BY LOUISA BARBERSIDNEY HERALD

Todd and Sandy O’Don-nell’s house is 12 years intoits transition from their fam-ily’s living quarters to aplace of refuge.

The O’Donnells boughttheir Sidney home 19 yearsago, the most affordable onthe block at the time. It wasnowhere near what Sandyenvisioned as the idealhome. She had ideas but

those would have to wait un-til the couple could afford tomake changes, and it wouldremain that way all throughthe remodeling process.

Five years into living intheir home, the O’Donnellsremodeled their kitchen,adding in desperately-need-ed cabinets Sandy waited

three years to purchase.Then they added a garagelarge enough to hold familygatherings since their smallhouse wouldn’t do. They alsoremoved their indoor hot tuband turned the room into afamily/TV room three yearsago. That then led to addinganother bathroom next tothis new room.

Fast forward to earlier thisyear in March, the house hasalmost completely trans-formed. After a hail storm,the couple contacted inde-pendent contractor TonyHanson, Sidney, to repair theroof. Instead, Hanson sug-gested redoing the entireroof because he couldn’tguarantee, that with all the

valleys, there wouldn’t beany leaks. So the roof was re-done, and that spurred on ad-ditional projects. Becausethe ceiling was high, O’Don-nells decided to create twostories, a loft upstairs thatwould provide office space, aplay area and a future TVroom or bedroom. A newstaircase leads from the liv-ing room to the loft decorat-ed by specially designed oakrailings.

“They just started design-ing things, and everythingthey came up with we likedthe idea,” Sandy said.

They decided to work onthe master bedroom by drop-ping the ceiling and in-stalling a jacuzzi tub next to

the bed, a favorite feature forthe couple.

Throughout the process,Sandy has kept her home inneutral colors to make herhouse feel “homey,” and wel-coming. She uses decora-tions to pop the accent col-ors. It’s easy to change withseasons and holidays, shesaid, and looks forward todecorating for Christmas forthe first time in her “new”house.

They’ve kept to a strict fi-nancial plan through theyears. “It was always abudget thing. That’s just how

you did it,” Todd said. Andthey kept to their belief inutilizing local businesses asmuch as possible. “We’ve al-ways tried to give business topeople that we know,” Sandysaid. “We’re from here. Ifthey can do the work and itcan be done, then that’swhere we’re going to go.”

And if one looks carefully,they can see small details inthe house such as the outlets

hidden up high for futuredecorating and several fire-less candles set on timers.

Their home is near para-dise now. Hanson’s ideas,Sandy said, took their housefrom being a home to becom-ing their dream home. “Idon’t want to leave,” Sandysaid. “It’s hard for me toleave. I like being in myhome.”

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT1C SUNDAY, SEPT. 18, 2011 SIDNEY HERALD

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O’Donnells transform home into dream home

LOUISA BARBER | SIDNEY HERALDTodd and Sandy O’Donnell transform their small home into a large, comfortable space.

LOUISA BARBER | SIDNEY HERALDA jacuzzi tub is located in the master bedroom.

“We’ve always tried togive business to people

that we know.”

Sandy O’Donnellhome owner

SUBMITTEDThe O’Donnell’s home surrounded by the new construction.

LOUISA BARBER | SIDNEY HERALDTodd and Sandy O’Donnell show the new staircase and customrailing leading to their newly remodeled home.

Fall Home Improvement2C SUNDAY, SEPT. 18, 2011 SIDNEY HERALD

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StatePoint – Does your home feel drab ordark? Are you tired of the same old roomsand color schemes?

There are many easy, cost-effective ways tobrighten your home’s appearance, cheeringup its occupants in the process.

From fresh coats of paint to sunny lightingschemes to lively window treatments, smallchanges can have a big impact on your home.And some projects can be tackled in just oneshort weekend.

WINDOW TREATMENTS By literally letting more light into your

home, you can make your days more cheer-ful. Try replacing heavy drapes or dark col-ored shades with translucent curtains orblinds. This way, you let in natural lightwhile keeping prying eyes at bay.

