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TRANSCRIPT
c OLLEGE
P ARK Neighborhood Association
SEPTEMBER 2016
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.CollegePark-Richardson.com
Tuesday October 4th, 2016 6 –8 PM
Jess Harben Elementary School Cafeteria
★Enjoy brats, hotdogs, soft pretzels, chips, popcorn & drinks
with your neighbors (bring a side dish or dessert to share)
★Enjoy the sounds of the Berkner Drumline & Jazz Band
★Kids World - games in the school courtyard
6-7 pm for kids under age 11
★Meet Sergeant Safety
College Park, Glenville Park, North College Park & Town North Park Neighborhood Associations will have tables with neighborhood & crime prevention information
You’ll also be able to check on membership, pay dues, etc.
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Notes from the President
Patti Glenn [email protected] 972-900-9188 or 972-699-1615
SAVE THE DATE - NATIOANL NIGHT OUT
Tuesday, October 4th
Fall is on its way and that means so many wonderful things, from playing in a pile of leaves to cooking up a new favorite apple dish and pulling out warm sweaters and blankets for cooler days. The air is hopefully on its way. Football is back and the chil-dren are back in school. Cottonwood Arts Festival is back Oct. 1-2 at Cottonwood Park. More than 240 select art-
ists comprise one of the top artistic festivals in the country. Featured artist for this event
is Michael Vistia. The hours are 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sun-day. Besides the art, the event includes live music, a beer garden, food and crafting opportunities. Cottonwood Park is located at 1321 W. Belt Line Rd. Admission and parking are free. Additional details at www.cottonwoodartfestival.com WFAA-TV reported that Richardson was been named 2016’s third Best Real-Estate Market in the nation according to a recent study from WalletHub.com. The two other top three spots were located in North Texas as well. To help prospective homebuyers find the most attractive housing markets, WalletHub’s analysts compared 300 U.S. cities across 16 key metrics. The data set ranges from median home price appreciation to housing affordability and job growth rate. Go to www.facebook.com/RichardsonToday to see a quick video of the WFAA report Our neighborhood is using a private online network called NextDoor College Park, and I think you'll benefit from joining us. On our NextDoor site, neighbors share communi-ty events, recommendations, items for sale/free, crime/safety concerns, ideas about how to make our neighborhood better, and more. Please join us to build a better neigh-borhood! If you have not signed up for the Next Door website site, I highly recommend it. There are lots of good things showing up. You may get to know you neighbors a bit better & help send pets home or even find a cabinet to work on if you are inclined. Richardson Police & the City both post to it & keep us informed on city things going on. You can lurk or participate. Discussions include things about the wild critters who sometimes visit our back-yards. Who to call for tile work? Cleaning the vents? Foundation repair? Selling your stuff? (I purchased by car from an ad on Next Door) Need a babysitter? Police up-dates? Stranger danger from the neighbors-crime alerts that can travel very fast! Things for sale or FREE Giveaways. If you are interested, please send me an email & I will send you an electronic invite.
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CRIME TIPS
Crime Watch Patrol Stats
FOR AUGUST
Patrol Hours: 81.5
(This includes both patrol and meeting hours)
Types of Observations
Open Garage Doors 21 Suspicious Persons 9 Other Property Observations 13 Suspicious Vehicles 9 House Watches 14
The following people patrolled this month
7 CWP Members attended the NNO
Planning Meeting in lieu of the CWP
Meeting
YARD OF THE MONTH
Loyce, James & Kevin Mason
1107 Dunbarton
HONORABLE MENTION
Francine Carwell 1000 Grinnell Drive
Our thanks to Callaway's Nursery, located on
Plano Road, north of Campbell, for sponsoring
CPNA Yard of the Month
Dieter Paul, Gordon Melton, Sonia
Hetherington, Denise Lane, Patti Glenn,
John Thompson, Ben Parlapiano, Dale
Klosterman, Rick Skaggs, John Partlow,
Gala Partlow, Len Foster, Chuck Laird,
and Kathy Hill
College Park’s Personal Officer
Ed Coleman cell 214.282.0843
Provided by the COR for our protection.
This dedicated police presence helps residents by deterring crime and providing an-other way to watch over the neighbor-hood.
Call Officer Coleman for:
General Assistance To report Minor or Unusual Activities Cars on the Street
For Emergencies, continue to call 911.
Crime Tip: When at home, park your car inside the garage. If you must park outside, remove any valuables including the garage door opener.
Crime Tip: When cashing checks or making withdrawals, be cognizant of who may be watching from aside or behind. Keep the transaction in front of you. Count your currency & put it away prior to exiting the building. If you feel threatened or under surveillance, go back inside where there are people. Seek the assistance of staff or a security guard.
Crime Tip: A way to deter burglaries is to keep the neighborhood well lite at night. If you do not already keep your front porch & driveway lights on at night, you are encouraged to do so for a brighter neighborhood. You can buy dusk-to-dawn or motion detector sockets that screw into your currently installed outdoor lights. You then screw your regular light bulb (including LEDs) into the dusk-to-dawn or motion detector socket. These special sockets are not expensive – I priced them at Batteries Plus Bulbs & they are about $12-15 each. I am sure they are also available at Lowe’s & Home Depot. I have my front porch lights on dusk-to-dawn & my back lights on motion detectors. Burglars don’t like light so the more light we have in the neighborhood at night, the better. The additional cost of electricity is very, very small.
Crime Watch Patrol has volunteered to install locking mailboxes. You provide the material &
they will install it for you. If interest, contact Chris Williams at
(469) 274-3500 or [email protected]
College Park Market Analysis Summary as of 09/20/16
Active Listings 5 (Includes 2 pending & 1 under option) Avg list price $285.0K Avg price/sq ft $123.15
Sold past 6 months 28 Avg sold price $255.7K Avg price/sq ft $118.74
Please note this does not include “For Sale by Owner” Properties
The Market Analysis combines College Park, College Park North, College Park East (Glenville Park), and Town North Park subdivisions If you would like additional information or a market analysis of your property, please contact me at
972-900-9188 [email protected]
CPNA - Dedicated to improving our neighborhood & community
Membership dues covers June 1, 2016 through May 31, 2017
Our College Park Neighbors (All neighbors, not just homeowners) are invited to join CPNA!
