Home Improvement

	Springtime Projects that Bring Families Together Now that Spring has arrived, people everywhere are reintroducing themselves to the great outdoors. Whether you're into sports, gardening or just socializing, there's something for everyone, even the little ones, to do at this time of year.
	The Glamour of Gutters Unless you built your home in the desert, chances are you need to think about your rain gutters. Ignore them for long, and you'll get a reminder of why water is considered the most powerful element on Earth.
	Revamping the Heart of Your Home: Kitchen Remodeling Basics Whether it's the aroma of simmering stew, the easy access to refreshments, or the colorful array of fruits and vegetables, there's something about a kitchen that draws people like a magnet.
	Make Your Floor a Showpiece Sometimes older is better (ask any wine connoisseur). But sometimes, new technology and techniques create a product that is better than the original.
	Tool Talk for Women When it comes to basic home maintenance and home improvement projects, more and more women are doing it for themselves. Tapping this trend, many tool manufacturers now offer a range of products designed to appeal to this fastest-growing segment of the home improvement market.
	Outdoor Painting Prep Made Easier Painting a home's exterior is a big project, but one that pays off in curb appeal as well as protection for your home. Having the right tools can make the job easier, faster and produce more professional-looking results.
	Don't Let Clogged Drains Ruin Your Party There's never a good time to have a clogged drain, but some times are worse than others. For example, when your kitchen sink decides to back up during the middle of a dinner party, or when your toilet clogs and overflows while you're hosting house guests.
	Ten Tips to Liven Up Your Deck Your kitchen might be the heart of your house, but your deck is the heart of your backyard. It's the place where you gather with friends and family, enjoy home-cooked meals, and relax after a long day at work.
	Seven Things Consumers Should Know About Green Spaces As more and more land in the United States is developed, our appreciation for well-managed and maintained green spaces is growing. The term "green spaces" encompasses elements of the landscape from home and commercial lawns to golf courses, parks and sports turf. And one national non-profit alliance -- Project EverGreen -- is embarking on a mission to raise awareness of the environmental, economic and lifestyle benefits of preserving and enhancing green space in the U.S.
	Everything New is Old Again "Distress" is not necessarily a bad thing if you are talking about wide plank hardwood floors. In fact, hand-distressing - the process of making new wood appear old is an increasingly popular design technique.
	Tips for Remodeling Projects That Add Value to Your Home Whether you are planning to sell your home or just want a new look, remodeling can lend one of the greatest returns on your investments and puts your home equity to work for you. The best returns come from updated flooring and remodeled kitchens and bathrooms, which, upon sale of your home, typically recover an average of 90 percent of the costs.
	Is Your Lawn Going Hungry? If you're concerned about our global environment, try taking better care of your own lawn -- how you take care of your lawn can make our world a cleaner place. Thick, healthy grass reduces erosion, filters pollutants, provides natural cooling and cleaner air. One of the keys to thick, healthy turf is to follow an annual fertilizing program.
	Come in Out of the Dark This Winter Ever feel uncomfortable entering a dark, empty house? Chances are you have, whether in the pit of your stomach or somewhere in the back of your mind. So then why is it that you don't feel uncomfortable when entering a well lit home?
	Don't Get Left Out in the Cold - Study Provides Energy Saving Suggestions for Winter With winter heating costs projected to reach all-time highs this year, many Americans will have more to shiver about than just the cold temperatures.
	Celebrity Designer Offers Tips for Creating Curb Appeal on a Budget If improving your home's curb appeal tops your list of projects to do around the house, take note: creating curb appeal doesn't have to be extensive or expensive.
	Storm Doors Help Cut Heating Costs The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that home heating prices will jump by 47.5 percent this winter, the biggest one-year increase in three decades. But not everyone is going to be severely impacted.
	How to Water Wisely for a Better Lawn and Cost Savings On average, nearly a third of the water used by households nationwide goes to maintaining landscapes and lawns. Improving outdoor watering efficiency is one of the easiest ways for homeowners to reduce their overall water usage-and save money.
	The Hottest Trend in New Home Construction If you're in the market for a new home and planning to build, you'll be pleasantly surprised by all the options available to you. These days, builders are offering all kinds of incentives to get customers through the door.
	New Generation of Track Lighting Blends Beauty and Versatility Jewel-toned glass pendants, suspended by a slender, graceful cable from a sinuous silver track - clearly, this is "not your father's" track lighting. The new generation of track lighting brings design-friendly beauty to what has always been one of the most versatile lighting styles available.
	Get Sunglasses For Your Home -- Why Shade is So Important We've been hearing this advice since we were kids. Before you go outside on a warm, sunny day put on sunscreen to protect your skin, a hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes. And while you're outside, drink plenty of fluids and seek out the shade. If you don't, before you know it, you could be dealing with heat exhaustion and a pretty bad sunburn.
	What's Hot in Home Decor for 2006 For months, industry experts have kept a close barometer on the fashion world, trade shows and other key indicators to help forecast home decor trends for the coming year. And the weather report is in. Within a prevailing climate of personalization, the outlook is both spirited and sassy, serene and stylish.
	Make a Design Statement with Table Lamps Upgrading lighting is one of the easiest ways to instantly update your home decor. And the most effortless way to change your lighting is by using table lamps. All you need to do is put a plug in an outlet and, voila, instant ambiance.