Other ways to invite natural light into yourhome include adding internal windows with-in rooms to let light flow from one space toanother, or installing skylights.

ENERGY-EFFICIENT ACCENTS Your lighting scheme can set different

moods in different rooms. To make a roomboth cheerful and efficient, use three differ-ent types of lighting: ambient – or back-ground – lighting, task lighting and accentlighting. Stylish new options for backgroundlighting abound, such as pendants, chande-liers, ceiling-mounted lights and new kinds offixtures that can be hung in multiple ways.

LED lighting is perfect to illuminate placesfor reading, food preparation, dressing or oth-

er tasks. With a very long lifespan, such lightsmay never need to be replaced and can saveyou money on electricity bills because theyare brighter with lower wattage.

The latest in accent lighting includesstrings of remarkably thin LED light podsthat can easily bend around corners and fitinto small spaces, such as those from manu-facturers like Kichler Lighting. This type ofsleek, modern lighting adds drama when en-tertaining, while also lowering electricitycosts.

“Accent lights like these use little energy sothey can stay on all night, an added plus forhomes with small children or when overnightguests visit,” says Jeff Dross, Kichler Light-ing’s corporate director of education and in-dustry trends. “No two homes are alike andtheir lighting shouldn’t be either.”

WARMTH AND COLOR Liven up rooms by selecting a bright color

scheme. Paint sets the basic tone, so choose alight color, such as inviting yellows or cheerypastels. Remember, dark colors can absorblight and make rooms darker. You can paintan entire room a bright color or just one wall.

And you can add warmth as well as colorby layering on pillows and throws to accentfavorite pieces of furniture.

For more creative home decorating ideas,visit the American Society of Interior De-signers at www.asid.org and click on “Con-sumer Center.” And for new energy-efficienthome lighting ideas, visit www.kichler.com.

Easy ways to brighten up your homeSTATEPOINT

Homeowners have many options to provide more light to their places.

(MS) – Homeowners con-cerned about high energybills have put energy conser-vation home improvementsat the top of their must-do listthis year. They are lookingfor green living upgrades thatsave money without sacrific-ing space or style.

Because heating costs aretypically one of the highestand most variable home ex-penses, homeowners are con-sidering energy-efficientzone heating options whenembarking on home renova-tion projects.

Craig Shankster, presidentof Morso USA, has seen anincrease in fireplacemakeovers in the last fewyears, “Finding and eliminat-ing wasteful drafts has ledmany homeowners to installefficient wood stoves and in-serts that transform ineffi-cient open fireplaces intohigh performing heatingzones.”

Homes without chimneysor fireplaces can install aMorso 5660 fireplace insertwith an innovative zero-clear-ance enclosure. This is an ex-cellent zone heating optionfor those in the process of arenovation or new build look-ing to outfit their homes withthe advanced technology of afireplace insert and class Achimney.

Since buying a wood stoveis much like buying furni-ture, you will find a wide-

choice of models that matchevery lifestyle and design in-terest, including antique, tra-ditional, classic or modern.While evaluating the rightsize, heating capacity andlook of your future woodstove, we recommend thatyou also consider these threeeco-wise tips:

1. Only evaluate approvedwood stoves equipped with anon-catalytic combustion sys-tem that exceeds EPA stan-dards and are currently taxcredit qualified.

2. Look for an eco-friendlyseal and a recycled ingredi-ents label that lists the manyways that a stove manufac-turer has gone the extra mileto produce the highest quali-ty and most energy efficientwood stove, possible.

3. Similar to grocery shop-ping, seek out the equivalentof an “organic section” inyour local fireplace hearth

store to compare the qualitystandards, eco-wise contentand warranties.

Additionally, if living bygreen principles is importantto you – and it should be –properly burning local woodin a high efficiency woodstove is an environmentally-sound action. Given the use ofsustainably-harvested, prop-erly processed and seasonedwood for energy displaces theuse of fossil fuels, the resultis a net reduction in green-house gas emissions.

