3. Your local one-call center will notify affected utility companies, which will then send profes-sional locators to the pro-posed dig site to mark the approximate location of your lines.

4. Only once all lines have been accurately marked, roll up those

sleeves and carefully dig around the marked areas.

There are nearly 20 million miles of under-ground utility lines in the United States that your family depends on for everyday needs in-cluding electric, gas, wa-ter and sewer, cable TV, high-speed Internet and landline telephone, which equals more than a foot-ball field’s length of utili-ties for every person in the United States.

With that much criti-cal infrastructure under-ground, it’s important to know what’s below and call 811 before digging.

To find out more infor-mation about 811 or the one-call utility notifica-tion center in your area, visit www.call811.com.

Know what’s below:a utility line is damaged every six minutes in america because someone decided to dig without making a call to 811 to learn the approximate location of buried utilities in their area.

(BPT) — Across the country people are plan-ning to take longer road trips this year.

If you plan to be one of them, here are five main-tenance tips to consider for today’s cars.

• New tires? “For four-wheel drive

cars and trucks, buy new tires as a complete set,” says RockAuto.com Engi-neer and Vice President Tom Taylor. “Mixing old and new tires or just mix-ing tire brands can cre-ate small differences in tire diameter that may be enough to overheat and damage four-wheel drive parts.”

• What spare tire? Adding air to the spare

used to be all that was

needed, but many new-er cars do not have a spare tire. They may have “run-flat” tires or come equipped with an air compressor and seal-ant. Become familiar with your vehicle’s spare tire system before you leave town and decide if it is adequate. Maybe you will want to upgrade to a full size spare.

• Why new struts? Pushing down on a

fender and counting the bounces is not a good test for the shocks and struts on modern cars. “Some people are hap-py that their struts seem to be lasting forever but they don’t realize that the struts actually wore out thousands of miles ago,” says Taylor. “Bad struts

lead to unnecessary wear on a whole slew of addi-tional parts including the brakes, rubber boots, sus-pension bushings and en-gine mounts.” For the saf-est handling and braking, replace your struts and shocks at 50,000 miles or at the mileage recom-mended by the manufac-turer.

• Just the belt? Modern engine belts

last a long time. Most car owners do not resist when their mechanic tells them it is time to replace the belts after many miles or years. “Owners should listen to their mechan-ics when they are told the belt tensioners need to be replaced along with the belt,” says Taylor. “Those are the spring-loaded pul-

leys that keep the belt at the correct tension. Put-ting a new belt on old ten-sioners can mean prema-ture wear on the new belt or damage to the alterna-tor or other components spun by the belt.”

• Hose looks new? New engine hoses also

now last much longer than they used to. Hos-es do eventually fail and the damage often starts in the hose’s inner layers where it is out of sight.

A burst radiator hose still means a disrupted trip and today’s alumi-num alloy engines are of-ten even more suscepti-ble to heat damage.

Follow the guidance of your repair manual or mechanic on when to re-place hoses.

Some owners may get away with leaving a ra-diator hose untouched for decades, but for the

rest, common sense as-sessment of risks and re-wards shows why these tips are worth following.

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The perfect car tips for any trip

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Success tips for DIY painting projects(BPT) — Painting proj-

ects are more popular than ever with do-it-yourselfers with 94 per-cent planning a painting project in 2015, accord-ing to a Sherwin-Wil-liams survey of home-owners.

If you plan to paint this year, here are some tips to help prepare you for success.

Choose colors with confidence

A fresh coat of paint in the right color can quick-ly transform the look and feel of any space.

To help choose the per-fect color for your space, take advantage of the easy-to-use color selec-tion tools available to help you find and try col-ors before you paint. Ho-

meowners can use the online Color Visualizer, for example, to virtually paint a space and try on different color combina-tions, making it easy to choose colors with confi-dence.

Find color inspirationChoosing the perfect

paint color is key to creat-ing the look you want, but how do most people find the right color?

More than half of DI-Yers (56 percent) say they look to nature for color

inspiration, while more than a third (36 percent) take their color cues from Pinterest images.