	Curb Appeal 101: Exquisite Exteriors Add Charm, Character and Value to the Home The next time you drive through an upscale neighborhood in your community, take the time to admire a few particular homes that seem to stand out from the crowd. Though you may not recognize it at the time, there's often a common reason why these properties catch your eye. More than likely, the homes incorporate exterior materials and designs that embrace the natural environment, creating a look that is a harmonious blend of architecture and nature.
	New Government Mandate Affects Home Cooling Systems, Efficiency About 50 percent of the energy used in a typical home today is spent on heating and cooling, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It's no wonder that your utility bills can be as unpredictable as the weather! Now is the time to learn a little bit about the new government standards affecting air conditioners and heat pumps and to consider purchasing a new home comfort system that could help you save substantial money over the years ahead.
	Homeowners Get Cooking with Outdoor Kitchens Outdoor cooking areas are the hottest trend in residential landscape design, thanks in no small part to the versatility of segmental retaining wall systems (SRWs). They can range from a modest firepit to a full-blown outdoor kitchen that will rival the most lavish indoor cooking areas, complete with stainless-steel appliances, granite countertops and fully plumbed sinks.
	Avoiding Slips and Falls 'Tis the season . . . for family visits and festive gatherings. It's also the time of year for Mother Nature's worst. Rain, sleet and ice coupled with less sunlight may have you worried about company - or yourself - slipping on sidewalks or driveways. But did you know there's another area of your home that poses a greater risk for falls and accidents than anywhere else? And it's the one place you and your visitors can't avoid - the bathroom.
	What's Hot in Home Decor For 2006 For months, industry experts have kept a close barometer on the fashion world, trade shows and other key indicators to help forecast home decor trends for the coming year. And the weather report is in. Within a prevailing climate of personalization, the outlook is both spirited and sassy, serene and stylish.
	Green-Friendly Replacement Windows: Don't Hate Them Because They're Beautiful If your windows seem more like the "Before" than the "After" on a TV home make-over show, then it's time for a new look. You don't have to sacrifice the appearance of your home to save the environment. Nor must you choose between a home that's beautiful and a home that's warm in winter or cool in summer. This guide to replacement windows will help you find a sustainable style for your windows that's pretty and smart.
	Buying a Home and Looking for More in a Home Builder This year an estimated 2 million Americans are expected to build a new home. As with any home decision, the choice of a home builder will largely be based on three popular criteria: neighborhood location, cost and design style.
	Update Your Kitchen or Bath with Easy Faucet Installation Tips Changing a faucet is one of the best ways to update a kitchen or bath without the time, expense and inconvenience of a full-scale renovation. Faucets serve as a focal point in the kitchen and bath, and stylish new fixtures with matching accessories can give these important rooms a refreshing new appearance.
	Warm Up Any Room with a Fireplace What's hot for your home? A second fireplace installed anywhere in the house. Traditionally, homes have been built with one wood-burning fireplace in the living or family room.
	Don't Let Spring Thaw Damage Your Basement About this time of year, people start wishing for spring thaw and nicer weather. Spring brings lots of good things, but it can also highlight water problems, especially in basements. Whether it comes from the melting snow that finds its way into your home through cracks in the foundation or humidity which comes in through the walls and the concrete floor, moisture is a bad thing.
	How to Make Your Backyard More Appealing When you're at home after work or on the weekends, where would you rather spend the majority of your time? Inside doing household chores or outside enjoying the backyard? If you'd rather be inside, that's probably because your backyard isn't as attractive as it could be.
	Old Wood Gets New Life as Reclaimed Antique Flooring Where some might see a crumbling old barn or a dilapidated factory, Don Carlisle sees an opportunity to preserve history and beautify a home at the same time. Carlisle's Stoddard, N.H. based company has been reclaiming antique wood and turning it into new floors for nearly 40 years.
	How to Find the Best Service in Town Need to find an air conditioning repair man or plumber? How about a contractor to do your kitchen remodel, an eye doctor, or a lawyer to draft your will? You may be tempted to open the yellow pages and call a business with a location closest to your home, but that could be a costly mistake.
	Wide Plank Floors and Radiant Heat - a Great Combination Wide plank floors are prized for their weathered patina and the sense of history and character that they add to a room. Among the many attributes of wide plank floors is the fact that they can be used with radiant heat.
	Take Back Your Home If your home has been damaged by hurricanes, flooding or even leaky plumbing, there's a good chance that it's harboring mold growth. Homeowners can take back their property -- and prevent mold from coming back -- by taking a systematic approach.
	Outfitting a Tool Box: What to Consider When Selecting Tools for Household Tasks - Homeowners are increasingly becoming do-it-yourselfers, choosing to take on more home improvement and repair projects by themselves. According to a 2004 national study on consumer usage of tools by Mintel, an international market research firm, 74 percent of men and 65 percent of women reported doing home repair or improvement projects themselves.
	More Protection Needed from Household Fires Fire-related deaths in this country have decreased in recent years thanks to better technologies and consumer education, but the U.S. fire problem remains one of the worst in the industrial world on a per capita basis.     <<back to Lifestyle

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This information has been collected from sources that are believed to be reliable, but is provided 'AS IS.' No representations or warranties as to accuracy, reliability or completeness of this information are made or implied, and all warranties are specifically disclaimed. Brent Smith & Sheila Conkling are licensed REALTOR®s in the State of Arkansas.