Mail dues of $35.00 to Treasurer Lynne Patterson
PO Box 851021 Richardson, TX 75085
Questions? Lynne Patterson 972-890-1031
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
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CPNA OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE HEADS 2015-2016
President Patti Glenn 972-699-1615 [email protected] 972-900-9188 cell Vice President John Pantzer 903 720 4795 [email protected] Secretary Sharlee Skaggs 972-690-3172 [email protected] Treasurer Lynne Patterson 972-890-1031 [email protected] Parliamentarian Jerry Silverman 972-231-2300 [email protected] Welcome Comm. Kathy Hill 214-533-5295 [email protected] Beautification/YOM Dale & Hilda Klosterman 972-644-1583 [email protected] Newsletter Helene Levitan 972-519-0270 [email protected] Crime Watch Patrol Kathy Hill 214-533-5295 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Chris Xeros 972-740-4151 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Chieu Mai 972-235-0028 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Peggy Williams 972-680-2863 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Laura Koloc 972-235-6516 [email protected]
CPNA OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE HEADS 2016-2017
President Patti Glenn 972-699-1615 [email protected] 972-900-9188 cell Vice President John Pantzer 903 720 4795 [email protected] Secretary Sharlee Skaggs 972-690-3172 [email protected] Treasurer Lynne Patterson 972-890-1031 [email protected] Parliamentarian Jerry Silverman 972-231-2300 [email protected] Welcome Comm. Kathy Hill 214-533-5295 [email protected] Beautification/YOM Dale Klosterman 972-644-1583 [email protected] Beautification/YOM Pam Young 214-415-4132 [email protected] Newsletter Helene Levitan 972-519-0270 [email protected] Crime Watch Patrol Kathy Hill 214-533-5295 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Chris Xeros 972-740-4151 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Chieu Mai 972-235-0028 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Peggy Williams 972-680-2863 [email protected] AT LARGE Member Laura Koloc 972-235-6516 [email protected]
TIMELY TIPS FOR SEPTEMBER GARDENERS
C ALLOWAY’S
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September is a pivotal month for your landscape, with the official arrival of Autumn later this month, & hopefully, a return to cooler & wetter weather. It’s the gateway month between summer & fall gardening, so get outside & improve your landscape.
September is the time to apply lawn fertilizer to keep the grass healthy & growing up to the first frost. Always follow the directions on the package & avoid over fertilizing, which will only damage your lawn. Fall-fertilized lawns are better equipped to make it through the winter & resume growth next spring than lawns that receive no fertilizer.
Double check your sprinklers carefully to make sure they are applying all that you expect in an even, uniform pattern.
Think back to last spring. Did you have lawn weeds in February & March before the grass started growing? Those were cool-season weeds, most of which germinated last fall. A pre-emergent herbicide applied in September will help reduce the recurrence of the same weeds next spring.
Sow Spring Wildflowers (like Bluebonnets) seeds now. For more reliable, uniform seed germination of our State flower, purchase acid-treated Bluebonnets seed. This treatment pits the seed coat, allowing nearly 100% germination in one to two weeks.
Need to add new shrubbery or trees to your landscape? This is a great month to do that. Fall landscaping done now will be well-rooted by next Spring & Summer.
Plant your fall vegetable garden. Plant cool-season
vegetable garden with transplants of Broccoli,
Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chard,
Collards, Lettuce & Kale. Water your new vegetables
& lightly top-dress with mulch to discourage weeds.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Come & enjoy Calloway’s Fall Festival
You’ll find spectacular Fall decorations including Pumpkins, Gourds, Squash, Scarecrows, Bales of Hay, & special displays for the season!
Enjoy loads of free activities fun for the whole family
Pumpkin Pie Decorating!
Arts & Crafts including Harvest Maraca Shakers
Performances by family favorite Mad Science
Games including Pumpkin Bowling & Witch’s Hat Ring Toss!
Costume Characters – Superheroes & Princesses!
Pumpkin Patch Photos
Gift Card Giveaways
Popcorn & Candy
Samples of Rita’s Italian Ice & Cotton Candy at select Calloway’s locations
And experience so much!
Available at all Calloway’s locations, and free!
Mark your calendars for this fun-filled Saturday
Continued on Page 7
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Household Expenses You’re Probably Wasting Your Money On
Here are common money mistakes
homeowners make — and now you won’t.
1. Contractor House Calls Think you need a pro to fix that leaky toilet? You’d be surprised how easy it can be to fix it yourself — and save the typical $45 to $150/hr plumbers can charge (and don’t forget the boost in your can-do attitude!). You can often find home remedies for small jobs like a leaky faucet or broken garbage disposal on YouTube. Just be sure it’s a reputable source. And check out several videos on the same repair. That’ll help make sure no crucial step is missed.
“We save a couple hundred dollars/yr by doing small home repairs ourselves,” says Lauren Greutman, frugal living expert & author of “The Recovering Spender: How to Live a Happy, Fulfilled, Debt-Free Life.”
For those who prefer an expert, Greutman suggests smaller, local retail appliance stores. “It’s a little-known secret that they usually have repair men that are very inexpensive,” she says.
2. Extended Warranties It’s tempting to insure your new, big purchase, but according to Consumer Reports, you’re probably already as covered as you need to be.
How’s that? Most major appliances come with at least a 90-day manufacturer’s warranty. Buy with a major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express) & it will likely double that standard warranty.
Combine that with the fact that “Consumer Reports” found most products won’t break during the standard two-or three-year service contract period. When they do, the repair cost is usually just a few dollars more than the cost of the warranty.
Instead of paying for an extended warranty, stash the cash in a savings account earmarked for home
repairs. When you need it, it’ll be there.
