Window Washing Wisdom

Have you ever heard of the two-towel window cleaning method? Professionals like Deven Dallman, owner of Squeegee Brothers, a Diamond Certified company, say you always need two lint-free hand towels while washing windows. One is for wiping off the wet squeegee after every stroke, and the other is for drying the perimeter of the window. The experts never use paper towels or newspapers to dry wet windows.

The preferred method for cleaning your own windows inside and out is to use a squeegee, a mop head for the cleaning solution and of course, two towels. On any glass, move the squeegee either up and down, or side to side. Make sure you overlap each stroke by a little and dry off the squeegee in between strokes. If you see a streak, wait until it dries before wiping it again. If it's wet when you wipe it, you will end up with a big smear.

Photos Help Seniors Transition to Retirement Communities

Retirement is a time to downsize. Moving into a retirement community means having to decide what to take or leave behind. Seniors probably won't be able to take all their possessions with them. Linda Johnson, Administrator for the Diamond Terrace Retirement Community, a Diamond Certified facility, suggests using a digital camera to make the move easier.

Material objects hold memories--of other times, or people, places and events in our lives. Using a camera to capture those memories will ease the sense of loss the move is certain to trigger. Ms. Johnson suggests photographing every room in the house and outside too. Even a banged up recliner headed for the trash heap, says Ms. Johnson, might bring back the memory of a pet or shopping for furniture with a now departed loved one. Photographs help clear away the clutter so you'll have room for a new life to begin.

Keep Firewood (and Termites) Away from the House

If you're up in the mountains and bring home firewood, you might make this mistake. David J. Roe, owner of Leading Edge Pest Management, a Diamond Certified company, says many homeowners don't realize that the wood could be infested with termites. If it's placed up against the house, in the garage or fireplace, and you forget about it, you might end up providing food and shelter to several termite colonies.

Subterranean termites thrive in dark, damp places. They can migrate from the moist firewood leaning up against your house through tubes made from mud. Before you know it, termites will be feasting on your exterior siding and house framing and over time, they will cause extensive and expensive damage. The best thing is to keep all firewood, and especially wood brought back from the mountains, several feet away from the house. If you suspect you already have termites, consult a professional pest control operator.

Your Right to Choose a Body Shop

If you've had an accident and you need to have your damaged vehicle repaired it is your legal right to choose where the repair work is done. Robin Miller, owner of Livermore Collision Center, Inc., a Diamond Certified company, says your insurance company cannot suggest, recommend, force you or even mention that you take your vehicle to their designated body shop for any reason, unless you first ask for a recommendation. Many repair facilities work with all insurance companies and some offer insurance deductible discounts.

The California Motorists Bill of Rights was added to the Insurance Code in 2004. If an insurance company forces you to use one of their shops, they are in violation of the regulations. The insurer must also inform claimants of the right to select the repair dealer of their choice, in writing. Violations still occur, according to Ms. Miller, but are less likely if consumers know their rights ahead of time.

Have Trees Pruned, Not Butchered!

Tree specialists are specifically trained to prune trees using a methodical procedure. All of them follow regulations developed by the International Society of Arboriculture, according to Bill Mitchell, owner-operator of Mitchell Tree Service, a Diamond Certified company. What you want to avoid is having someone lacking the knowledge hack away at your trees, because eventually that butchering could destroy them.

A tree that's incorrectly pruned will not heal properly and its structure, the trunk, is weakened and becomes rotten inside. The right way to prune is to make the proper sized cuts down to the sap rings. Some trees also have special maintenance requirements. A lemon tree for example, should be trimmed on the inside to let in light, and if some of the green lemons are thinned out, the ones left will be larger. Fruit trees need pruning once a year, while with other trees, you can often wait 2-3 years.

Make Those Hardwood Floors Last a Lifetime

He's inspected more than 1500 floors and has found that after re-finishing, some hardwood floors look horrible just 2 years later, while others look great after 20 years. Guy Lee, owner of LPC Enterprises, a Diamond Certified company, explains what makes the difference. People who properly maintain their floors fend off the two major enemies of hardwood - water and dirt.

To give your floors a long life and to retain their beauty, the easiest thing to do is to keep dirt out by adding mats at the entry points, both inside and out. Polyurethane coated floors should be cleaned regularly with a damp mop or with a hardwood floor cleaner, such as Murphy's. Recoat every several years as needed to prevent wear through the existing coating. When refinishing is required, a competent hardwood floor refinisher can do a far better job than the average do-it-yourselfer.

