Home Makeover Diva

Home Design Makeover Ideas

Motivation Tips For Your Next Project

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Recently Michele asked:

How can I boost my motivation to get started on the various home makeover projects my house needs?

That’s a great question, Michele! I’m sure we’ve all struggled with a lack of motivation a time or two in our lives.  I know I certainly have! In fact, right this minute I’m lacking in the motivation to go outside and start the gardening project my front yard desperately deserves. This may even be the reason why I’m inside on a such a beautiful sunny day answering your question.  So, why don’t we work through this one together, and both come out on top of our home makeover projects!

The first thing I get hung up on, is focusing on the project as a whole. This is a huge mistake if you’re in a funk and can’t find the motivation to get started! Focusing on the whole project just makes it feel like an enormous task and that gets overwhelming. Instead, try to focus on something simple, like what supplies you will need. Making a supplies list is a simple task that can help you move in the right direction. Plus once you get the supplies list finished, you’ll also have your shopping list for any items you are needing to purchase.

The supplies list for my gardening project would look something like this: spade, yard rake, shears, hand rake, trowel, garden gloves, hose, wheelbarrow, bark, soil, and plants. This is the list of the items that I will need to accomplish my project. It’s also a good plan when your low on motivation to add something to your shopping list that you don’t necessarily need, but will make your job easier. For me this year, it’s going to be one of those handy little rolling garden stools.This extra purchase in particular, is really going to help boost my motivation because it will help lessen the knee and back pain I’m already anticipating. Plus, it’ll give me a place to store my small gardening tools while I’m working!

Once you’ve got your supply list and/or shopping list written out, it’s time to assemble your supplies. Because tools get misplaced or broken from one season to the next, I recommend assembling the tools you already have before your shopping trip. This way if you need to replace something, you won’t have to make an additional trip to the hardware store. For my gardening project, I know that I’m going to need to purchase the bark, soil and plants. But what I wouldn’t know unless I went down to the garage and looked at my gardening tools, is that I also need new gardening gloves, shears, hand rake and trowel. Checking out your supplies before you go shopping will also help keep you from having to stop the project mid stream to run to the hardware store.

After gathering and purchasing all the needed materials, you should be ready to start your project!  Once again, don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the whole project at large. Instead, just think of the first item you need to do.  For my gardening project, that’s digging up a couple bushes that didn’t make it through the winter. By only focusing on one item at a time, I should be able to fool my motivation enough to truck on through the entire project! When I finish the task of removing the dead bushes then I can begin getting the flower beds ready for new plants.

For this article, I focused on my current gardening project, but the advice will work on any home makeover project in your home.  To avoid feeling overwhelmed, remember to focus on just one small goal at a time and the motivation will follow suit!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe(diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!

Patio Table Tile

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Today Marcy writes:

Diva,  I love my patio table but it is looking a little shabby this year.  Is there any patio table tile that I can use that can handle large family gatherings? Thanks!

Marcy, you’ve come to the right diva! I can definitely help you find the right type of patio table tile that will hold up to heavy use. Here is a list and some helpful info on the most commonly used patio table tile.

The most commonly used natural stone tile for patio tables is slate or granite. People also use travertine, but personally I’d stay away from it, limestone and marble.  The lighter the natural stone tile, the easier it is to stain.  But that is just my opinion and you may like the look of it and be willing to take the risk of it staining.  Regardless of what type of natural stone you choose for your patio table tile, make sure that you use a good penetrating sealer on both the grout and tile. This will help you get the best protection possible.

The most popular type of natural stone used on tables is slate. When it comes to slate though, there are a couple of things you should consider.  First of all it’s natural, so every single tile will look different. This is the attraction of slate, so if you are wanting something uniform in appearance consider something man-made instead. Second, slate comes in different thicknesses, even within the same tile. Which is especially important if you serve meals at the patio table. The more un-level it is the harder it will be to slide a dish across. So pay attention to the type of slate it is before you purchase it. I would recommend going with a minimum of a gauged slate tile, but getting something tumbled would be more level and smoother for dishes to sit on and move across.