To learn more about the re-newable benefits of localwood energy, watch the Mor-so educational videos thatdemonstrate how to fully re-alize the renewable benefitsof local wood energy withoutbeginner missteps or old-school methods. There arefive free videos that teachhow to choose, install, oper-ate, maintain and fuel yourwood stove that are availableon http://www.morsona.com,Facebook and YouTube.

Today is a great time to in-vest in a wood stove so youcan actually keep some greencash in your pocket. The Fed-eral Bio-Mass Tax Credit ex-tension provides a 10 percenttax credit up to $300 for thepurchase of a new biomassheating appliance in2011.This tax credit helpshomeowners save on energycosts by utilizing renewablebiomass fuels such as wood.

Improving energy efficiencytops wish list when remodeling

‘Finding and eliminatingwasteful drafts has ledmany homeowners to

install efficient wood stoves...’

Craig Shankster Morsco USA president

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(MS) – The growing trendof homeowners staying intheir existing houses longerdue to economic challengeshas had a colorful effect onhomes. People are taking theopportunity to personalizetheir homes more with color-ful exterior accents andthey’re not stopping withjust a splash of paint.

According to national col-or expert Kate Smith, home-owners are taking steps toexpress their personalitiesby adding color to every-thing from their roofs totheir entry doors to theirwindow frames.

“Today’s homeowners arelooking beyond variations ofwhites and beiges to set offthe key accent points of theirhomes, such as louvers, trimand window frames,” saysSmith, president of Sensa-tional Colors. “With the real-ization that they’re going tobe staying in their currenthouses longer comes thecommitment by people totruly personalize theirhomes. This has resulted ineye-catching neighborhoods.

“As homeowners replacemajor components of theirhomes, they place greatervalue on finding productswith a long life span, lowermaintenance and style. They

are seeking out both a notice-able change and an improve-ment from existing productson the home. The ability toadd a creative element, per-sonal touch or signature

color tends to ‘bond’ home-owners even more closelywith their living spaces.”

According to Smith, one ofthe hottest trends for exteri-or enhancements is to selectvinyl windows with exteriorcolor frames that comple-ment the overall look of thehome. She cites the Decorumby Simonton product line asone that offers everythingconsumers are looking for –color, energy efficiency, styleand low maintenance.

“With their minds on sus-tainability and their eye ongood design, many home-

owners are investing in coloras a way to express them-selves and reinvent their cur-rent homes,” Smith said. “Si-monton offers exterior win-dow frame colors of brickred, pine green, bronze, drift-wood and chocolate that per-fectly match up with theearthy colors homeownersgravitate to for their homeexteriors. These same colorscan be drawn out further ontrim elements of the homealong with being componentcolors of the roof and entrydoor.”

Along with offering color-ful exteriors on their replace-ment window frame exteri-ors, Simonton also offers thesame colors on new con-struction windows so home-owners can build with colorconfidence right from thestart.

“A window is like a two-sided canvas,” Smith said.“The colors on the frame ex-teriors enhance the home’soverall appearance from thestreet. And then when youget inside and select stylishwoodgrain frame interiorsand premium hardware fin-ishes, you’re adding beautyto the room settings. That’s a‘win-win’ experience for anyhomeowner.”

MSBrick red vinyl window frames provide the perfect accent color on this home.

Embracing color on your home

‘The colors on the frameexteriors enhance the

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the street.’

Kate SmithNational color expert

BY MELINDA MYERSGARDENING EXPERT, TV AND RADIO HOST

As the summer garden sea-son nears an end, don’t letyour guard down. Keeping upwith a few basic chores canimprove your landscape’sbeauty and reduce your work-load next season.

Continue weeding. Remov-ing weeds now before they goto seed will eliminate hun-dreds of weeds next season.Destroy invasive weeds, thosethat have gone to seed andperennials that may root inthe compost pile. And mulchthe soil if you haven’t alreadydone so.

