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by Dave Logan

It happens every fall: the dreaded task of raking massive amounts of leaves into piles and into what seems like an endless amount of trashbags. Raking leaves in the fall may not be a picnic, but once you understand what leaves go in the trash and what leaves can stay where they fall, your work won’t seem so daunting.  

Leaves To Throw Away The leaves that cover your walkways and driveway(s) are the obvious choices, given they become perilous obstacles when wet. Gather them up and throw them away so you don’t slip and fall. Get rid of all of the leaves that cover your lawn, too. Leaves make an ideal fortress for unwanted insects and fungi. You work way too hard on that lawn to have it plagued by enemies. Be sure to throw out any plants or flowers that have been infested with insects and/or disease.

Leaves To Leave Leaves that fall directly underneath trees and shrubs will naturally turn to compost over the winter. It’s been proven time and again that trees and shrubs benefit greatly from allowing leaves to stay over the fall and winter. This will also save you money in the spring by not having to buy as much mulch! Just buy enough to cover the leaves and you’re good to go. The bottom line is that if you really want to protect that beautiful lawn of yours, then you have to accept the not-so-fun labor of raking leaves. One trick to remember before raking: mow your lawn “ right over all the leaves “ and you will instantly reduce the volume of leaves you have to rake by half! Less work equals more smiles.

For more helpful information on these and other home improvement projects, check in often with the TDL Blog. And don’t forget to visit TeamDaveLogan.com to find a trusted home improvement professional in Denver and Boulder that will help you with your next project!

by Dave Logan

Home winterizing is a “hot” topic this time of year. And an important one. There are many intelligent items on the “how to prepare for winter checklist,” but a lot of them are expensive. Don’t get me wrong: they’re worth the money. But today let’s discuss a few items we can get done on a shoestring budget, maximize our energy efficiency (and savings), and stay warm and comfortable throughout the winter. All for $200 or less. Let’s start at the low end, shall we?

For $100 or less…  Buy a caulking gun for $10-$15 and a handful of caulk. Expect to pay between $5 and $8 for the caulk itself. This will allow you to seal up drafty doors and windows. The best solution is to pull off the actual window/door molding and seal the gaps around the insulation.  

Cost: $35-$55.  Install a programmable thermostat. You will save money and be much more comfortable in your home. Period.

Cost: $50-$100 (for a good one). • Buy (at least) two rolls (17’ each) of weatherstripping for your windows.

Cost: $5 per roll.  Buy a plastic window insulating kit for at least five of your windows.

Cost: $20  Replace your furnace filter every three months.

Cost: $10. Buy three to five threshold sweeps for your drafty door bottoms.

Cost: $15 each, or $75. Buy a chimney balloon to prevent heat escaping through your fireplace and out of the chimney.

Cost: $50. For $200 or less… Have an energy audit performed in your home before the cold winter months arrive. The audit is a great use of your budget because it tells you how efficient your heating/air system is, where the insulation problems are, water heater and pipe condition, etc. And don’t forget that nowadays many winterization home improvements are tax deductible when it comes to energy efficiency!

Cost: $150-$200.

For more helpful information on these and other home improvement projects, check in often with the TDL Blog. And don’t forget to visit TeamDaveLogan.com to find a trusted home improvement professional in Denver and Boulder that will help you with your next project!

by Dave Logan

One nice thing about summer coming to a close? No more mowing the lawn! While it’s nice to throw the old mower in the garage for the fall and winter seasons, if you don’t properly winterize your mower you may end up with some hefty (and unexpected) repair fees come spring.

NOTE: Exceptions to this discussion are cord or cordless mowers. For these models, simply keep them clean and the batteries (for cordless) serviced appropriately. For all you gas lawnmower users out there: use today’s post as a guide to winterizing your lawnmower at the end of every summer – and save yourselves some hard-earned cash in the process!

1. Empty the gas tank. Most experts agree that this is the best method. Fire up the mower, and let it sit outside (not in the garage or shed) and run until it’s out of gas. If this isn’t practical for you, then buy some fuel stabilizer to add to the gas in the tank.

2. Clean your mower. Knock off all the old, hard grass clumps and debris underneath your mower’s top housing. Finish the cleaning job with an aggressive hose bath.

3. Clean or replace the air filter. You may have done this once or twice during the summer, but now is the perfect time to clean or replace it once more so it’s ready for next spring.

4. Change the oil. This one is very important and will save you good money on repair (or outright mower replacement). Once you’ve properly disposed of the used oil, fill the mower with fresh oil and use the dipstick to make sure the mower is filled to exactly the right levels.

5. Check (and change if necessary) your spark plugs. Corroded, rotten spark plugs should be replaced before you put your mower away for the winter.

6. Have the blade sharpened. You should get this done once a year, at the close of summer. You will be happy you did when you fire the mower up this spring and cut through the tall grass like a razor blade through butter.  

For more helpful information on these and other home improvement projects, check in often with the TDL Blog. And don’t forget to visit TeamDaveLogan.com to find a trusted home improvement professional in Denver and Boulder that will help you with your next project!

by Dave Logan

Until very recently, it was very difficult (if not impossible) to find environmentally friendly products. Even harder was affording them if you did actually find them. However, today “green” products are rapidly becoming more mainstream as energy costs continue to rise. Check out a few of our favorite green products being used today.

Water Efficiency. The averages home consumes over 100,000 gallons of water every year. That’s a lot of water, folks. Combine that with perpetual droughts and warmer seasons, and it makes good sense to start paying attention to our individual water consumption. Consider upgrading your appliances. Today, you can get Energy Star-certified dishwasher, clothes washers and dryers, and dual-flush toilets. Products like these make a big difference in our aggregated consumption, as well as reducing individual energy costs immediately.  

Wood Flooring Products. Wood flooring options are getting a lot better these days, thanks to the drive to conserve our old-growth forests by using products like bamboo, palm, or eucalyptus. Products like these grow back very rapidly, and therefore make great alternatives to oak, for example.

Countertops. New countertop surface materials are exploding in popularity these days because they look just like (and in some cases, better) traditional surfaces but are made from eco-friendly materials. Reclaimed wooden butcher block countertops, paperstone, Richelite, and glass tile are all excellent options and don’t contain adverse levels of formaldehyde or volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Insulation. Check out a product called UltraTouch. UltraTouch is made from high-quality natural fibers and has maximum thermal performance. One thing I just love about this product is that it doesn’t itch when working with it! (Those of you who’ve worked with insulation can definitely appreciate that). UltraTouch is flame-retardant, safe to work with, and an excellent alternative to traditional insulation.

Paints and stains. Earth-based paint materials (clay and lime, for example) are gaining in popularity for three primary reasons: 1) they do not contain hazardous materials, 2) they naturally combat dust and pollen, and 3) there are many great color choices available today. When choosing a wood or concrete stain, check out soy-based products as an alternative. Products like these are much more friendly to the environment.

Go green and save green. It’s no mystery that going green is more expensive in the beginning. Over time, it’s safe to assume that this will change, however, as green supplies increase to keep up with the growing demand. Finally, while you may pay more up front for these products, you will not only realize a positive return on your investment quickly, but you will also be contributing to the environment in an extremely positive way.

For more helpful information on these and other home improvement projects, check in often with the TDL Blog. And don’t forget to visit TeamDaveLogan.com to find a trusted home improvement professional in Denver and Boulder that will help you with your next project!