Patio Table Tile

Unless you are creating a mosaic look, the only man-made tile you should put on a table top is porcelain. Porcelain is tougher than ceramic and can handle heavy use. This is because porcelain is denser than ceramic, so things can drop down on it harder without chipping or cracking.  Notice, I’m not saying it won’t crack or chip, I’m just saying it will take more to make it crack or chip than a ceramic tile.  Most porcelain tiles are frost/freeze resistant as well, so if you leave your table out all year you won’t have to worry about the cold weather cracking the table top tile. Porcelain tile is much harder to stain than natural stone and it does not have to be sealed, but you will want to make sure you still seal the grout.

Let’s take a moment and revisit the comment I made about mosaic tiles. The reason it doesn’t matter if you use ceramic tiles when creating a mosaic look is because smaller tiles are harder to chip or crack once installed. On top of that, since in order to create a mosaic look you smash a regular size tile into little bits it would be hard to notice if a mosaic tile sustained any damage from everyday use. When it comes to using mosaic tile on a table top the only rule I have is to make sure you use tile that is the same thickness. Otherwise you’ll run into the same problems you do with un-gauged slate and that could get messy!

If you stick to natural stone, porcelain tiles or mosaics you’ll get an even longer life out of your old patio table. Just remember no matter what you choose to use a good sealer before you start using the patio table tile top!  And it wouldn’t hurt to re-seal the grout and/or tile every year to give maximum life to your hard work!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!

 

 

Rubber Bark For Landscaping

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Today Amanda writes:

Dear Diva, What do you know about rubber bark? I heard that it attracts less insects and lasts longer. Is this true? Thank you for your time.

Amanda, rubber bark is a great product for a number of reasons.  Even though it’s more expensive than traditional bark, its benefits may exceed the initial investment. By making the switch to rubber bark you are also being environmentally friendly, because you will be keeping old tires out of landfills. In addition to this, rubber bark attracts less insects and lasts ten times longer than traditional bark. Here are a few more reasons as to why you might want to consider rubber bark:

Rubber bark is fade resistant.  This means your newly “barked” area will look newer, longer.  This happens to be a huge selling point for me personally, because it’s usually when the bark has lost its red color that signals re-barking / mulching for me.  Especially since I can’t stand how gray and ugly bark looks when it’s been down for a while.  So in that respect, being fade resistant will also help add to the life of the bark overall.

Rubber bark just lasts longer. It doesn’t deteriorate over time and does not absorb water. It’s also heavier than traditional bark.  This helps to add to the life of the bark, because unlike traditional bark it won’t blow away or float off the next time it rains. Which means you will be less likely to look at the barked areas and wonder where it all went.  This translates into you not needing to re-bark the area as often.

Rubber bark doesn’t attract wood eating insects.  This particular selling point is also a big factor for me, because I absolutely hate bugs.  Any product that helps keep the bugs away from my house is a good one in my opinion! So if you’re also afraid of bugs, then rubber bark is a good thing.  This is also a consideration if you live in an area prone to termites. You will especially grateful for a product that reduces their interest in your home!

Rubber Bark

Rubber bark reduces weeds. It doesn’t kill them per se and it doesn’t prevent the seeds of existing weeds that are already in the soil from growing. However it does reduce new weeds from reaching the soil.  This happens because the rubber bark does not store moisture like traditional bark. So most seeds dry out before ever getting to the soil where they can grow. One company said that rubber bark reduces weed growth by over 85%. I’m not sure if the numbers are actually this high, but I have heard you can expect at least a 50% decrease. And that is certainly good enough for me!

As you can see these are some pretty compelling reasons to choose rubber bark over traditional bark for your yard.  However, there are a couple of things to consider before making your decision. First rubber bark can be 3x times more expensive than traditional bark for your yard. Considering rubber bark last ten times longer, it really ends up being cheaper in the long run. Second, there’s some speculation that rubber bark transfers zinc into the soil.  Realizing this, I definitely wouldn’t consider going the rubber bark path if you’re a gardener since the zinc could potentially kill near by plants. Using this product in a gardening space would be counter productive.

With each of the above negatives aside, rubber bark would be perfect for people like me, with “non-green thumbs” who are only wishing to make their garden look as presentable as possible. And as with any purchase, make sure you know the pros and cons before buying. Ask the experts at any big box store. Most of the time, they’re more than happy to answer any additional questions you might have.

