Joe's Tool Belt

Remove Snow and Ice Without Hurting the Planet

2011-01-30T10:59:00.000-05:00

Snow and ice can be beautiful, but can also be treacherous and hazardous. That is why municipalities budget thousands of dollars every year for plowing and salting the roadways. Individual homeowners also maintain their properties through shoveling and salting -- but at what cost to the environment?

It's estimated that more than 20 million tons of sodium chloride are dumped on roadways across the country every year in an attempt to keep roads safe. Drivers know what salt can do to the appearance and performance of their vehicles. As it turns out, snow-melting products can have environmental implications as well.

Concerns about salt and chemical snow-melting products involve runoff that can contaminate nearby water supplies. Minnesota researchers discovered in early 2010 that, in the urban Twin Cities area, 70 percent of the salt applied to roads stayed within the region's watershed. Sodium chloride alone can affect the pH of water, changing the environment in which marine life lives, potentially causing certain species to die off and creating dead zones. It can also affect the sodium content of well water, which can be dangerous to individuals on sodium-restrictive diets.

In terms of vegetation alongside roadways, splashing from salty puddles can cause plants and trees to wither and soil to erode. Plus, salt accumulation at the edge of roads can be enticing to animals who will go there to feed. This can increase the risk of accidents with motorists.

There are alternatives to salt for roadway cleaning, but chemicals can be just as harmful or more so. Furthermore, municipalities are often reticent to change snow removal operations because it could require investing in new and costly equipment.

Other alternatives will not melt snow but can increase traction. Consider applying sand or birdseed to improve footing on icy surfaces. Special boots with improved treads can also provide traction.

Homeowners who are considering replacing a driveway this season may want to spend a little more money on one with snow-melting capabilities. Electric wires beneath the concrete will heat the surface and radiate the warmth upward.

There's no ideal way to protect the planet from snow-removal products, and the argument will remain about what is more important: public safety or environmental safety? However, reducing reliance on salts and other chemical de-icers can do a part in protecting water supplies, animals and vegetation. TF10C162

Remove Snow and Ice Without Hurting the Planet

2010-12-17T19:01:00.001-05:00

Snow and ice can be beautiful, but can also be treacherous and hazardous. That is why areas budget thousands of dollars every year for plowing and salting the roadways. Individual homeowners also maintain their properties through shoveling and salting -- but at what cost to the environment?

Concerns about salt and chemical snow-melting products involve runoff that can contaminate nearby water supplies. Sodium chloride alone can affect the pH of water, changing the environment in which marine life lives, potentially causing certain species to die off and creating dead zones. It can also affect the sodium content of well water, which can be dangerous to individuals on sodium-restrictive diets.

One of the greener methods of snow and ice removal is simply some elbow grease. Using a shovel or ice chipper reduces the need for salt application. If salt must be used, individuals should use it sparingly.

Other alternatives will not melt snow but can increase traction. Consider applying sand or birdseed to improve footing on icy surfaces. Special boots with improved treads can also provide traction.

If your are interested in a geothermal driveway don't hesitate to call Kangas Home Improvemnts today.

TF10C162

Make the Most of Your Home Restoration

2010-03-25T19:22:00.001-04:00

Since the turn of the century, few industries have experienced the success of the home improvement industry. As people take more and more pride in their homes, home improvement contractors have grown more integral to furnishing a home with a new or refurbished look.

While some projects can be handled by a capable do-it-yourselfer, others are best left to the professionals. Such is the case when restoring a home, particularly an older one. Older homes are often in need of the most work, and that work typically requires the skill of a trained professional. But that doesn't mean homeowners should trust everything to the contractor. In fact, knowing about a successful home restoration can help ensure the vision of the home that's in your mind is the same vision you'll see once the restoration is completed.

* Avoid mixing and matching. Many contractors find older homes are the most fun to work on because they present the greatest challenge. That challenge, however, lies in completing the project and not overhauling the entire home. That's because a complete or even partial overhaul disregards an older home's period and style, depriving it of its uniqueness in the process. While it might seem like a great idea to add today's most modern trend, in 10 years that trend might not be as popular, and the home's unique and original architectural elements will very likely be unavailable. When restoring an older home, embrace its history and the period it represents.

* Emphasize more effective and efficient insulation. The majority of older homes in need of restoration are also in dire need of better insulation. To put this into perspective, today's homeowners should recall childhood trips to Grandma's or Grandpa's. Such trips, if taken during the winter months, no doubt required packing an extra sweater or two to survive a house that always seemed cold.

Chances are, that cold house was not because Grandma and Grandpa were averse to heat. Instead, they likely just lived in a home with outdated and inefficient insulation. Today, a restoration project should employ a solution such as Comfort Foam(R) from BASF Polyurethane Foam Enterprises when addressing and replacing outdated insulation. Comfort Foam allows homeowners to maintain their home's unique interior style while adding structural strength, insulation and air barrier material in one convenient step. An easy-to-use spray-installed product, Comfort Foam fills voids that are hard to seal with traditional insulation.