Keep watering new plant-ings, stressed and youngplants, evergreens and mois-ture loving plants as neededthroughout the fall. Waterthoroughly and whenever thetop few inches are crumblyand slightly moist. Check myplant guide for more specificson your plants wateringneeds. Properly wateredplants are better able to sur-vive the rigors of winter.

Reduce future workloadsand improve your garden’shealth and beauty. A layer ofshredded leaves, evergreenneedles or woodchips willhelp suppress weeds, con-serve moisture, moderate soil

temperatures, and improvethe soil as they decompose.

Replace faded annuals withcool season annuals, mums,and other fall plants, decora-tive squash and pumpkins.And add a few fall containersto your front entrance, patioor deck. It adds color and afeeling of freshness to thegarden.

Keep applying animal re-pellents. Use a long lasting allnatural product like Bobbex.Keeping hungry animalsaway from your landscapewill help reduce the futurerisk of critters moving in anddining on your landscape.

How to prepare better garden for next year

Seemingly from the mo-ment a home is purchased, itsnew owners start envisioningways to transform their newpad into their dream home.Once they turn their key forthe first time, homeownersenter an empty home and seea blank slate on which theycan improve.

But even before homeown-ers enter their new home,chances are the home's exte-rior has inspired a few im-provement ideas as well. Oneof the more common homeimprovements is changing ahome's exterior siding. Thefollowing guide to siding op-tions might help make thisdecision that much easier forhomeowners still on thefence.

• Vinyl: Vinyl siding is apopular choice among home-owners who don’t want tobreak the bank to changetheir home’s exterior look.Vinyl siding is one of themore affordable siding op-tions, and many homeownersare attracted to its durabilityand reputation as a very low-maintenance siding option.Seamless vinyl attractshomeowners because of itsaesthetic appeal. In general,

vinyl siding is wind-resistantand unlikely to rot, scratch orblister, and vinyl siding doesnot attract insects nor is itsusceptible to mold ormildew. However, some vinylsiding cannot withstand ex-tremely cold weather.

• Solid wood: Wood sidingcan last for decades andmany homeowners love itsold-fashioned appeal. Howev-er, homeowners who don’twant the hassle of worryingabout their home’s exteriormight be better suited to oth-er options, as wood siding canbe difficult to maintain. Be-cause wood will expand orcontract depending on theseason, wood siding is proneto cracking or splitting, andespecially humid climatesmight foster mildew in woodsiding. Wood siding typicallyrequires restaining or re-painting every few years, andsuch maintenance is neces-sary throughout the siding’slifespan.

• Aluminum: Durable andaffordable, aluminum sidingis easier to maintain thanwood, though many home-owners still choose wood overaluminum on the basis ofaesthetic appeal. Many home-

owners often come down todeciding between aluminumand vinyl siding, and envi-ronmental concerns mightcome into play when makingthat decision. Aluminum sid-ing is considered by many tobe the more eco-friendly op-tion, as some feel vinyl sidingis bad for the environmentand might even negatively af-fect human health. Alu-minum siding is generallywind-resistant and homeown-ers enjoy its status as a rela-tively low maintenance sid-ing option.

• Stucco: Many homeown-ers prefer stucco siding be-cause of its unique makeupthat allows them to choose adesign and color uniquelytheir own. A manufacturedproduct made up of cement,lime, sand and water, stuccois easy to maintain and canlast a very long time. Stuccoinstallation, however, is anintricate process and home-owners can expect to paymore for stucco’s installationthan they would with otheroptions, even though the in-stallation can be finishedvery quickly, particularlywhen compared to wood sid-ing.

Understanding different siding options

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Maintenance is an in-evitable part of home owner-ship. Beyond routine fixes,many homeowners aspire to-ward larger projects such asroom expansion or a newroof or siding. Funding forthese projects may be a loanfrom the bank.

