The Fixie Chick blog
Brenna Hartmann is the co-founder of Fixin'Chix Inc., a do-it-yourself enterprise that includes a comprehensive home improvement website; how-to workshops, seminars and publications; and a product line. Brenna is dedicated to empowering women "do-it herselfers" (DIHers) who have the passion and desire to improve their homes. Brenna writes the popular Fixie Chick home improvement column found in Home & Yard Handbook, and is the co-host of "Home & Yard Radio with the Fixie Chick" on 950 ESPN. Brenna lives in Webster with her husband and two children.
Cool Home Show Finds!
Home improvement season was officially kicked-off this weekend with Rochester's first home show of the year! All things energy
efficient seemed to dominate the dome this year. From the highest SEER (Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio) air conditioners to the on-demand hot water tanks and new
technologies in insulation like soy bean and denim. There were cool lighting products that use the new LED (light emitting diode) technology to
illuminate everything from
cabinetry to tile! Be sure to read my future blogs and
Fixie Chix columns in the Home&Yard Handbook to learn more about these exciting new technologies. Is there something new that you'd like to learn more about? Ask me, I'd be happy to help!
Talk to you soon,
The
Fixie Chick
Tired of being in the house yet? There is plenty of winter left, so you may need a few home improvement projects lined up to get you through the dark days before spring.
If you're feeling creative, one easy way to pep things up in the kitchen (or anywhere in the house for that matter) is with a new ceiling.
"A NEW CEILING? Are you kidding?" That's what you thought isn't it? Well it's not as complicated as it sounds if you're going decorative. Styling the ceiling, or the fifth wall as it is now called, is pretty simple with faux tin ceiling tiles or embossed wallpaper. Either goes up like a breeze and can be painted to match your decor or theme.
Another quick and easy decorative change can be made with designer window film. A simple 15-minute application will turn your plain window into a stained glass replica. There are a variety of patterns to choose from, and the images can be used either vertically or horizontally to create a beautiful affect for little cost and even less effort.
One more idea: how about a little fresh paint on the walls? It may seem a simple suggestion, but a new color can really brighten your mood and keep you going through a couple more months of hibernation. There are many interesting faux and decorative techniques that are easily mastered. When I first took a go at it, I practiced on a piece of primed MDF until I felt I had the technique down. For free-hand painting, a friend of mine always uses watercolor colored pencils to draw on the wall first. They wipe right off and won't scratch or gouge the wall.
Go wild. It's only paint. You can always call a "redo" if you don't like it.
-The Fixie Chick
Fix with me!!
Are you a Fixie Chick? Do you have a Home Improvement project on your list? I'd love to hear about it. Please post your comments here!
The Finished Result
Home Is Where The Heart Is
Tis the season of love. So why not give your home a little extra TLC? Here's a fun, easy and inexpensive project that's perfect for this time of year.
Truthfully, photos don't do this fun project any good! The transformation is remarkable to the eye and I am so proud of this one.
Since the day we moved in, I have been bothered by the unsightly look of my plain old black fireplace. With paint marks, uneven grout lines and scratches, it was in desperate need of a facelift. Short of complete replacement, I was unsure of my options for reviving the "focal point" of my family room.
After asking around, I came across a spray-paint product for high temperature use. The paint is available in many colors designed to match to your room decor and for touching up chipped, scratched or heat bleached areas. It is specifically designed for uses up to 1200 degrees. I chose the MOJAVE RED to complement the red accent pieces I have in the room. It turned out more brown than I expected, but it matches my wood furniture perfectly and I'm glad, it's nice and subtle and doesn't take away from the mantle.
This project was so easy, it cost less than $10 and took under 2 hours to complete.
Step one: Shut off gas and pilot light.
Step two: Dismantle the louvers.
Step three: Clean the entire area to be painted with a grease cutting solution (I used a product with oxy power), allow to dry.
Step four: Using a fine grit sanding sponge, lightly sand all surfaces to be painted. Wipe with a damp cloth. Allow to dry.
Step five: Using blue painters tape, tape off the area and cover surrounding areas to avoid any unwanted over-spray. Cover glass with newspaper or cardboard. Paint any loose pieces (louvers) in a well ventilated area.
Step six: Following the manufactures directions, apply the paint using steady, even strokes while spraying. Several thin coats give a better finish than one heavy coat.
Step seven: Let the project dry completely, (this paint dries quickly) and re-assemble.
Note: The paint may give off fumes during the fist few burns, this is normal, but you may want to open a window and turn on a fan to provide fresh air.