3. Flashy Feature Appliances The newest appliances come with super fun features. Who wouldn’t want an oven that talks, remote access to your A/C, or bottle jets in the dishwasher (paging new parents!) ? Still, it may not be financially wise to replace a fully functioning older model just to gain modern perks. So says Arthur Teel, owner & operator of The Handyman Plan in Asheville, N.C.
“Circuit boards break & energy efficiency numbers don’t always add up,” he says.
Yup. That’s even true for some energy-efficient appliances that boast cost savings. “Spend $1,000 on a new, energy-efficient stove & it could take 10 years of energy savings to offset the cost of the new stove,” he says. “Unless you have a really old appliance, it’s probably efficient enough for your needs. Also, putting the appliance into the landfill isn’t exactly great for the environment.”
4. Budget Bulbs Incandescents may be easy on your everyday household budget, but they’re tough on your energy bill. Start replacing them now with LEDs. To help swallow the initial costs, just replace them as they die out. A typical LED bulb can recuperate its cost in a little over a year (at least according to manufacturers, so in reality it’s probably a bit longer, but not enough to quibble about). Even better, since LEDs can last a decade or more, you won’t have to buy bulbs as often, & your energy costs will be lower!
5. Commercial Cleaning Supplies Even if you’re buying off-brand products to save costs, you’re still wasting money. You don’t have to spend anywhere near the cost of commercial products.
“Vinegar will clean a lot of things & it’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying pricey cleaning supplies,” says Eliesa Prettelt, avid DIYer & author of “A Pinterest Addict” blog. She also likes baking soda & hydrogen peroxide, each of which can be found for just a fraction of the cost of their popular store-bought equivalents.
“You can use these natural products in your dishwasher, in your garbage disposal, in your wash,” Prettelt adds. Easy peasy. And it’s super cheap.
That’s right. You can make dishwasher soap from a cup each of borax & washing soda, a half-cup kosher salt, & five packets unsweetened lemonade mix. Or whip up your own window cleaner with these simple ingredients:
half-cup white vinegar rubbing alcohol two cups of water two tablespoons of cornstarch
All those ingredients cost pennies. And to think you were paying $2-$4 for the commercial kind.
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6. A Storage Unit If it doesn’t fit in your home, is it really worth keeping? Ditch nostalgia & think with your bank account: At a cost of between $50 & $300 per month, it may be time to purge the junk.
If you can’t bear to part with something you don’t use regularly — say, great-grandma’s heirloom china — rethink your home’s organizational storage. Clean out the closet, craft shelves beneath the stairs, or build window seats with drawer storage. You’ll be investing in your home instead of giving money to a storage vendor.
7. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) Bought your house with less than 20% down? You’re probably paying for PMI (a type of insurance that guarantees your mortgage lender will be covered if you default). It costs between $600 & $1,200/yr for a typical home. But once your loan-to-value ratio drops to 80%, you’re not required to pay it. But the lender isn’t required to drop it until it reaches 78%.
That 2% difference could cost you hundreds,
even thousands of dollars, depending on your
home’s mortgage balance. So, keep an eye on
your statement & whip out that calculator when
you’re getting close. Then, if you’re feeling really
savvy, keep paying that amount every month —
but apply it to your mortgage principal instead.
Do that & you could recoup your PMI fees.
Because as you pay down your principal, you’ll
pay less in interest, potentially saving thousands.
Now how savvy is that?
Household Expenses You’re Probably
Wasting Your Money On, cont’d.
Most of us have forgotten someone's name & felt pretty awkward about it. And if you do it too often in business, it could cost you. Here are five simple tips for remembering people's names:
Greet, repeat. When you meet people for the first time, repeat their names right away by saying something like "Nice to meet you, Jake." Then, make an attempt to use a person's name throughout the time you spend together. Time the usage to what would seem natural.
Spell it out. If the name is at all unusual, ask the person to spell it for you. Sometimes visualizing the letters will help you remember. Or, if the name could have a variant spelling (e.g. Michele with one "l" or Chris with a "C" or a "K"), make sure to ask.
Card them. Ask for a business card & glance at it while you speak together to create an additional visual reference for better recall.
Associate your associates. If the person has the same name as a close friend or family member, make a mental note for easier recall. You can also link them to a favorite actor, singer or fictional character that you won't forget.
Rhyme all the time. Jenn from Penn, Bill on the hill, Mary owns a dairy. A little humor can improve your recall of words & sentences, too.
Finally, one of the main reasons we forget people's names is because we're busy or have too much going on in our minds. Once you start to engage more fully with new acquaintances, the little details you gather will advance your name recall rapidly & make everyone feel important.
Sources: Forbes, wikiHow
Secrets to Remembering Names
Driveways
Every driveway has a life expectancy, this is determined by two key factors, the base & the thickness of the asphalt.
However, the Pavement will eventually crack. When this happens don't use liquid asphalt. while it might hide the problem for a month
or two, that is all it will do. It is preferable to have a Professional come out & look at it, instead of trying to fix it yourself.
Small dips in the driveway will deteriorate faster than the rest of the driveway allowing puddles of water to collect & eventually form
potholes in your driveway. These should be fixed immediately as not to cause long term damage.
Continued on next page
Garage Cleaning Tips for the Overwhelmed
Don’t let this catch-all space get the better of you. These baby steps can get you started
Laura Gaskill Houzz Contributor
Facing down a jam-packed garage? If you’re feeling defeated before you’ve even begun, this guide is for you. By breaking a mountain of a task into bite-size pieces, you can bring your out-of-control-messy garage into focus. We offer baby steps to getting started, smart storage tips & more. Before you know it, you will have transformed a chaotic free-for-all space into a functional, organized storage area.
Be realistic. If you stop thinking about cleaning out the garage as a big task that must be completed in one go, it takes a lot of the pressure off. Each step you take to clean out your garage makes it measurably better than where you started, which is why I advise tossing perfection as a goal out the window — if it’s better than before, that’s a win. And by breaking your task down into manageable chunks, you eventually can have a totally clean, clear garage like this one & you can enjoy the small victories along the way.
