Dates: October 17-18, 2009

Event Hours: 10am to 5pm both days

Location: Exhibit Hall C

Admission:
Adults $6.00 at the Door!

Featuring 100s of unique exhibitors and new products with FREE speaker presentations, demonstrations and entertainment!

Contact Information:
MediaMAX Events & Expos, Inc.
(952) 238-1700
www.mediamaxevents.com

To begin, you will need to prepare the walls and ceiling, which may or may not entail the following (you decide what makes sense for your room):

1. Remove as much furniture as you can.  Move whatever you are unable to remove to the center of the room and cover with old sheets or drop cloths.  Protect any exposed floor in the same manner and use removable masking tape (3M Blue) around moldings, doors and windows.
2. Cover the smoke detector with a plastic bag and turn off air conditioning or heating while doing any sanding or painting.
3. Sand or scrape loose and flaking paint with sandpaper and paint scrapers.
4. Fill all nail and screw holes with spackling compound and a putty knife; fill cracks with caulk.
5. If you have more serious damage to walls, use drywall tape and mud.  On woodwork, use epoxy filler.  Regardless of what you use, you will need to sand it down until it matches the area around the repaired area.
6. Wash all surfaces with TSP (trisodium phosphate).  This will remove grease and dirt allowing paint to adhere to the wall surface.  Also use a deglossser on any glossy surfaces such as trim.
7. Rinse walls and ceiling well with water to remove the TSP. Allow surfaces to dry thoroughly, and then dust and vacuum as needed. You don’t want sanding dust to get on freshly cleaned or painted walls.
8. Before removing cover plates from all electrical fixtures, outlets and switches, TURN THE POWER OFF.  Use small pieces of masking tape to cover switch handles and outlets, so that you don’t accidentally brush them with paint.  Remove heating and air-conditioning vent covers.
9. If you don’t need to turn the power back on to paint, leave it off, it is safer.  If you do turn the power back on, be very careful when painting around electrical areas.

Once the room is prepared to paint, it is time to begin the preliminary painting.

1. Use a stain-blocking primer to cover any dark mark you can’t remove (stains, knots, ink, dark paint); otherwise, that area will bleed through. Never paint over wallpaper.
2. Make sure there is adequate ventilation in the room.
3. Plan on three coats: one coat of primer and two coats of finish. Always use primer on patched and unpainted surfaces; raw surfaces will suck up paint like a sponge – or reject it.  If your primer is being rejected, you may need to better prepare the surface by sanding, rinsing better, or reapplying and rinsing TSP.
4. Using a 2-inch or 3-inch paintbrush outline the room (i.e. where the ceiling meets the walls (and where the walls meet the ceiling), around doors and windows and above the baseboard and any other trim in the room.  Also paint corners.  What you are trying to do is paint everywhere that you will not be able to paint with a paint roller or where you need more control than a paint roller allows.

When the room has been outlined with paint, then it is time to use the paint roller.  This is when you really start to see your room transform.

1. Pour some paint into the roller pan and roll the ceiling and then the walls with your prime paint.  Pour only a small amount of paint in your roller pan.  Doing this will keep the paint from drying out before you can use it.
2. It is best to start rolling before the brushed-on paint has had time to dry, so that the rolled-on paint will blend in rather than become a second coat. Roll the letter “W” about 3 feet wide and then fill-in until you have a 3’ x 3’ area fully covered.  Then move on to the next area, repeating the process as many times as is required to cover all the walls floor to ceiling.  This will assure an even application of paint.
3. Rolling out a W, about 3 feet wide, and then filling it in, assures an even application of paint. Get as close into the corners as you can without making a messy paint line.  Painting from dry areas into wet areas will reduce paint ridges, and you can feather (thin out) all edges as you go with a brush or a roller.

Be sure to cover paint cans when you are not using them.  Keep a rag and brush available to deal with drips and spills.

Repeat the outline and painting process for each coat.

If you do have a drip that is too dry to feather, let it dry.  You can come back later and sand it down, then touch-up.

Finally when paint has dried, remove tape and drop clothes, replace furniture and enjoy your fresh newly painted room.

The Do It Yourself Network (DYI) has a great video series on how to declutter and organize your garage.  You’ll have to bear with the Craftsman commercials at the beginning of each clip, but there are some logical and sensible tips.

One good tip that you might miss, is that donating things to charities is usually tax deductible, and much easier than saving them for a garage sale where they may or may not sell.  Put forth the effort on getting your garage organized and get the financial benefit as a write-off on your taxes while providing those less fortunate with useable items.

Get busy, this weekend is a perfect time to start!

Vote up to once a day. Voting ends July 20.

For over 20 years, Eureka Recycling has been Saint Paul’s nonprofit recycler. Under a long-term contract with the city, Eureka Recycling provides recycling services to Saint Paul’s homes and apartments. In addition, Eureka Recycling is a leader in waste reduction education and advocacy.