* Save your home and some money. When fixing up or restoring a home, it's best to look for ways in which you can save both the home as well as some money. This doesn't mean fixing a home on the cheap, but instead looking for products that can help save money long term.

To learn about BASF products, visit www.basf-pfe.com.

Kangas Home Improvements Specializes in historic restorations and renovations

2009-11-23T10:53:00.001-05:00

Joe is here

Decorating with Paint HELPS YOUR BUDGET!!

2009-11-05T12:14:00.006-05:00

Double Your Decorating Potential

An expensive redecorating project is not likely a priority this year -- at least as far as your household budget is concerned. While we're all tightening our belts a bit, it's easy to refresh a room without breaking the bank.

Here are a few tips from the color experts at Rust-Oleum:

* Take stock of what you own. Pull all of the furniture out of your room so that you can take an inventory of what you'd like to keep. You may be surprised to find that an old item once tucked into a corner could provide new inspiration.

Look around your house for other furniture items and accessories. Be sure to "shop" for your new items in the attic, basement or garage. Ask neighbors or friends or shop flea markets and garage sales. Don't worry if the items don't match just yet. Paint can bring the room together.

* Choose your new color palette. Choosing color is often the most daunting task when redecorating, but here's a tip for finding the perfect color palette. First, think about what you use this room for. Is it a peaceful place to read? An inspiring area to create? A room dedicated to family fun?

Next, pick a word or two that describes how you want that room to feel -- calm, peaceful, bright, warm, or inspiring. Now close your eyes and visualize that word. You may visualize the ocean when you think of calm or a bright outdoor place when you think of inspiration.

Write down one or two colors from the scene that you've visualized. Maybe it's a Spa Blue of the ocean along with the Khaki color of wet sand. Or, if your inspiration is a bright garden, you may want to use colors like Sun Yellow, Deep Blue or Apple Red.

* Recycle, refresh and renew your existing furniture. Use paint to bring unlike pieces together. You may find six unique dining chairs with different styles. Painted a rich Kona Brown, these very different chairs make up a beautiful and eclectic dining set. This same strategy works well with picture frames, vases, baskets and other accent pieces.

Bringing a mix of different styles together with paint is even easier with Rust-Oleum's new Ultra Cover 2X. Its double cover technology offers twice the coverage of other spray paints and is available in the most popular colors. Twice the coverage means that you'll need fewer coats of paint to complete your project so your room will be ready in half the time. Spray paint has many advantages over brush paint. Most notably, spray paints provide a smooth finish for items with a lot of texture like wicker or wood with detail.

For more inspiration and project ideas, visit www.paintideas.com. There are hundreds of easy, inexpensive projects that can help you transform any living space. And, when you've finished your own room makeover, be sure to share it with your new friends at paintideas.com.

2009-08-28T16:04:00.002-04:00

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY? TELL IT LIKE IT IS!

As a home improvement contractor, I’m always interested in feedback from clients. Here’s your forum for telling me (and others in the industry) what you as consumers look for when you hire us to renovate or repair your homes. Feel free to tell me what you might not be comfortable telling me or asking me as I stand there estimating your job or explaining the cost. What’s most important to you? A quick return call or estimate, cost of the job, finding a licensed and insured contractor, a contractor’s experience and/or references, how quickly we can schedule your job or how flexible we can be? Or something else? What are your “pet peeves”/concerns and how can we improve our service to you, the customer?

2009-08-28T15:51:00.001-04:00

PAINTPRO

To answer your question- "I've got a question already ... perhaps he can help me out when he gets here.... is there an easy way to match the color paint on my wall that's been there a couple of years. I only need a touch up and really dont know what color I used. Do I have to repaint the entire room??"

You can try to take a small chip from an inconspicuous spot in to a paint store or bring paint cards home and try them against your wall. Most paint stores like Sherwin-Williams have electronic paint scanners that can get close to determining what colors make up your particular paint. The difficulty is that paint fades in sunlight and gets dirty very quickly. Even the paint finish (matte, gloss, semi-gloss, flat) changes over time. Most house walls are painted in a flat paint because it hides defects best so if you're not sure what finish your paint is, that's probably your safest bet. This may be a challenge. If you can get a close match, buy a small sample and try it in a couple of small , inconspicuous areas first. And remember that paint dries lighter. Hope this helps and good luck. I'll be interested to hear what happens.

Joe will be here soon to take your questions...

2009-07-23T21:41:00.007-04:00

If you have a question about home improvements, renovations or restorations in Southern Maryland you've come to the right place. Joe will have his tool belt on soon and ready to help out. He's had the hard had on for many years and is full of information to get your project started or point you in the right direction to hiring a professional for your project.

I've got a question already ... perhaps he can help me out when he gets here.... is there an easy way to match the color paint on my wall that's been there a couple of years. I only need a touch up and really dont know what color I used. Do I have to repaint the entire room??

I'll be eagerly waiting to hear!