Do some reconnaissance. Take a deep breath & go in. That’s step one. Don’t worry about sorting or removing anything yet, just have a good look around & note what you see. You might want to make a list, take some photographs or both; do whatever helps you feel more organized & in control. On this first trip into the garage, take special note of any really big & bulky pieces: Are these items you might be interested in getting rid of? If so, take some time today to research where to take the items or (if you intend to sell them) take photos & create an ad for Craigslist or another resource in your area.
Compile a local resource list. Look over the notes or photos you made during your reconnaissance trip & make a list of the types of items you plan to get rid of.
Once you know what you have, you can begin to figure out where it will all go. Perhaps you need to rent a refuse container to collect trash, find a consignment store to drop off clothes or schedule a pickup of donations for a local charitable organization. Having these details charted out in advance will make the rest of the process feel more straightforward. Pure & Simple Organizing
Schedule a weekend to start sorting & purging. If your garage is very full, you will probably need to schedule multiple weekends to get through everything — but for now, just worry about the first one. During that first weekend of work, you will probably be amazed at the dent you make in the clutter. While you are putting the great garage cleanup on your calendar, be sure to also schedule any pickups or rent a trash bin if you need it. Having other people counting on you to get the work done will help ensure you don’t procrastinate. Repeat this step as needed, until you have reduced the clutter.
Sort what’s left into “zones.” Once you have managed to sort through most of the items in your garage (and ideally have removed a lot of unneeded stuff), it’s time to assess what’s left & make a plan for what will go where. By keeping items in categories that make sense (for example, gardening, sports, holiday, tools) finding what you need will be much easier. Sort your remaining items into categories that make sense to you & pile them
Dispose of hazardous items safely. If you have items such as pesticides or old motor oil, you will need to make a special trip to a hazardous waste facility. Collect these items in a central spot in the garage & pencil in time to get that done. Paint, motor oil, fertilizers & pool chemicals should never be dumped down the drain or tossed in the regular trash.
Invest in a proper storage setup. If you can, invest in some storage cabinets & wall-mounted storage — it will make a huge difference in how accessible your stored items are & may even help protect them over time. It’s also a good idea to begin transferring your stored items from old cardboard boxes into sturdier
containers meant for long-term storage. Plastic bins
work well for hard items (like children’s toys & holiday lights), but textiles & papers are best kept in archival containers designed for this purpose.
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MOLD! UGH! Soooo Gross.
Here’s How to Kill It Forever
Ugh. Mold. It’s ugly. It’s tenacious. It’s the uninvited guest that keeps visiting — no matter how rude you are to it. But, unwittingly, you may be setting up the perfect conditions for mold’s return: a food source, lots of moisture & a pleasant temperature.
“You’ve got to eliminate one of those three legs of the stool so mold won’t grow,” says Pete Duncanson, director of system development for ServiceMaster Restore. “And it’s always easier to prevent than to remediate.”
Assuming you like warm showers & a comfy thermostat setting, there’s not much you can do about the temperature mold loves. But you can get rid of mold — and permanently prevent it — by controlling the other two factors: food & moisture. Here’s how.
Starve It Out Mold is a horror flick cliché. It’s everywhere. It’s alive. It spreads by spores floating in the air. And it can grow on any surface — porcelain, plastic, copper, silicone — as long as that surface is coated with organic matter.
“Mold doesn’t live on your shower walls or the grout or caulk; it actually lives on the deposited skin cells & soap residues (which have your skin cells in them),” Duncanson says. So. Gross. So, yes, if you want to get rid of mold you gotta break out the cleaning bucket. There’s no way around it. But the good news is that you don’t need toxic cleaners. Soap & water works just fine with some elbow grease, says Bob Justewicz, a director at the National Association of Mold Professionals. But two warnings:
Don’t bleach it. Online chat rooms & myriad websites might have you believe that bleach kills mold. Both professionals say it’s not true. “Bleach or peroxide removes the stain, but they don’t kill the mold,” Duncanson says.
Don’t scrape it. Remember, mold is alive (it’s ALIVE!) & reproduces through microscopic spores. “If you brush [mold spores] with your hand, they just go into the air & look for new places to colonize,” Duncanson says.
What about those daily shower sprays? Will they work? They are of some benefit, says Duncanson, in that they help push mold’s food sources down the drain. But as a solo act, no, they won’t keep your bathroom clean.
Dry It Out How? Use your exhaust fan. “Running the fan any time the bathroom is in use is a good idea,” Duncanson says. “Then leave it on for 30 minutes after or at least as long as the shower ran.”
But make sure your fan actually exhausts outside through the roof or a side soffit & not into the attic. “If it’s going into the attic, you’re causing moisture to go into an unconditioned space & you can cause mold growth there.”
Three main types of garage storage to consider:
Overhead. If you have a lot to store & space is tight, consider using overhead space to stow away some of your least-frequently used items (like holiday decor) in lidded bins. Overhead storage racks need to be securely mounted for safety, so it’s best to have a pro put them in.
Wall-mounted. Keeping gear & bins off the floor is one of the best ways to prevent moisture damage & save floor space.
Locked cabinets. These are essential for safely storing materials like antifreeze, motor oil, pesticides & other chemicals that could harm children or pets if ingested.
Move frequently used gear near the entrance. If you ride bikes & play ball every weekend, it doesn’t make sense to have to trek to the back of the garage to retrieve your gear each time you need it. Keep these items along a wall close to the entrance instead & outfit it with storage that fits the purpose: bike hooks for bikes, wire mesh baskets for balls, shelves for gardening supplies & so on.P
lus Interiors
Yep, there’s a rack for that! Have something unusually shaped? A quick search online or a trip to a storage store probably will turn up multiple solutions. So just because you have something big & bulky, like a kayak or surfboard collection, don’t let that be an excuse to plunk it down any old place. Long term, it’s much better to have a specific spot to stash each type of storage item you have.
