Home improvementprojects can add value toa home and do-it-your-selfers know the sweat-equity that goes intosuch projects can givehomeowners a greatersense of pride in theirhomes.

But no two homeimprovement projectsare the same, and home-owners should know thatcertain projects are besttackled during certaintimes of the year.

Fall is a great seasonto work on your house,as the weather is often atits most agreeable oncethe summer heat hasgone and before winterweather arrives.

The following are ahandful of fall-friendlyhome improvement proj-ects for homeownerslooking to improve theirhomes.

Roof repairWhether you're repair-

ing or replacing the roof,fall is a great time of yearto dust off the ladder andget some work done onyour roof for a variety ofreasons.

First and foremost, fallis ideal for roof workbecause you won't haveto be up on the roof withthe summer heat bearingdown on you.

This can make theproject move along morequickly, which is especial-ly beneficial if you are pay-ing laborers to work onthe roof. The fewer hoursworkers are fixing yourroof, the less you will bepaying in labor costs.

In addition, fixing upthe roof in the fall ensuresthose winter storms, be itrain or snow, won't findtheir way into your homevia leaks. A leaky roof inwinter is hard to fix, as theroof surface could betreacherous in the winterand winter winds canmake it dangerous to beup on the roof at all.Addressing leaks in thefall can prevent damage toyour home's interior,which can mount up if aleaky roof is notaddressed until the fol-lowing spring.

Window workWhen the weather

outside gets frightful,poorly insulated win-dows can allow cold airinto the home. That oftenhas a trickle-down effecton finances, forcing youto turn up the thermostatin an attempt to offsetthe cold air pouring intothe home. Whether youneed your windowsreplaced or simply needto patch up any leaks, aproactive approach toleaky or older windowsin the fall can save youfrom unnecessarily highheating bills come thewinter. Addressing leakywindows also makes ahome more comfortablefor its inhabitants.

Fall is the ideal time toaddress a home's win-dows because the tem-perature outside tends tobe pleasant. This meansyou likely won't have tomake much of an effort tooffset the elements, andopen windows in the fallwon't make your home'sinterior very hot or coldlike they might if you

were to tackle the projectduring the summer orwinter.

Fixing the floorsWood flooring is a

hot commodity formany homeowners. Butnot all flooring can beadded to a home at anytime of year. That'sbecause certain typesof flooring employadhesives that needtemperatures inside thehome to be within a cer-tain range, and thatrange is often within70o to 80o F, whichmakes fall a great timeto install such floors.Colder temperaturescan make it difficult forthe flooring to dry andbond, which will proveproblematic down theroad. What's more,many people entertainfriends and family comelate fall and into the hol-iday season, and it canbe difficult to do so ifyou are busy installingnew flooring.

Painting projectsPainting is another

home improvementproject that seems tai-lor-made for fall. A freshcoat of paint or a newcolor scheme aroundthe house can give ahome an entirely newlook and feel. But paintcan be pungent and thearomas may last if it'sapplied at a time of yearwhen it can't dry whilethe windows are wideopen. Paint fumes insidea home can make thehome uninhabitable,but painting at a time ofyear like the fall, whenyou can keep the win-dows open during andafter the project, canhelp air the home out.

But interior paintingisn't the only paintingproject homeownerscan tackle in the fall.

Many exterior paintsare temperature-sensi-tive and need the tem-perature outside to beabove 40o F. Paint thatfreezes won't dry prop-erly, and homeownersmight be left with a cost-ly and unsightly mistakeon their hands. Fall tem-peratures tend to beamenable to both interi-or and exterior paintingprojects, just be sure tocheck the weather fore-cast before making yourfirst brush stroke.

■ Metro Creative Connection

Painting a home's interior can give it a complete-ly new look and feel. A fresh coat of paint can makea room feel more vibrant and up-to-date, creating awhole new attitude within the room without break-ing the bank.

Whether creating an accent wall or painting eachwall within a room, painting is a relatively easy andinexpensive home improvement project. But thatdoesn't mean painting does not require a little prepwork before the project can begin. * Address any holes or bumps on the wall. Holes orcracks in the wall will need to be patched with spack-le, which then must dry before the wall can be givena new coat of paint. In addition, sand down anybumps until the walls are smooth and free of anyunsightly abnormalities.* Wash the walls. Walls can get dirty, and that dirtmay or may not be masked by paint. Before addinga new coat of paint, wash the walls and inspect themfor dust. Dust can collect on molding, especially inrooms that get little natural air.

When dust has collected on the molding and

PRESS & DAKOTAN ■ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013 PAGE 11

Home Improvement Projects Perfect for Fall

Fall is an ideal time of year to tackle home painting projects.

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Prep Work ImportantBefore Painting

PAINTING, Page 12

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