“We entered this contest to help fund our work to strengthen the grassroots movement of composters in the Twin Cities and to spread the word about the environmental benefits of making dirt, not waste.”

Vote for Eureka at : http://greeneffect.nationalgeographic.com/  Their video is the one pictured with the woman next to the black compost bin.

Eureka Recycling  is one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the United States and a leader in demonstrating the best waste reduction and recycling practices not only for the Twin Cities metro area, but for the nation.

Regardless of the type of wood, though, they need to be stained and protected. Certain types of wood turn gray over time. This is from being out in the elements, if they are not treated. They can also warp, crack and decay without proper protection. Protecting a dock is not a “set it and forget it” operation. It must be repeated every few years, and done properly if you want it to last that long.

In order to protect your wood dock you can paint it, but staining it is really the best way to go. It is important to finish any stain job with a good quality wood sealer. Another option is to purchase a stain that has a sealer combined with it. This way, instead of needing to cover the entire fence with two different products, you will only have to cover it with one.
Stain your dock sections immediately after taking your dock in for the season or immediately before putting it out for the summer.

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Before staining your dock, you should prepare an area to do the staining. DO NOT STAIN YOUR DOCK WHILE IT IS IN THE LAKE. You will inevitably drip toxic stain and/or sealer into the lake and that is not good for anyone or anything. Find an area that is out of the wind and lay down a tarp, drop cloth or newspaper. This will keep the stain from getting on your grass, shoes, driveway, etc.

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Next prepare the wood surface. Follow the manufacturer’s directions on the stain container in order to achieve the best results. Make sure that rain is not forecast for the next 24 to 48 hours. You don’t want your freshly stained dock to get wet before the stain has set. General rules of thumb are to make sure the surfaces to be stained are thoroughly dry, clean and free from oil, grease and other pollutants. Because of the application of a dock with water coming from above and below, it is good to plan to stain both the top and the bottom. Staining the bottom first is usually easier.

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The next step is to begin to apply the stain on your wood dock. Don’t forget to put on your protective eyewear and some latex gloves. Also be sure that you read and follow the manufacturer’s directions on the stain container in order to achieve the best results. Using a clean, good quality paint brush, apply the stain to the wood in the same direction as the grain. Starting at one end of the dock apply the stain on a small section at a time. Apply the stain in short, even strokes; thinning it out any heavy spots so it doesn’t puddle.

After you have finished the first side (bottom of dock), wait at least 12 hours or until the stain is dry to touch (see manufacturer’s recommendation). Then turn the dock sections over and repeat the process on the top side of your wood dock.

Tip: Mask off (with masking tape) any hardware that you do not want to stain. Remove masking tape when all staining and sealing is complete.

Make sure that you stain every wood piece of the entire dock, including the sides, ends, etc. Most manufacturers will recommend applying a second coat of stain to the wood after the first coat has thoroughly dried. Then, allow the stain on your entire wood dock to dry thoroughly. If you are going to apply a wood sealer your wood dock is now stained and ready to accept the sealer. Again, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the sealer container.

Enjoy your beautiful dock!

Many people may already have their docks in the water for this summer season, so remember to refer back to these tips this fall. Or apply them to your wood privacy fence, you should treat them basically the same way. Although if you have a really long fence you and your drop cloth or tarp may need to work your way down the fence section by section.

PEX tubing is the best friend of do-it-yourself plumbers, and professional plumbers once they experience how easy it is to work with.  There are different brands including one named PEX, but PEX tubing is cross-linked polyethylene tubing that is increasingly being used for water supply lines in new home construction, and for renovation projects. 

By sweating one fitting to your existing copper supply line PEX can easily be used to convert the rest of your water supply, or expand your water supply for a new bathroom, laundry room or exterior faucet. 

Here are a couple links to where you can find this type of product (we used the first one, you need a header hose to go with it):

http://02a5830.netsolstores.com/rainweave22x-1-1.aspx

http://www.rittenhouse.ca/asp/Product.asp?PG=177

We should all be conscious of water usage all the time, we only have so much clean water on this planet and that amount is shrinking as we contaminate it, and as glacial ice melts running into our oceans (it’s all fresh water, those glaciers). 

If we suffer a drought this year, there will be even more reason to conserve. 

There are a number of simple things that we can all do to conserve and use our water more efficiently, here are a few ideas:

·          Turn hot water down.  When you are running water for something – dishes, bath, washing machine, anything, if the water is too hot, don’t turn up the cold water – turn down the hot water!  You pay money to heat the hot water, so use less of that.

·          Use shorter cycles. A shorter cleaning cycle in your dishwasher is often enough. Try using the “quick wash” or “china and crystal” setting, especially if you rinse the dishes first. Using the air dry feature also saves energy. The same goes for laundry. “Quick wash” or the “light” setting is often all that is needed.