Keep it going. The key to keeping your garage organized & clutter-free long-term is to view it as an important, useful space, not a dumping ground for random items that you don’t know what else to do with. Clutter tends to breed more clutter, so remember that the next time you are tempted to stash away a few more “good “cardboard boxes, that Christmas present you hate (but are afraid to get rid of) or the broken blender you might one-day fix.
Garage Cleaning Tips (cont’d)
When did hanging out on your patio with that privacy wall you DIYed back in May stop being fun? All you can see is that rusty grill staring at you, & bird poop piling up on your outdoor chaise while you sweat & fight off bugs. And eeeew, what is that you smell? Summer’s great — but, boy, can it turn on when the dog days set in.
Don't start job hunting in Alaska just yet. You can take back your summer. Here’s the worst of what it can inflict on you (in no particular order)—and how to fight back
A Stinky Bug Invasion Squish a stink bug & you’ll quickly learn how they got their nom de pee-yew. While the brown pests may be harmless, your family’s noses will be happier without them. Use caulk or sealant to close up cracks a
sneaky stinker could use to enter your home. Look around windows, doors, vents & outdoor faucets for any openings.
Stick a nylon stocking over your vacuum’s hose to suck up stink bugs into the stocking instead of the vacuum bag.
Drown these nasty visitors by dumping captured ones into a bottle filled with an inch of soapy water. No tiny cement shoes necessary.
A Mildew-y Smell That Won't Go Away Hot, humid summers create an ideal breeding ground for mold & mildew, which your nose knows isn’t right. At the first whiff of these funky fungi, strike back hard. Keep things clean & organized. It’s the best
defense against summer’s musty aroma. That allows air to move around, keeping moisture (mold & mildew’s best mate) at bay.
Dry out your home with dehumidifiers & air conditioners — or at least increase air circulation by adding fans.
In rooms that tend to get that musty smell, line closet walls & drawers with cedar for a sweet smell all year long.
Waterproof your basement concrete & masonry with cement paint to prevent damp walls — and the sneaky mold that comes with them. But be sure to figure out the cause of the dampness before waterproofing. It only works if the moisture is coming from the soil outside.
Continued on Page 12 10
How to Stop the Smells and Funk That Invade Your Home in Summer
A note of caution: Sometimes a musty smell is a harbinger of bad news — serious water damage in your home. If these tips don’t work, you may need to call in a pro.
Gross Garbage Funk Summer’s heat waves make the stench of garbage 10 times worse. Keeping trash cans clean (duh) is your first line of defense. But there are a couple more things you can do.
Yes, scrubbing out your garbage can is disgusting, but it helps control the stink & pests. Give it one good clean when your stomach’s feeling strong & then quickly wipe it out each time you empty. You’ll never have to face that throw-up smell again.
Dust the bottom of the clean, dry can with baking soda to suck up future pungency.
Or slip a dryer sheet or two underneath the bag when you change it out.
Cat litter in the bottom of the can also works to absorb garbage odors.
Excessive Bird Droppings Not even the most dedicated bird watchers want to watch droppings accumulate on their porch & outdoor furniture.
The easiest & most humane solution is to install some yard art — the kind that moves or makes a racket. Think wind socks, chimes & fun whirly sun catchers.
If, however, the birds are barn swallows that have nested (you’ll know because their nests are made of mud instead of twigs), you mustn’t shoo them away, no matter how gently. Barn swallows are federally protected. Instead, install a flat board below it or place a newspaper on the ground to prevent droppings from ruining your porch. Then next year (because they will come back — & they will bring friends) install bird netting between your eaves & the side of your home before nests are built.
Creative Fire Pit Tricks By Nicole Fornabaio of thisoldhouse.com
It's official: Fire-pit season is in full swing. But if you don't already have one, fear not—there are plenty of buying options. Once your pit is in place, gather around the fire with these tips in hand. GET RID OF PESKY PESTS Stop mosquitoes from annoying you by throwing a couple sage sticks into the flames. You'll like the scent, but the mosquitoes will bug out. ROASTING FORK Keep from burning your hands when roasting marshmallows by using the proper utensil. This extendable campfire fork (about $9) allows you to toast treats from a safe distance. You can even cook two marshmallows at a time… s'more the better! RESOURCEFUL FIRE STARTERS Making your own fire starters can be fun—and can save you money! You can use a variety of things, from cotton balls & pine cones to dryer lint & candle wax. Karen, the blogger behind The Art of Doing Stuff, shows how she uses items from around the house to make inexpensive fire starters. S'MORES PERFECTION A common complaint about s'mores is that the chocolate never fully melts. Avoid this fiery faux pas with the S’more Party tool (about $30 on Hayneedle). Load your ingredients—chocolate & marshmallows between yummy graham crackers—into this rack contraption & stick it into the flames. The result: evenly roast-ed & toasted goodness for your mouth. GLOWING GLASS Bring your fire to life with a colored glass! Put lava rock on the embers, then a mesh screen & top with colorful fire glass from for a glittery flame with some extra special sparkle.
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Rusty, Greasy Grill Grates You never really got around to cleaning your grill at the be-ginning of the season & now that you’ve invited some new work colleagues over for a barbecue, you realize your grill isn’t going to stir up any appetites with all that rust & grime.
Vinegar, baking soda, salt, & lemon juice are all natural rust eliminators. You can use individually or create a paste between wet & dry ingredients. Apply & let soak overnight. Then a little elbow grease should do the rest. Try these combinations: vinegar & baking soda; lemon juice & baking soda; or lemon juice & salt.
If the rust is really, really tough, do the above but get a wire brush attachment for your drill & use it to scrub the rust away.
Once clean, season the grates by rubbing with vegetable oil & heating them.