Get the Right Price for Your Home

When you put your home up for sale, your real estate agent is there to help you set the right price for the property. A thorough agent will analyze comparable homes sold in your area, taking into account the condition, square footage, lot size, parking, public transportation and even the school district. Many factors go into determining the appropriate selling price.

Your home has only one chance to make a first impression.  That’s why a fresh coat of paint inside and out, staging, and sprucing the front and back yards are important. The first three weeks the property is listed are critical because that’s when your house will be getting maximum exposure through ads and open houses. If the home isn’t generating interest, you and your agent should reassess the situation. One option is to lower the price.  Another is to offer a credit back to buyer.

Learn from Watching Oil Change Experts

Do you know how to check all the fluids under the hood of your car? The next time you get an oil change, why not watch and learn? Darrin Schlafer, Operations Manager for Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change, says customers who know about their cars and monitor fluids can help their mechanics diagnose problems early and more importantly, avoid most major mechanical breakdowns.

When checking most fluids, the engine is turned off. You will get a more accurate reading for your oil if the motor is cool and vehicle is on a level surface. The brake fluid is in a master cylinder frequently located near the firewall on the driver's side. If the fluid is low, don't top it off yourself. Better to tell the shop on your next visit and have the brake linings checked. If you plan to check transmission fluid yourself, make sure the engine is running when you test it.

Guidelines and Options for Cremation

With the growing popularity of cremation,  we’re seeing more choices for families. The urns now come in all sizes and can be made of cloisonné, hardwood, porcelain, metal or can even be hand-carved. You can buy a keepsake urn or even necklaces and bracelets to store a trace amount of the ashes.

When it comes to the burial for the cremated remains, you can have an in-ground burial with a headstone, or choose to store the urn above ground in a niche at a columbarium or mausoleum. Another option is to scatter some of the ashes. This can never be done from a bridge or from less than 500 yards from the shoreline in California. The ashes can be scattered on private property with the owner’s permission, and some parks allow it, if you have a special permit.

Your Feet Are Not Supposed to Hurt!

Anytime you have foot pain which lasts more than a day and the pain worsens, you probably need professional help. Dr. Michael Cornelison with Cupertino Podiatry Inc., a Diamond Certified professional, says many problems in the ankles, back and knees begin with how your foot hits the ground and work their way up.

A comprehensive podiatric exam includes an evaluation of leg length, postural issues, foot placement when walking, the structure of the foot, medical and family history. Sometimes the solution is a simple stretching and exercise program. Often custom or pre-fabricated orthotics are recommended to stabilize the heel. Supportive and appropriate shoes help your feet stay healthy. The podiatrist's goal is to keep you walking properly because this form of exercise is a key to good health in the long run. By the way, two Bay Area cities are ranked as top walking cities in an American Podiatric Medical Association survey - San Francisco and San Jose.

Curb Appeal and Your Garage Door

When your house is on the market for several months and isn't selling, it's time to get professional help. A customer, called Scott O'Neill, Sales Manager for Madden Door and Sons, Inc. a Diamond Certified company, and explained that his realtor thought the property wasn't moving due to the look of the home as you approached it. The tall side of the house wasn't visually appealing as you drove into the driveway.

You can quickly spruce up your house with the right garage door and add to its appeal and value. In this case, Mr. O'Neill designed a beautiful carriage garage door and some faux cobblestone was added along with window accents. The week after the work was done, the house sold for $120,000 more than the list price. The new garage door was the first visible feature and in the end, the $6,500 spent on it was well worth the investment.

Shopping for a Mortgage? Disclosure is key…

Most consumers shopping for a mortgage are trying to find the best rate possible. However, some lenders do not fully explain or disclose the rates and fees. Diamond Certified mortgage brokers are encouraging borrowers to protect themselves by asking lenders to guarantee all fees in writing, up-front.

Borrowers need to understand what they are given by the lender. They should ask if things “just don’t add up.”  Fees that are bracketed [like this], are often not included in the total shown on the Good Faith Estimate. Also, if you’re getting a 1st and a 2nd mortgage, ask for 2 separate estimates. Each loan usually has different rates and fees. Also ask if all third party fees (broker, lender, title, escrow, appraisal etc.) are disclosed. Rates are generally not guaranteed until they are “locked-in” and material changes in credit, income, and/or appraised values can also impact the rate and fees.