Select the right finishOnce you’ve decided on

the perfect color, make sure you’re getting the best finish for the space you are painting. For du-rability and washabil-ity, choose a semi-gloss paint.

Semi-gloss is a good option for areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, as well as trim. For high-

traffic areas, like a hall-way or a kid’s bedroom, satin and egg-shell paints are preferred as the finish is easy to clean and main-tain.

High gloss paints are also extremely durable and easy to clean, mak-ing them perfect for win-dows, doors and trim. For spaces that have some-thing to hide, a flat finish will work to your advan-tage.

Paint your space in the correct order

When planning your painting project, also con-sider the order in which you paint your space.

Start with the ceiling, followed by the walls. If two coats of paint are needed, finish both coats before moving to the next

step. Then, paint the win-dows from top to bottom. After the windows, paint the baseboards, trim and doorframe.

Finally, paint the door. Following this order will help ensure a smoother painting process and will require fewer cleanups.

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From footballs to tires, inflation is important(BPT) - If 2015 has

shown us anything so far, it’s that deflation can cause a frenzy, especial-ly when it comes to foot-balls.

Who would have thought that slightly flat footballs would be-come a national debate? One thing’s for sure, it’s now clear how important proper inflation is and how deflation can affect things, including your tires.

“The whole ‘deflate-gate’ situation helped raise the awareness of the impact of air pressure on performance,” says Bob Abram, product planning manager for Yokohama Tire Corporation, maker of a variety of truck and car tires.

Correct tire pressure is actually specified by the manufacturer of the ve-hicle, not the tire maker. You can find the proper inflation levels on a plac-ard on the inside of the car door or in the owner’s manual.

Tires that are underin-flated by 8 pounds per-square-inch (psi) can reduce vehicle fuel econ-omy by as much as 2 per-

cent, and tires can lose about 1-2 psi each month under normal driving conditions, according to the U.S. Government Ac-countability Office. That’s why Abram strongly rec-ommends taking five minutes each month to check your tire pressure. “It’s quick and easy, and if you do it regularly, you’ll extend the life of your tire and get better fuel econo-my.”

Tires must be cold when inspected for tire pres-sure (at least four hours after the vehicle has been driven). Check tire pres-sure with a reliable tire gauge and make sure the valve stems have a plastic or metal cap to keep out dirt, water and foreign objects.

Abram says that while today’s tires are true tech-nical marvels, he suggests you manually check them

because you can’t tell a tire’s pressure is off by just looking at it.

Checking your tires reg-ularly will pay off, but Abram says there are many other ways you can maintain your tires for improved driving and fu-el-cost savings. Here are a couple:

• Rotating your tires will prevent uneven wear and promote a smoother ride.

Because the weight dis-tribution on your car or truck can vary, it’s best to rotate your tires. Tire companies advise driv-ers to rotate their tires in accordance with vehi-cle owner’s manual rec-ommendations to ensure even treadwear and opti-mum tread life. Yokoha-ma recommends that its tires be rotated at 6,000 - 8,000 mile intervals.

• Tires that are bal-

anced correctly will pro-vide a smoother ride and help prevent improper wear.

• Check your tire align-ment once a year. Mis-aligned tires create un-necessary tire wear and higher fuel consumption.

• Tires must be re-placed when the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch (the lowest legal lim-it).

It’s best to replace them before they reach 2/32 depending on your drive (geographically and type of streets). For ex-ample, rural streets that aren’t regularly plowed are different than city streets that are regularly plowed.

Winter traction and wet traction can decline as tread depth decreases.

• Check your tread depth by placing a penny upside down into a tread groove.

If you can see all of Lin-coln’s head, your tire’s tread has worn down to the legal limit and you need to buy new tires.

For more tire care and safety tips visit yokoha-matire.com or www.rma.org.

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(BPT) — Want to infuse your home with architec-tural interest? Start at the top.

“The ceiling is the most overlooked design ele-ment in a space, hands down,” said Brian Pat-rick Flynn, whose interi-ors are regularly featured on HGTV.com and often showcased by his own company, FlynnsideOut Productions.