Uninvited Homesteaders Snakes at the zoo: super cool. Snakes around or (gasp!) in your house: NO. NO. NOOOO. Snakes might be the worst intruder (or is it bats?), but any unwanted rodent or animal in your home is gross. Your best offense is defense. But if they break through, call a professional exterminator.
Cover holes more than a quarter of an inch wide (snakes don’t need much). Check behind gutters & roof flashing.
Trim trees to keep pesky animals, such as squirrels, from getting on your roof & into your attic. Keep branches at least eight feet from your house.
Eliminate any food sources — like a garbage bin with an askew lid — that might tempt a scavenging pest. The closer they are to your house, the more likely they are to find a way in.
Get rid of yard debris, such as piles of leaves &
twigs, & mow frequently to eliminate hiding
spots.
How to Stop the Smells and Funk (cont’d)
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Continued on next page
Major Decorating Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
A huge reason many people don’t get around to tackling a decorating project is because they’re afraid to make a costly mistake. To give you the confidence to start your own dream design & to help you get it right the first time, I’ve put together a list of seven major design mistakes that can affect your entire project. Now you’ll know what to look for & how to get back on course to decorating success
1. Choosing paint first. While paint is in many ways one of the biggest parts of your design (particularly in terms of pure square footage), that doesn’t mean it should necessarily be the first thing you pick.
Solution: Once you’ve settled on some of your essential fabric furnishings (rugs, pillows, draperies, upholstery, etc.), it’s relatively easy to pick a coordinating color from a fan deck or set of paint chips. Finding fabrics, you truly love after already committing to a paint scheme is much tougher.
2. Buying furniture without measuring. It’s hard to judge the scale of furniture when it’s sitting on a vast showroom floor. That’s why homeowners are sometimes shocked to find that the beautiful sectional or coffee table they saw in a showroom looks as though it eats up the entire room when it’s sitting in their living room.
Solution: If you know what measurements you’re shopping for, you can let the cold hard numbers guide you when your eyes might be playing tricks. Measure (or even mark with tape) the area available for each major piece so that you can figure out an acceptable size range.
Bring these measurements with you when furniture shopping & stick to them. If you fall in love with something out of your size range, ask if it comes in different sizes or have it measured & bring the measurements home to tape off in your space to make sure it’s a size you are happy with.E& A Custom Homes
3. Shopping in just one store. One-stop shopping is all the rage these days, but furnishing your entire home (or even just one room) from the same store tends to result in a much less interesting visual story than taking some time to shop around.
Yanic Simard Houzz Contributor
Solution: Try boutiques that carry different design lines, or online stores that draw from different manufacturers & brands. This way, even if you have one preferred style or period, your home still won’t look cookie-cutter.
4. Buying the whole set. Speaking of one-stop shopping, another designer no-no (although some would disagree) is to settle for purchasing furniture in a matching “set,” such as a bedroom suite or matching sofa & love seat. While this may be a shortcut to achieving a coordinated style without much thought, the results tend to have less appeal than a little mixing can provide.
Solution: Settle on one major piece & look to a different manufacturer for an item that coordinates without perfectly matching, such as mix-matched side tables. The end design will carry more personal flavor, one that can’t be found in a catalog.
Details you can pick up between different pieces include color, material (such as the general type of upholstery or a metal finish), tufting or pleats, leg styles, straight versus rounded lines, & design period. Using a few of these connections will help
pieces relate, so you can be confident that they coordinate.
5. Never making a bold choice. While nobody wants to spend an extra weekend painting over last weekend’s mistake, being fearful of ever making an adventurous decision can result in a space that feels bland or unsatisfying.
Solution: Take a risk every now & then! Rest assured that if you do choose a dramatic wall treatment, you can always layer over it with light & breezy pieces (such as white wall art or neutral-colored furniture) to tame the look until it feels livable. And if you ultimately grow tired of it, you can change it someday.
There has been a great deal of interest in the Back the Blue yard signs. To show our support for the Police in our community, Henry Munoz, MunzoSigns, has generously offered to make the Back the Blue yard signs for our neighborhood. You may have seen a few around the College Park area & they look great. The signs are $8 each (normally $28) & anything over that amount that you would like to contribute will go to the Assist the Officer Foundation, https://atodallas.org
To date, Munzo Signs has provided over 150 signs at cost. Originally only 12 were purchased & they went very quickly. To date over $225 has been raised. If you are interested in one of the signs please text Lisa Justus at (214) 801-6720 or send her an email at [email protected] & give her your contact information. She will add to the list & let you know when she receives additional signs. She is not asking for the money up front (unless you want more than 1 or 2), but please get back to Lisa promptly when she contacts you.
CPNA wants to express our thanks to Henry
Munoz, Munoz Signs, for providing CPNA the “Back the Blue” signs you are seeing in the neighborhood at
cost.
BACK THE BLUE YARD SIGNS
6. Making everything
bold. The opposite of the
previous mistake is to
expect every piece you
invest in to be the dazzling
showstopper. Even in very
dramatic spaces, some
elements must be the simple staples that take a
back seat to the focal points. Think of it like cooking:
A great recipe may have tantalizing spices, but it will
also need the humble salt to help that flavor sing.
Solution: If you have a bold art piece, beautiful curtains or some vibrant fabrics, let other pieces (like your sofa upholstery or a large rug) be beautifully simple.
When choosing a new item or material to integrate, be sure to consider how it will fit into the entire palette, rather than just taking it at face value on its own. A solid-color pillow or demure gray blanket may not pop out at you when you’re shopping, but it might be just what a space needs.
7. Never letting go of the past. It can be hard to get rid of clutter from days gone by, but it can be even harder to shake bad design memories. However, the fact that you’ve lived through an awful trend shouldn’t put you off a beautiful idea forever. For example, if you’re turned off by the shiny golden fixtures from decades’ past, you may want to keep your mind open to the matte brass fixtures that are trendy today.