A home equity loan or lineof credit are common waysto pay for home renovations.A home equity loan can beused for a number of things,including paying educationexpenses or buying luxuryitems. Oftentimes, a home-owner chooses to borrowagainst the equity in thehome to make improvementsthat will increase the value ofthe property.

A home equity loan is alsoknown as a second mortgage.Homeowners borrow moneyby leveraging the equity intheir homes. Equity is theamount of ownership value ahomeowner has in a proper-ty. It is calculated by sub-tracting the unpaid mort-gage balance and other debtson the home from the proper-ty’s fair market value. It’s im-portant to note that somehome values decrease duringtimes of economic down-turn. Therefore, homeown-ers should do their home-work prior to starting anyimprovements to determineif a home equity loan is agood idea.

There are two main typesof home equity loans: Afixed-rate loan or a home eq-uity line of credit.

With a fixed-rate loan, a

lump sum is provided to thehomeowner, which is then re-paid over a set period of timewith a fixed interest rate thatis agreed upon by the lenderand the lendee. The paymentand interest rate remain thesame for the life of the loan.

When homeowners choosea home equity line of credit,or HELOC, it is like they areusing a credit card linked totheir home’s value. Borrow-ers are pre-approved for a setamount against which theycan borrow. Monthly pay-ments may vary and the in-terest rate is based on thecurrent interest rate, mean-ing it can fluctuate.

Home equity loans typical-ly offer interest rates that arelower than those linked tocredit cards or offered withother types of loans. The in-terest paid on these loans al-so may be tax-deductible.

Home equity loans are a goodchoice for responsible home-owners who have the meansto repay the loan. They canbe a pitfall for borrowers whooverspend and need creativefinancing methods to pay offoutstanding debt.

Using a home equity loanto make a home improve-ment should be done careful-ly. Financial experts say thatthe loan should only be takenif the renovation will addvalue to the home. Cosmeticchanges and personal addi-tions, such as a swimmingpool, may not justify the costof the loan.

Individuals can talk with apersonal savings bank, thecompany that holds theirmortgage, a credit union oranother financial institutionto determine if a home equi-ty loan is the right choice inthis current market.

Funding your next improvement

Home equity loans are common ways to pay for home im-provements.

Though ceiling fans aremost associated with warm-weather seasons, most can beeffective throughout the win-ter months as well, helpingcirculate warm air through-out a room in much the sameway they circulate cool airduring the warmer weather.

Most of today’s fans have aswitch near the motor hous-ing that alters the direction in

which the fan’s blades turn.When a ceiling fan is used inthe summer, its blades pushthe air downward, movingcool air around the room. Theair blowing around the roomis what cools people withinthe room. When the blades’ di-rection is altered, the bladesthen push the air upward to-ward the ceiling. This drivesthe hot air, which typically

rises to the top, down towardthe edges of the room. Thishelps circulate warm airthroughout a room, makingfor more even heating.

What’s more, this improvedheat circulation helps combatwindow sweating that resultsfrom condensation on theglass when hot air is not effec-tively circulated throughout ahome.

Did you know?

StatePoint – There’s noth-ing like entertaining friendsand family in the comfort ofyour home. It’s not only lessexpensive, but more enjoy-able as you have full controlover the food, drinks andguest list.

And fun entertainmentspaces can be easily createdin any size home, with just afew tweaks, without the needfor costly additions or largeinvestments.

“Nowadays you can enter-tain with professional flairwithout blowing your homeimprovement budget,” saidTodd Hall, president of Glas-tender, maker of commercialbar and food equipment.“You just need to find theright upgrades.”

GAME ROOM ROMP While rec rooms may be a

thing of the past, gamerooms are making a come-back. When setting up agame room, include physicalactivities as well as videogames. Billiards, ping pongand darts are all-time fa-vorites with kids and adults.