Ice Dams
I love to write about fun home improvement projects, but occasionally it is necessary to address the not-so-fun stuff. Topics that may better be termed "home maintenance projects". Like ice dams, a common occurrence during a cold and snowy Rochester winter.
Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the eaves and valleys of roofs. Insufficient attic insulation and/or poor attic ventilation allows heat to escape from your attic. The heat warms your roof and causes the snow to melt and slide down the roof to the eaves, where the roof surface is much cooler. The melting snow freezes to the roof and creates a "dam". Subsequent melting can cause water to pool behind this dam. If the water seeps between the shingle layers, it can wet the roof deck and even the walls and ceilings below. Long, sharp and heavy icicles can also pose a threat to your windows, gutters, siding and even passers by.
Unfortunately there is no quick-fix to this problem. Each home's situation may be unique. Find a trusted home improvement professional that specializes in insulation and ventilation that can give you an expert evaluation on your home.
Until you can get to the root of the problem, there are a few things you can do:
*If you have access to hot water from your hose, spray the icicles (from the bottom up) and slowly melt them away. This will eliminate some of the weight and the danger of falling icicles.
*Be very careful if you are going to try to "knock" the icicles down. Protect your head and eyes and use caution around windows and siding. (Vinyl siding cracks easily in freezing temperatures)
*Once you are out of danger from falling icicles, use a large wide broom with a long handle to pull the snow down from the roof. Please don't climb up an icy roof-leave that for the pros!!
*Fill a woman's pantyhose or stocking leg/s with an ice melting substance and tie it off at the opening. Place the stocking/s only at the gutter, or lower-most portion of the eves. (Higher placement may cause melt-water to accumulate behind an ice dam, worsening the situation) Remember to remove and discard the salt stockings once the ice starts melting on its own.
*It is important that the gutters and downspouts are freely discharging melt-water. Gutters improperly sloped and/or not cleared of leaves and debris, can cause formation of ice dams rather quickly. Ensure that downspout extensions are not frozen into the grass or soil.
Remember, these are "tips in the mean-time". Please be proactive and prevent ice dams before next winter.
I've always loved the look of a carriage house. It conjures the romance of horse farms, rolling hills, blazing sunsets, polo matches. And of course a handsome Prince. Mmmmm.
A girl can only dream, right?
Wrong.
You may not be able to have Hunt Country, but you can have the look of a carriage house, right here in Rochester, New York, with the very simple installation of carriage door hardware. It attaches right to your existing garage door and costs around $60 a door, if you are a DIY'er or $100 if you want it to have it installed for you. I did my garage doors in about an hour, and all I needed was a convertible rivet gun and a little muscle. (Rivet guns can be tough to squeeze)
A small investment can add a lot of value.
Here are the before and after pictures. Doesn't it look awesome?
Talk to you soon,
Brenna Hartmann
-The Fixie Chick
Remember the mold I mentioned last week? The black stuff in my new home? Well here's the deal: last May, just about two years after moving into our new home, I decided it was time to get a handle on the unusual smell that had occasionally wafted about the place since we moved in. I had a BPI energy audit done, and was shocked by the report. Among other things, it turns out my noisy bathroom ventilation fan was exhausting into my attic. In accordance with the building code (and common sense, if you ask me) the fan should have been venting to the great outdoors.
That funky smell was coming from the multiple science projects growing, not only in my bathroom, but in my attic too.
Mold is a hard thing to kill. I was continually scrubbing away at it when cleaning, but it just kept coming back. The remedy? Not a simple one, I'm afraid. The episode led to my extreme bathroom makeover, which included the installation of a properly installed vent fan, complete removal of the drywall, and installation of a new shower (it turned out the shower frame had deteriorated into mold hotel with no vacancy). This much trouble in a seven-year-young house? It doesn't seem right.
Okay, I admit I got a little carried away remodeling the whole bathroom, but what's the point of a new state-of-the-art shower, in a not-so-state-of-the-art bathroom.
I did most of the grunt work, and a lot of the renovation myself, but I brought in a few trusted contractors for some of the more intricate jobs. I learned a lot in the process, and I now have a spectacular, mold free, bathroom.
One lesson learned: hire a trusted, professional inspector when purchasing a home. I'm embarrassed to say we bought ours at a discount from a previous offer on the house. BAD IDEA! We paid in the end, and so will you, if you don't make sure the person inspecting knows what they are doing.
If you'd like to see my Extreme Bathroom Remodel process as it unfolded, click on my website to Diary of a Fixie Chick.
Until Thursday,
The Fixie Chick