Solution: The fact that you’ve lived through a nasty wallpaper tear-down or a bad shade of orange paint shouldn’t mean you leave a powerful decor tool behind forever. With today’s technology, the options are only getting better & you’ve got many great resources available to help you avoid making a mistake in the future. So go ahead, give that tempting design trend another try: After all, you live only once, but in design, everything old becomes new again. And if you stay receptive, you may find a bold style you’ll love forever.
Major Decorating Mistakes (cont’d)
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Do You Really Need to Clean Your Air Ducts?
Do you really need to pay good money to have your air ducts cleaned? The short answer is “probably not.” But before you call up dad to chant “I told you so,” it’s important to understand why you probably don’t need to do it — and why we just italicized “probably.” (Because some people actually should. Sorry! Hope it’s not you!)
Clean Air Claims In order for your forced-air furnace or HVAC to deliver warm & cool air into your rooms, that air has to go through a system of ducts. So technically, you’re breathing in any dust, cobwebs, pet hair, & dander that line those ducts. Sounds harmful, right?
Not according to the experts. Dan Stradford, National Air Duct Cleaners Association treasurer & CEO for Action Duct Cleaning in Los Angeles, says there are no conclusive studies saying that duct cleaning will improve your home’s indoor air quality.
Asa Foss, LEED residential technical director for the U.S. Green Building Council, concurs. “I’ve never seen any data that suggests duct cleaning has a positive impact on indoor air quality & human health,” he says.
But Foss also says that’s only true when your ducts are airtight. Leaky ducts can pull in dirty air & allergens from basements, crawlspaces, garages, & attics — and blow it all around your house, Foss says.
So unless your ducts are leaky (easily fixed with foil-backed duct tape & insulation) or you have a special need, like a compromised immune system, nasty allergies, or you just did major construction, you probably don’t need to worry about air quality when it comes to the state of your air ducts. Woo!
Special (Super Gross) Circumstances Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Both the EPA & the National Air Duct Cleaners Association recommend professional duct cleaning if you have mold growth, vermin (vermin!), or excessive amounts of dirt & debris in your ducts.
Ahh! How do you know if you have vermin in your ducts? You can actually look yourself. Do a visual inspection by pulling off the register grill & looking around with a flashlight, or stick your arm in & take a photo with your phone. (Finally, an excuse to use that selfie stick you got stuck with at your work’s white elephant gift exchange.)
If you see mold, or a dead mouse, or any run-of-the-mill nasty stuff like droppings (ew, we’re so sorry), go ahead & call in a pro. Get those ducts cleaned.
Another situation that calls for cleaning, says EPA spokesman Mark MacIntyre, is right after lead paint remediation. “You wouldn’t want to have that being dispersed into the house when you turned on the heat.
”And finally, if you’re just finicky, you just be you. Be your own special circumstance.
“We have customers [for whom] just the thought of dirty ducts is upsetting to them,” says Stradford. “It’s individual preference.”
Scam Alert! OK, so you’re gonna clean your ducts. Your dad will be proud. But be wary of scams. Stay away from companies willing to clean your ducts for $49 or another lowball figure, Stradford says. Often they’ll do a quick inspection & some vacuuming, tell you there’s mold growth & charge you thousands for clearing it out. It’s common enough that the National Air Duct Cleaners Association has an anti-fraud task force.
Look out for duct cleaners claiming they will sanitize your system. “We can’t legally use the words ‘sanitize’ or ’disinfect,’” Stradford says. “By definition sanitizing or disinfecting requires extremely high kill rates and there’s no way we can guarantee 100% saturation.”
Also, cleaning your ductwork alone is not going to make a difference. A real professional knows that, and should do annual maintenance on your entire system, including the air handler (that’s what they call that big metal box outside that cranks out the noise). Otherwise it’s the
same as dusting your ceiling fan after you’ve vacuumed.
So how much will it cost, and how long is it going to take?
Typically, duct cleaning takes two to five hours, but it can
go on for two days if you have a large house with lots of
ducts, Stradford says. On average you should spend
$300 to $700.
Soils
Heavy clay soil that causes
the most foundation problems contains montmorillonite, soils with high amounts of this substance can easily change in volume 10-14 times with the addition or subtraction of water.
When the clay soil expands it can exert a force of 3-15 tons/sq ft. Most houses only weigh 350-400 lbs/sq ft; consequently, the volume can move a house up & down very easily.
Some people ask if this element turns the clay black & therefore does black clay do this. Well, Yes & no; color is not a good indicator of whether or not the soil is expansive. Expansive soils can be red, black , gray , green, or even orange.
Fixes for Annoying Household Headaches
Over time, though, those everyday annoyances will
get on your nerves. You can knock them out in a
single weekend.
1. Remove Shower Drain Gunk with a Zip Tie Retrieve a wig’s worth of hair by connecting three or four zip ties & notching them every half inch with a pair of scissors. Remove the drain catch & feed the chain into the drain. Swivel it around to catch as much clog-causing hair as possible, pull out, remove gunk & repeat, as necessary. Rinse off the makeshift chain & stash it for your next clog. In the meantime, use a drain plug to catch some of the hair.
2. Un-Stick Door Locks Artfully wiggling your garage key works for getting to your lawnmower, but it won’t do in case of an emergency. Save yourself a trip to the home center for powdered graphite lubricant & DIY your own to oil up tumbler locks.
Twist a mechanical pencil or whittle away a traditional pencil’s wood to expose a few inches of graphite. Slip the exposed graphite into the sticky lock. You can force it if needed, as it will become powder anyway. Slide the key in & out to break up the graphite & turn it in the lock cylinder to lube it for loose unlocking.
3. Refinish Cruddy Bathroom Fixtures with Spray Paint No matter how much you scrub, those polished metal fixtures that were supposed to look shiny & clean all the time just don’t. Most of the time, they
just look gross. That’s why interior designer Lara Fishman of Storm Interiors in Los Angeles warns clients that polished metal can be tough to maintain. They’re magnets for dirt & fingerprints.