If you have the space, con-sider an indoor arcade game.These days, consoles areavailable with cabinets thatresemble vintage arcadeclassics, yet feature multiplevintage and modern games.You can also set up “offline”stations with playing cards,board games and other activ-ities for the youngest andoldest family members. It’ssure to foster quality time(and friendly competition)with your friends and family.

WET BAR CHIC Nothing beats enjoying a

nice drink with friends. Butinstead of opening a six-pack, consider ways to serveguests in style. Home wetbars, such as those made byGlastender, allow you to en-tertain like a professionalbartender. For example, adrop-in cocktail station in-stalls like a kitchen sink andincorporates the same ele-ments as a commercial barline-up, but in designs in-tended for the home.

And there’s no need to con-fine cocktails to just one

area. You can opt for a built-in indoor or outdoor cocktailstation that stands alone,like an island or grill. Or youcan choose a rolling cocktailcart that lets you take partiesoutdoors in decent weather.Look for commercial-gradeoptions, such as bottle stor-age rails, wells for cold beeror soda, ice bins and drainboards for freshly washedglasses. For more options forcreating home cocktail sta-tions, visit www.glastender-home.com.

BIG TIME FLICKS The price of movie tickets

is rising, but new flicks aregoing to DVD often in as lit-tle as three months. Now is agreat time to set up or im-prove your own in-home the-ater.

Obviously you will need ascreen big enough so every-one can see. You may alsowant to indulge in movie the-ater seats and a vintage pop-corn machine. Or you can goextra comfy with a big fluffycouch, cushions and beanbags.

STATEPOINTSome stylish additions let you entertain at home with flair.

Easy improvements can makeyour home great for entertaining

Fall Home ImprovementSIDNEY HERALD SUNDAY, SEPT. 18, 2011 5C

StatePoint – As the weather turnscooler, many Americans look to up-grade high-trafficked areas like the liv-ing room, bedroom and bathroom. Butbig projects can be daunting, not tomention burdensome on your pocket-book.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go bigto upgrade this season.

“Home renovations don’t have to re-sult in complete overhauls of your liv-ing spaces – and they certainly don’thave to create major dents in your bankaccounts,” says David Shove-Brown, amember of the American Institute ofArchitects’ Small Project PractitionersCommittee.

“Thinking through how you live inthose particular rooms is key to makingfall improvement projects manage-able,” he adds. “From there, a naturalgame plan will emerge.”

To help get you started, Shove-Brownoffers some useful advice.

THINK FLEXIBLE SPACES Whether you’re a newly-married cou-

ple hoping to start a family or a seniorcitizen looking to age in place, considercreating open, flexible spaces that growor evolve with your needs. For example,connecting the kitchen and living room

into a single, large live-and-play areacan help a family spend time together,even if engaged in separate activities.For older citizens, one large living areamakes it easy to get around if mobilityever becomes limited.

CREATE A HOME OASIS Is your definition of bliss is reading a

good book? Or maybe getting a spatreatment? Then consider some smallchanges to key rooms to create a newhangout space to unwind and relax athome.

For example, switching out your stan-dard showerhead for a more powerfulone and adding flex lighting can in-stantly transform a bathroom into a

more relaxing, meditative environ-ment. Or, install some bookshelves inyour bedroom and add a cushioned win-dow nook or comfortable couch to makethe space just as cozy as your favoritecorner coffee shop.

TAKE IT STEP BY STEP One of the most difficult things home-

owners face when it comes to renova-tions is the desire to do everything atonce. But by working with an architect,you can create a plan for completingrenovations that work with your time-line and budget.

There are also many small thingshomeowners can do themselves beforebringing in a professional to finish thejob. For example, buy raw materialslike tiles or light fixtures and then ask aprofessional to install them. Shove-Brown says that an architect can helpmap out what you can first do on yourown to ensure the job gets completedthe right way.

To find an architect in your area, vis-it: www.architectfinder.aia.org.

If you can also remember to relax andget a little creative, you may even enjoythe overall process of dreaming up ren-ovations!

STATEPOINTWide open spaces can evolve with your needs over time.