Consider this: The larg-est solid surface in a room - besides the floor - is the ceiling. Instead of leaving it bright white or builder beige, convert this blank canvas into a decorative canopy of col-or and texture.

Flynn and other influ-ential designers are fore-casting a ceiling “revival” in 2015. Fresh interpre-tations of vintage styles - such as gleaming metal tiles and textural wood beams - are helping in-spire that trend, along with new, easy-to-install products that put these ceiling projects well with-in the reach of today’s DIY-ers.

“Just like people, rooms need different layers to be one-of-a kind,” Flynn said. “That includes a ceil-ing that makes people look up and scan the en-tire space.”

Here are some hot ceil-ing trends to take your

rooms to new heights:• Layer on the luster.

Stamped metal ceilings have contributed shine and sophistication to American homes since they were introduced in the 1880s.

Besides beauty, metal

ceilings offer practicality. They resist mold and mil-dew, offer sag resistance and last longer than plas-ter or drywall.

The lacquered steel panels also can be paint-ed to accent or blend with the rest of the room. Re-gardless of the finish, the texture of the tiles creates a tactile top layer to the space.

• Mix and match ceiling styles. Some room design-ers are combining differ-ent decorating elements at the top, such as inlay-ing the recesses of cof-fered ceilings with gold or copper tiles. Flynn said

he’s also a fan of tongue-and-groove ceilings ac-cented with beams. “This adds a ton of visual inter-est to the room, and can make it feel much larger,” he said.

• Create character with wood. From rustic tim-ber to sleek teak, wood hues help set the tone in a room.

Besides imparting a sense of warmth, the grains and knots in wood panels add a textural lay-er that contrasts nicely with smooth surfaces like painted walls and granite countertops.

• Add architectural

depth. Coffered ceilings first appeared in Roman architecture, and their geometric elegance has graced grand buildings ever since.

Today, the cost and complexity of building coffered ceilings have been reduced by light-weight materials and easy-to-install prefabri-cated systems that boast features like mold, mil-dew and sag resistance.

Flynn recommends ho-meowners start think-ing about their ceiling by exploring websites for ideas.

Raise your rooms to new heights with high ceilings

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5 ways to redefine your outdoor space(BPT) - Winter’s coldest

days make you appreci-ate spring and summer, as well as the warm after-noons spent outdoors en-joying these seasons.

And when the time comes, there’s no better place to relax than in your own backyard. If your space isn’t all it could be, though, this is the perfect time for a little outdoor upgrade.

Below are five projects you can tackle on your own to reinvent your backyard and turn it into the space you always knew it could be.

• Landscape for the year. Landscaping pro-

vides a focal point in your yard, but don’t just land-scape with the warmer months in mind - include plants for each season.

Showcase blooming flowers and hostas in the warmer months, and pair

them with evergreen coni-fers for a look that’s invit-ing all year long.

• One-of-a-kind plant-er boxes. Showcase your most beautiful blooms or delicious herbs in planter boxes. Western Red Cedar

is ideal for planter box-

es because it is naturally rot, decay and insect re-sistant. Plus, building the box is easy.

• Sitting beside the fire. A fire pit is a great way to extend your back-yard use into the evening hours, and giving the pit a professional look is easier than you think.

Start by measuring the pit area and then build your wall of pavers. Sur-round the pit itself with gravel, additional pavers or another non-flamma-ble substance, then add some comfy chairs and prepare to enjoy.

• The all-in-one pergo-la. Whether you’re look-ing for a little shade, a centerpiece for the yard or the perfect spot to en-tertain, a pergola delivers.

Building the pergola out of a lighter wood will make the material easier to handle for any DIYer.

• Let there be light. En-joy your backyard any time of day with just a lit-

tle lighting. Solar-powered path

lights are a low-mainte-nance way to showcase your new landscaping, and hanging track light-ing can bring an evening glow to your pergola. Fi-nally, don’t forget tiki torches.

Adding a couple will give your backyard a rus-tic feel and keep the mos-quitos away at the same time. What could be bet-ter than that?

Your backyard is what you make of it, so why not make it great? Any of these projects will no-ticeably enhance your backyard.

there’s no better place to relax than in your own backyard.

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