4. Stop a Spewing Shower Head with White Vinegar Your hair looking a little flat after a shower? Not able to rinse out all that deep conditioner? Could be the spray isn’t forceful or targeted enough because of sediment build-up in your showerhead. Fill a medium-sized freezer bag halfway with white vinegar & submerge your shower head in it. Wrap a thick rubber band around the bag to secure it to the shower head & leave it overnight. In the morning, remove the bag & let the shower run at least two minutes before showering (so you won’t smell like vinegar).
5. Silence Noisy Hinges with Olive Oil Or grease. Seriously. Skip the commercial lubricants, which, according to internet lore, may or may not be the cause of your door’s horror movie sound effects. The point is, your hinges need lubricating. & the oils in your kitchen will do the job just as well & probably better. Olive oil, veg oil, coconut oil, etc. Just be careful to clean first & don’t overdo it. Leaving excess oil on a dirty surface can make the oil turn rancid.
6. Smooth Out Beaten-Up Wood Trim with Nail Polish A nick on a gorgeous, shellac-ed windowsill that’s original to your 1955 bungalow may go unnoticed for now, but it’ll grow worse over time. Grab a bottle of clear nail polish topcoat & fill in the wood craters for an even surface. Let it dry completely & gently even out any resulting bumps with fine sandpaper.
7. Clean Gutters Without a Ladder Clearing out the gutters gets a (deserved) bad rap for being a total pain. Cindy Stumpo, founder of C. Stumpo Development Inc. & an expert featured on HGTV’s “Tough as Nails,” has hacked the annoying task. She attaches a long PVC pipe to a leaf blower to avoid hauling out the ladder. Genius!
8. Fix a Vinyl or Linoleum Floor Tear with a Hair Dryer The oddly placed floor mat hasn’t fooled anyone since you accidentally tore up a spot or two on your linoleum floor when you dragged in that (fabulous!) flea-market hutch find. Don’t fret, just pull out your hair dryer. Use the warm air to stretch out the material & reattach it to the subfloor as the glue melts. (Don’t worry. The material is malleable enough to stretch without causing burns to the skin.)
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But if they work fine, replacing them is a waste of landfill space. So create your own do-over & spray paint them with a coat of matte, metallic paint. It’s easier than you think. Simply remove them from your bathroom sink, spread them out on a protected surface & give them a sharp new coat of primer & the color of your choice.
Continued on next page
It’s become a favorite shade to use inside, but now black is migrating out to gardens, patios & balconies
— with dramatic results
These days, the garden is typically viewed as an extension of our home rather than a separate area. This helps to blur the boundary between inside & out, ensuring any external area operates as additional living space as soon as the weather allows.
As black has been a hugely popular shade to use inside in recent years, it makes sense to work it into a garden as well. From seating & planters to the architecture of the space, black looks hugely stylish & is surprisingly versatile too.
1. It creates a dramatic backdrop to green. Just as hanging an artwork against a darkly painted wall helps it shine, a black backdrop is the perfect dramatic contrast to foliage. Try painting fencing or a wall black & enjoy how the planting in front is beautifully highlighted.
2. It’s both contemporary & trad. Wood stained in rich black looks contemporary without being too edgy. Perhaps that’s because black is also a traditional finish used on many buildings, from barns to seaside shacks.
3. It adds a flash of drama. Black isn’t always top of the list for inclusion in a garden, so its use still feels unexpected & dramatic. Striking black planters can help create the drama. They add structure & glamour to garden space without fighting with the lush planting.
4. It creates a beautiful focal point. Black draws the eye, but unlike a bright color or shiny material, it will not shock or jar, so it’s extremely versatile.
5. It ties in with architecture. If black is featured on your property, reference that with a few black pieces in the outside space. Choosing black garden furniture or planters will create a unified feel outside, which is particularly helpful in a small space.
6. It helps merge inside & out. Blurring the boundaries between inside & out can boost a home’s sense of space, with the garden & interior rooms flowing together. To help this happen, choose a color scheme outdoors that marries with the one used inside.
Reasons to Use Black in Your Outside Space
Joanna Simmons Houzz Contributor
7. It changes with the weather. Some naturally dark materials will become inky when wet. Slate paving stones that are gray when dry become luxuriously black in the rain, allowing you to work black into your garden, but only on a temporary basis.
8. It can make over modest materials. We are super-familiar with the concept of a fresh coat of paint reviving a tired interior, but we sometimes forget that the same applies outside. Even the grungiest garden wall or drabbest fence can be beautified with a layer or two of exterior paint. A solid block of color adds drama, a point of focus & a fresh feel to a garden. Try black for a really strong, defined backdrop that’s nevertheless easy to live with.
9. It can weather well. Dampness, rain, sun & frost
can all take their toll on garden furniture & landscaping.
Black elements in a garden are more likely to weather
well than pale colors or natural wood, which can fade or
become dirty.
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9. Silence Squeaky Floorboards with Talcum Powder The spot in the hallway you’ve trained yourself to avoid is actually a super simple low-maintenance fix. Sprinkle talcum powder over the trouble boards, then sweep the powder into the cracks between the boards with a makeup brush. Because it’s actually moisture that causes the creaks (who knew?) & the powder will soak it right up.
10. Stretch Out Light Bulb Switches with LEDs You’d rather endure a dark driveway for weeks than go through the hassle of dragging out a ladder to reach the security light. Sean Dore, owner of Mr. Electric of Baton Rouge, La., says invest in LEDs already. You’ll get bright light & not have to change them for years & years!
11. Stash Paint Samples for Quick Touch-Ups Those wall scuffs from the backs of your chairs, furniture rearrangements,& trying to cram a dining room table through a doorway without taking it apart first give your walls a sad, dingy look. Forgo the drop cloth & white overalls for big paint jobs by stealing this trick from Monica Mangin, DIY expert & host of the new Lowe’s original series “The Weekender”:
Keep small containers of your paint colors & a small brush handy. Covering up knicks & dings will take five minutes flat!
Fixes for Annoying Household Headaches, cont’d.