Easy tips to upgrade your home sweet home‘Thinking through how you live inthose particular rooms is key to

making fall improvement projects manageable.’

David Shove-Brown

American Institute of Architects’ Small Project Practitioners

StatePoint – Just becausethe summer garden partyseason is over, doesn’t meanyou should neglect yourlawn. Autumn is a criticaltime for lawncare and to getyour landscaping ready forwinter and spring.

Addressing garden andlandscaping work now willsave you time and effortnext spring. After all, whowants to spend the first fewglorious days of spring toil-ing in the yard?

Here are some criticalsteps youcan take ina weekendto makesure youryard isprepped fornext year.

FERTILIZE Fertiliz-

ing is amust tostrengthen the lawn’s rootsystem and store nutrientsneeded in the wintermonths ahead. Pay specialattention to areas that mayhave been worn down byfoot traffic and outdoor en-tertaining.

You’ll need to replenishthe nutrients that were de-pleted in the summermonths. For an even distri-bution, spreaders offer aquick and convenient fertil-izing solution. Spreadersare available for lawns ofevery size, in both push-be-hind designs and tow-be-hind tractor models.

PRUNE Cutting dead or weakened

tree branches will keepthem from falling and dam-aging your – or your neigh-bor’s – property, especiallyas winter weather sets it.

Garden shears are fine forlight pruning or trimminghedges, but heavier worksuch as storm cleanup oftenrequires a chainsaw.

When using a chainsawfor yard work, make surethe chain is sharp, as dullchainsaws make work moredifficult. Simple add-onscan increase your efficiency.For example, PowerSharp, achainsaw sharpening sys-tem from Oregon-brand out-door products, lets chain-saw users sharpen chain on

the saw, onthe job, inseconds.This helpsget yardwork donefaster andwith rela-tive ease,especiallywhenpruningand trim-

ming. To learn more, visitwww.powersharp.com.

RAKE AND RESEED When raking fallen leaves,

opt for a lightweight plasticrake, which glides more eas-ily on grass than metalones. Also, an open tarp forcollecting leaves works bet-ter than dragging plasticbags across the yard.

You should also clearplant beds of dead foliage,which can smother buddinggreenery and foster disease.And by reseeding yourlawn, you’ll help guardagainst dead patches in thespring. But remember tostay off any reseeded lawnfor at least two weeks.

Preparing your yard nowwill leave more time later onfor enjoying the fruits ofyour labor.

Addressing lawn concernswill save efforts next spring

STATEPOINTPruning trees now will protect your home in winter.

When using a chainsaw foryard work, make sure the

chain is sharp, as dullchainsaws make work

more difficult.

StatePoint – As the ther-mometer drops, the cost ofheating your home will rise.But you can avoid a spike inyour blood pressure with afew smart moves that willhelp you save on those ener-gy bills.

The average Americanhousehold spends at least$2,000 a year on energy bills –over half of which goes toheating and cooling, accord-ing to the U.S. Environmen-tal Protection Agency’s Ener-gy Star Program.

Luckily, there are severalways you can save on yourenergy bills this season:

• Install a programmablethermostat to help ensurethat you do not forget to ad-just the temperature in yourhome throughout the day.Regulating your thermostatcan amount to real savings

while keeping you warmduring the winter months.

• When replacing appli-ances around your home re-member to ask about naturalgas models. Natural gas wa-ter heaters and other appli-ances are typically muchmore efficient than otherversions and will help cut en-ergy costs during the winterheating season.

• Make sure to have all fur-naces, flues and chimneys inyour home or business in-spected every year by quali-fied industry professionals toensure their efficiency andsafety. These are items thatwill no doubt be kicked intogear during the cold wintermonths, so it’s importantthey’re all in working orderwhen the temperatures drop.

• Keep the areas around allnatural gas appliances clean

and unblocked to allow forproper air flow.

• Don’t forget to insulateyour attic floor. Installationshould be 16 to 24 inchesdeep in temperate climates.This simple home improve-ment will keep you warmerin the winter and cooler inthe summer.