·         Use only what you need. Your bathroom faucet is often used only for washing your hands and face.  Try turning those water faucets full open, then go under the sink and turn the hot and cold water valves one half, to three forth OFF.  You should have enough water to wash hands or fill drinking glass and not waste water.

·         Reuse water.  Whenever we shower or wash vegetables we waste gallons of water.  Place a bucket in the shower to collect water during your shower and in your sink when you are washing fruits and vegetables.  Then use that water for potted plants inside and out, or anywhere there is a plant in need of water.

Feel free to add your ideas to these and share with others!!!

Martha just told me what I’d need in case I didn’t want to think too hard.  It is easy and super inexpensive.  All you need are some smooth stones (the north shore has some great stones if you happen to be in the area).  They can be large or small, and you can choose how you want the finished product to look.

Use a permanent dye-based ink and a set of alphabet stamps (or freehand if you are that good), stamp or paint the names of your plants on cleaned stones and then put them in your garden next to the corresponding plants.

If you want to get your kids involved, you could also use a paint brush and an exterior paint. Let the kids paint the words on the stones (you may need to spell the words out for them).  It’s a fun weekend project for the whole family.

Just leave those stones in your garden when winter comes and next year you’ll know exactly where all your perenial herbs, plants and bulbs are. PLUS every surface the stone covers is that much less area to weed!!!

Part of owning a home is the regular maintenance a home requires. This maintenance can range from major appliance replacement to a new roof. Often home owners inherit items within their homes that are less than desirable. Items like inefficient and/or leaky doors and windows come to mind. Replacing these items is a major investment in your home that should ultimately pay off with energy savings.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (or the “Stimulus Bill”) has made changes to the energy efficiency tax credits available to Americans.

The biggest change is that the credits have been raised from 10% of the cost to 30% of the cost for installations put in place from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. The maximum credit has been raised from $500 to $1500 over this two year period. Along with that, the cap of $200 on windows has been removed.

It should be noted that some ENERGY STAR qualified windows will not qualify after June 1, 2009. It is important that you check to see if the windows you are considering installing will qualify for the tax credit. Absolute Construction and Remodeling Inc. can help you install qualified windows.

Looks like asphalt, but its not!

Did you know that metal roofs can look just like asphalt roofs and be significantly more energy efficient? This Metro Shingle roof is an example of how a metal roof can look like traditional asphalt shingles. Your savings don’t need to stop with a tax credit, you can get immediate savings to your heating and cooling bills with a metal roof.

ENERGY STAR Water Heaters, Furnaces and AC Systems Qualify for Tax Credit

Roofs and windows aren’t the only things that qualify for tax credits.  Everything from HVAC systems (furnaces and air conditioners), to water heaters, to insulation and even the car you drive can qualify.  If you’d like to learn more about how you can take advantage of the tax credits available, or if you are considering a new water heater, furnace or air conditioning system, contact Absolute Construction and Remodeling Inc.  The following website may also be of interest to you:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits 

If you are considering alternate energy sources for your home, please be aware that Absolute Construction and Remodeling Inc. has experience with geothermal heating systems. Geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters and solar panels are not subject to the $1,500 maximum tax credit. This is true for fuel cell, and small wind energy systems as well. In addition credits for these systems are available through 2016. These credits are especially applicable to new home construction and secondary residences where credits for ENERGY STAR roofs and windows do not apply. 

So your looking to sell your house, one of the biggest things you can do before anything else is get the home inspected. Once you receive your home inspection list don’t be discouraged, there are going to be a lot of things on that list. The inspectors will usually spend hours looking through every inch of your house, they will find faults, no house is perfect. The thing to keep in mind is that you need to bring the home up to good condition, not perfect-brand-new-in-the-box condition, just good condition.

Before the inspection takes place do your own inspection. Some simple things to look for are:

• Appliances
• Lighting
• Garage Doors
• Window Operations
• Outlets (Specifically GFI’s)
• Operation of Doors & Locks

Fix all the things you can before the inspection and then have the inspector come in and do their job.

Once completed start going through the list and you’ll begin to see a lot of simple to fix items that you missed during your own inspection. Start with those items and then work on to the bigger ones. Or, if the bigger ones are too big for you, call in a contractor to take care of them. Fix as many items as possible. If your budget is a little tight always fix the most important items first. These items will include:

• HVAC
• Mold & Mildew, if any
• Roof
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Drainage

Always keep all receipts and records of any other inspections or fixes that you have done while living at the house. This will show potential buyers that you have always done routine maintenance on specific items. Examples are yearly inspections and adjustments on furnaces, hot water heaters, and AC units. Also keep records of any warranty work that was done for appliances.

A good book that I recommend for anyone that is about to have their home inspected or for anyone that wants to do some fixing up around the home is “How to Operate Your Home by Mr. Fix-It“. This book goes over a great deal of information for every home owner to know about their house. It has solutions for common problems and recommendations for maintaining your home.