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!

 

 

 

Outdoor Solar Screens

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Today Henrietta writes:

I need to find outdoor solar screens for my parents. They have a gazebo like area off the side of the house that they would like to start enjoying. But the problem is that the area gets a lot of sun coming in from the side and then it can get really hot and uncomfortable out there. Can you think of an outdoor solar screen solution that would be easy for my parents to operate and come in 10 or 12 feet wide? They need to see out but still get protection from the heat and sun, is this possible? Thank you for your time.

Henrietta, yes this is possible! You just have to know where to look. I’d suggest checking into SunSetter EasyShade Outdoor Solar Screens.

The SunSetter EasyShade Outdoor Solar Screens unroll up to 7 feet in height and come in a range from 4 to 12 feet wide. These are not custom solar screens, but they are made at an increment between 4 and 12. There is a manual version with a hand crank and a motorized version. While the motorized version is about $200 more expensive, you may want to seriously consider it due to your concern about this being easy to operate for your parents.

Just to help give you a closer idea of price, if you were ordering a motorized version of the 12ft shade, it would cost around $650.  While these are not the most expensive solar screens available, I have noticed that they’re definitely not the cheapest either. You’ll find cheaper solar screens at home improvement stores that will simply raise and lower on a cord, but be warned that the larger the size, the harder it is to raise and lower.  And this is why I have suggested SunSetter them over other such brands.

Outdoor Solar Screens

As I said above, these solar screens are not custom so you won’t have a lot in the way of the options. There is only three colors available: Desert Sand, Cream and Charcoal, with a choice on the color of the headrail in Cream or Bronze.  If you take my advice and go with the motorized option, the motor is not run by a battery and you will need to plug them in. Luckily the power cord is a generous 12ft and if the area is on a patio you shouldn’t have any problem finding a long-term or temporary solution for power.

The motorized solar screens block 90% of the “sun, wind and mist.” By contrast, the manual ones only block 80% of the same. Either of these options should dramatically reduce the heat and sun that makes the patio area unusable for your parents. Especially as the weather continues to heat up. And if you’re concerned about how the shades will look during the time they are not open, don’t worry the headrail is compact and slim so they won’t be an eye sore.

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!

Trex Transcend Decking Material

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Today Jenny writes:

Dear Diva, I’m curious to know what you think about Trex Transcend Decking Material? I like the idea of not having to stain or paint my deck, but I don’t know very much about the material itself. Is it worth the money? Any feedback is much appreciated.

Jenny, I love Trex Transcend Decking Material! Especially Trex Transend! The new colors are amazing and look more like real hardwood then their previous products. In particular, I love the Spiced Rum and Lava Rock. So if you are going for a tropical wood look, check those two colors out. So as you can tell, I’m a big fan of Trex and here is why.

First of all, it’s got a 25 year warranty against fading or staining. This way you won’t have to repaint or stain your deck every year! Just install it once and you’re done. Considering I’m making plans to re-stain my deck yet again, this option appeals to me on many levels!

Second, Trex products are environmentally conscious. Here’s a few quick facts about the products: Trex Transcend Decking Material is made of 98% recycled and reclaimed materials. These materials are plastic, wood and sawdust. This is amazing to me, but in an average sized deck approximately 140,000 recycled plastic bags are used!

Trex Transcend Decking Material

Third, the Transcend line uses hidden fasteners. So you don’t see the nail heads like you would on a real wood deck. This gives the deck the same seamless look as hardwood flooring.

And lastly, the Trex website is an invaluable tool to use when planning your deck. There are helpful questions, so you can determine whether you should do it yourself or hire a contractor as well as deck plans, color guides, installation instructions and warranty info.

A quick note about installation though: Make sure whoever installs it is familiar with the product. The tropical colors of Trex are colored similarly to natural wood and the different lengths will need to be mixed in together. Otherwise there would be a noticeable color variation when you went from one section of 12′ pieces to a section of 16′ pieces. But as long as your contractor is familiar with the product and it’s hardwood like color variations this can be avoided.

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe(diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!