• Look for the blue flame. Ifpilot lights and burners havea steady, blue flame, they areoperating correctly. (Decora-tive gas fire logs are the onlyexception. Their flame isusually yellow.)

• Anytime you makechanges to your home, fromservicing a fuel-burning ap-pliance to changing yourwindows, always have a li-censed expert make sure thatall your equipment is operat-ing properly – safety is im-portant all year round.

For more information onhow you can save on homeenergy bills, visit www.com-fortableresponsible.org.

Just a few of these changeswill help reduce your impacton the planet – and your wal-let.

Tips for reducing home heating bills this winter

Specializing in the installationof energy efficient

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“as always...quality first since 1986”609 South Central Ave. • Sidney

482-2616 • Toll Free 1-866-482-2616Kip Swearingen

BIG SKYS i d i n g a n d Wi n d o w s

Fall Home Improvement6C SUNDAY, SEPT. 18, 2011 SIDNEY HERALD

Lee home receives new look after fire, smoke damage BY DEB CROSSLANDSIDNEY HERALD

Dale Lee moved toFairview from Redfield, S.D.,in 2007 to work in the oilfield. Not much later, Dale’swife, Betty, joined him. Thecouple lived with Betty’s sis-ter while looking for a hometo buy. After two years, theyfinally found a home one anda half miles north of Sidney.

The Lees were not in theirhouse a year when tragedystruck. A fire started in themantel of the fireplace anddestroyed most of the livingroom, dining room andkitchen with smoke damagethroughout the house.

Dean Lang of Lang Con-struction took on the chal-lenge of reconstructing theirhome. “He dropped every-thing to help us,” Betty said.“He was so easy to workwith, he took pride in hiswork, and I left all the deci-sions up to him. He pickedout all the colors and floor-ing.”

When you first walkthrough the front door, theknotty pine ceilings in theliving and dining room catchyour eye along with a fea-tured wall in the living roomdone in the same knottypine.

Designing for a quaint andairy look, Lang opened upthe wall between the kitchenand dining room with abreakfast island that seatsfour. To follow the countrylook, the cupboards aremade from hickory, and thecustom lighting allows for abright, comfortable atmos-phere.

A hickory pantry lines thehallway on both sides andleads from the kitchen to the

laundry room. The drawersin the kitchen and thepantry are on rollers andslide out for easy access, afeature Betty loves.

The Lees believe in shop-ping locally, and that is ex-actly what they did.

All the building supplies,windows, cupboards and thecedar siding on the outsideof the house came from ProBuild.

All the kitchen appliances– stove, refrigerator, mi-crowave and dishwasher –and the beautiful flooringand carpeting were pur-chased locally at JohnsonHardware and Furniture. Anew washer and dryer, alongwith the many TVs through-out their house, came fromPATH in Sidney.

Joining Lang Constructionin the reconstruction of the

house were Mike Potts ofChuck’s Plumbing, PrairieElectric and Rod Kalberer ofKalberer’s Heating, who in-stalled the furnace, air con-ditioning and the gas insertinto their new fireplace.

Beautiful window treat-ments from J.C. Penney fin-ished off the décor in eachroom. Of course, no housecan go without a home com-puter, and the Lee home is noexception.

With the loss of their com-puter in the fire, BOSS OfficeProducts were there to fillthat void with a new comput-er.

“We bought just abouteverything from Sidney,”Betty said. “The knotty pineceiling and walls, the cup-boards and my deck, I justlove my whole house.”

DEB CROSSLAND | SIDNEY HERALDDale and Betty Lee, Sidney, love their quaint new home featuringhickory cupboards and a breakfast island in their new kitchen.

DEB CROSSLAND | SIDNEY HERALDThe living room features knotty pine ceiling and accent wall.

DEB CROSSLAND |SIDNEY HERALDThe bathroom follows the country look with a hickory vanity and linen closet.