Remodeling tour slated

Home remodel ideas will be spotlighted in a 2008 Remodeled Kitchen + Bath Tour to be held April 26- and 27.

Homeowners will get a behind the scenes look at the ingenuity and artistry of 15 of the area’s top remodeling firms on the tour, which will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 26 and 27.

With free admission, the “open-house” format tour is sponsored by the Remodelors Council™ of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

Homes showcased on this year’s tour are located in Issaquah, Bellevue, Bothell, Kenmore, Redmond and several Seattle neighborhoods. In each case, the remodeler worked closely with homeowners to develop fresh new living spaces reflecting lifestyles, tastes and budgets.

The tour offers visitors the unique opportunity to meet on-site with each home’s respective remodeling team to answer questions about their work and discuss ideas for their own remodels.

Many of the homes spotlight the use of earth-friendly and visually stunning materials, including Paperstone and recycled glass countertops, Wheatboard cabinets, travertine and bamboo flooring and other home-enhancing features.

Tour “Passports,” listing tour homes addresses, project descriptions and photos, can be picked up at any Dunn Lumber location, or visit www.remodeltour.com for tour information.

The scrub-free way to a mildew-free house

Mold and mildew can make the exterior of your home look dirty and unattractive and rob it of its curb appeal. If left unchecked, it can also damage paint, wood, roofs and siding. 

Removing mold and mildew used to mean countless hours of scrubbing or power washing-only to have it return the next year. Fortunately, those days are gone! Thanks to products specifically formulated to kill mold and mildew-and prevent it from coming back-there's now a scrub-free way to a mold and mildew-free home! Just follow these simple tips from the mold and mildew experts at Zinsser:

Determine if black spots on your house are dirt or mold and mildew. Apply a drop of household bleach to the discolored area. If the stain disappears or lightens, it's mold and mildew.

Clean and kill the exterior mold and mildew with a house cleaner that contains an EPA-registered mildewcide, like JOMAX(r) House Cleaner and Mildew Killer.  JOMAX kills mold and mildew and loosens dirt and stains without scrubbing or power washing. Just mix JOMAX with bleach and water, spray on and rinse off with an ordinary garden hose. It's that simple! Its specifically formulated detergent system will not damage wood, etch aluminum siding or discolor surfaces like household bleach can. And JOMAX will not harm surrounding plants, grass and shrubs.

To remove black streaks, dirt and mildew stains from asphalt-shingled roofs, use JOMAX(r) Roof Cleaner and Mildew Stain Remover. It quickly cleans and kills mold and mildew on tile, slate, metal and other nonporous roof materials.

Minimize future mildew growth by controlling the moisture around your home. Keep shrubs, plants and mulch away from exterior walls. Trim any branches or tree limbs that touch the outside of your home. Clear gutters and drains of any leaves or debris. Since mold and mildew need moisture to grow, redirect sprinklers and rotate hanging planters to prevent water from regularly collecting on exterior surfaces. Also, make sure rain-water does not collect near your home's foundation. Repair any leaks and extend downspouts away from the foundation.

For more information on the scrub-free way to a mildew-free home, tips for removing and preventing mold and mildew, and for other helpful home improvement ideas, visit www.zinsser.com.

Composting turns household wastes into valuable fertilizer and soil organic matter.

In Your Backyard

All organic matter eventually decomposes. Composting speeds the process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria and other decomposing microorganisms. The final product, humus or compost, looks and feels like fertile garden soil. This dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling stuff works wonders on all kinds of soil and provides vital nutrients to help plants grow and look better.

Decomposing organisms consist of bacteria, fungi, and larger organisms such as worms, sow bugs, nematodes, and numerous others. Decomposing organisms need four key elements to thrive: nitrogen, carbon, moisture, and oxygen. For best results, mix materials high in nitrogen (such as clover, fresh grass clippings, and livestock manure) and those high in carbon (such as dried leaves and twigs). If there is not a good supply of nitrogen-rich material, a handful of general lawn fertilizer will help the nitrogen-carbon ratio. Moisture is provided by rain, but you may need to water or cover the pile to keep it damp. Be careful not to saturate the pile. Turning or mixing the pile provides oxygen. Frequent turning yields faster decomposition.

Getting Started

Many materials can be added to a compost pile, including leaves, grass clippings, straw, woody brush, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, livestock manure, sawdust, and shredded paper. Do not use diseased plants, meat scraps that may attract animals, and dog or cat manure, which can carry disease. Composting can be as simple or as involved as you would like, and depends on how much yard waste you have, how fast you want results, and the effort you are willing to invest.

Cold or Slow Composting

With cold or slow composting, you can just pile grass clippings and dry leaves on the ground or in a bin. This method requires no maintenance, but it will take several months to a year or more for the pile to decompose. Cold composting works well if you are short on time needed to tend the compost pile at least every other day, have little yard waste, and are not in a hurry to use the compost. Keep weeds and diseased plants out of the mix since the temperatures reached with cold composting may not be high enough to kill the weed seeds or disease-causing organisms. Add yard waste as it accumulates. Shredding or chopping speeds up the process. To easily shred material, run your lawn mower over small piles of weeds and trimmings.

Hot Composting

Hot composting requires more work, but with a few minutes a day and the right ingredients you can have finished compost in a few weeks depending on weather conditions. The composting season coincides with the growing season. When conditions are favorable for plant growth, those same conditions work well for biological activity in the compost pile. However, since compost generates heat, the process may continue later into the fall or winter.

Hot piles do best when high-carbon material and high-nitrogen material are mixed in a 1 to 1 ratio. A pile with the minimum dimensions of 3' x 3' x 3' is needed for efficient heating. For best heating, make a heap that is 4 or 5 feet in each dimension. As decomposition occurs, the pile will shrink. If you don't have this amount at one time, simply stockpile your materials until a sufficient quantity is available for proper mixing.

Hot piles reach 110 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, killing most weed seeds and plant diseases.

Steps:

   1. Choose a level, well-drained site, preferably near your garden.

   2. There are numerous styles of compost bins available depending on your needs. These may be as simple as a moveable bin formed by wire mesh or a more substantial structure consisting of several compartments.

3. To build your pile, either use alternating layers of high-carbon and high-nitrogen material or mix the two together and then heap into a pile. Adding a few shovels of soil will also help get the pile off to a good start; soil adds commonly found decomposing organisms.

   4. Water periodically. The pile should be moist but not saturated.

   5. Punch holes in the sides of the pile for aeration.

   6. The pile will heat up and then begin to cool. Start turning when the pile's internal temperature peaks at about 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. You can track this with a compost thermometer, or reach into the pile to determine if it is uncomfortably hot to the touch.

   7. During the composting season, check your bin regularly to assure optimum moisture and aeration are present in the material being composted.

   8. Move materials from the center to the outside and vice versa. Turn every day or two and you should get compost in less than 4 weeks. Turning every other week will make compost in 1 to 3 months. Finished compost will smell sweet and be cool and crumbly to the touch.