Start Retirement Savings Now

Do you want to handle your personal finances like a professional accountant? According to Charles Sterck, Managing Partner of Sterck Kulik O'Neill, one of the Bay Area Certified Public Accountants who's earned the Diamond Certified award, the most critical step in planning for your retirement is simply starting to save.

Get started by participating in your company's 401k program and put money into your IRA today. Don't wait until next April 15th when you're looking for a tax deduction to open an IRA. Put funds into this year's IRA as soon as you can so that your money will grow tax free starting right now. This account is not a rainy-day fund to be used for emergencies or to pay off credit cards. Treat the money in your retirement accounts as belonging to someone else: tell yourself that the account is owned by the future and not by you.

Tired of Red, Teary, Irritated Eyes?

Do you wake up with burning and red eyes, or find your eyes tearing up constantly? Eye doctors hearthese complaints frequently and suggest keepinglotions and creams which you apply to your face, away from your eyes.

Irritating ingredients in some skin care products candamage the protective tear layer covering the eyeball. To avoid problems, use only water-based eye make-up removers and apply lotions and creams only up to your cheekbone and above the brow, so as to not get too close to the eye.  Creams can seep into your eyes and destroy your natural tear chemistry. This can cause another problem known as dry eye. Also, if you use eye drops that claim to whiten your eyes, never use them on an ongoing basis.  Repeated applications can create a rebound effect and your redness problem will get worse.

Why Use a Designer?

Whether you’re updating a room, remodeling a bathroom, or planning to simply paint the entire inside of your home, a designer can help save you time, money and aggravation.  A designer can do everything from space planning and project management to lighting design, and color, fabric and furniture selection. You might even want to use the designer to work with your contractor and be the go-between to keep the project rolling or when communication breaks down.

The biggest thing is to find a designer who listens and comes up with a plan for your project that reflects you and your style. Designers will create user-friendly, practical designs and incorporate items you love. They can also help out when couples have different ideas on how to decorate and find designs and styles that both people can agree on.
If you have a tight budget, some designers will help you decide what to buy, while you do all the legwork and shopping. However you use a designer, these professionals will use their experience to guide the process and prevent you from making costly mistakes.

How to Pick the Right Moulding

Are you looking for a relatively inexpensive way to make one of the rooms in your home “pop”?  Have you considered adding crown moulding? Mark Dobel, owner of Mark Dobel Painting and Restoration, a Diamond Certified company, says many people find that this type of accent can transform almost any room in the house.

When picking moulding, take into account the style of the home, your own personal taste, the size of the room, the height of the ceiling and the furniture. Mr. Dobel suggests finding pictures of what you like in magazines and looking at room displays because moulding comes in many different sizes, shapes and styles. It can be made of wood or medium density fiberboard. Both materials look the same after being primed and painted. Mark spray paints the moulding prior to installing. Using nails and glue to install, he then spackles nail holes, caulks any gaps, and applies a beautiful enamel finish.

If You Build It, Will They Come?

Let’s say you build an awesome-looking website. You expect to watch your visitor counter spin off the charts, right? Well, it doesn’t quite happen that way.  Tech savvy marketing experts say that most of your website visitors, (possible leads for your business) will come from search engine searches. That’s why your website needs to be Search Engine Optimized (SEO).

SEO is a process that makes your website attractive to search engines and therefore ranked higher. Rather than paying up to $5,000 per month for a paid search engine ad, why not build organic optimizing into the website itself? You should ask any website design company to give you examples if they claim to understand the organic search engine process. And if they guarantee results, that’s a red flag. Results cannot be guaranteed unless they’re hooking you up with paid advertising.

How to Test Your Alarm System

Alarm systems fail for a number of reasons, according to Ron Kent, General Manager of Binkley Alarm, a Diamond Certified company. They might have low batteries or damaged sensors. Sometimes in a remodel, wiring or sensors may be damaged. And occasionally, systems just wear out.

To test your alarm, begin by telling neighbors and your monitoring facility that you’re running a test. Make sure you know how to reset all your system’s devices. Now turn on the alarm and pretend to be leaving the house by opening and closing the entry door. Wait for the alarm to turn on and then walk in front of the motion sensors, and then trip all the sensors in the house. Once this is done, turn the alarm off and contact your monitoring facility to verify the signals. Follow manufacturers’ instructions for testing of smoke, heat, carbon monoxide and other sensors. Be aware that only trained professionals can test commercial fire alarm systems.