How to Spruce Up Your Lawn

We’re taking a break from our traditional paint-themed articles to bring you a few tips to get your lawn in top shape as the grass starts turning its greenest here in Northern Colorado. As we begin to turn on our sprinklers and our mowers for the first time, now is the perfect time to set up your lawn for a successful summer. And if you’re like most folks, you may have a few brown patches, a few dozen weeds, and a bit of thatch built up from winter. So, we’ve cataloged a few tips you can try out to make your lawn the talk of the town. Take a look!


Aerate

Plenty of homeowners neglect to aerate their lawn, but it’s a good habit to get into. It’s recommended that folks aerate twice per year to improve the soil of the lawn, preferably in the spring and fall. Aerating helps to soften dirt, bringing a bit of air to grass roots, while also mixing up much needed nutrients. Plus, water will more easily penetrate your soil after aerating. So, your grass will have more nutrients, more water, and more air. Don’t have an aerator? You can rent a machine aerator from your local hardware store for a few hours, or invest in a step-on aerator that you can use with your feet.

Fertilize

Fertilizing replenishes your lawn’s soil with all the nutrients it needs to support healthy grass. It’s best to fertilize your lawn once per year, and now is the perfect time to do it! Pick up a bag of fertilizer and use a fertilizer spreader to give your lawn a thin coating. Be sure to follow the instructions of the fertilizer you purchase. Most fertilizers recommend giving your lawn a good soak beforehand, to help the nutrients to penetrate the soil. Don’t forget to keep your pets and kiddoes off the lawn for a day or two, since some fertilizers can be harmful.


Watering

If you’re turning your sprinklers on for the first time this season, be sure to check all of your sprinkler heads. Sprinkler heads often break or become misaligned over winter, so you may have to do a bit of maintenance to ensure you have even coverage over your whole lawn. It’s best to set your system timer to go off at night, just before sunrise, to ensure that the water doesn’t evaporate right away. Adjust the amount of time that you water for the heat, or if there is rain in the forecast, so you don’t end up overwatering your lawn. Give your lawn about 20 minutes of water every other day in the spring, and possibly every day in the height of the summer to ensure your grass gets about an inch of water per week.

Here for Spring Painting

As the green season is in full form, and it’s the perfect time for house painting. As the temperatures rise, we’re scheduling exterior home painting projects for folks throughout Northern Colorado. We hope you’ve enjoyed our lawncare tips, and as always, you can count on us for all your painting needs. Horner Painting provides home painting services for folks throughout Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, Johnstown, Wellington, Severance, and Timnath — simply reach out to us to get started!

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.dilconpainter.com/?p=109

Home Improvement Tips for Mother’s Day

May is here, which means rising temperatures, afternoon thunderstorms, and of course, Mother’s Day. We want to take a moment to celebrate all of the mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers and wives out there who have shaped us and our community. We give thanks for all the hard work they put forth, and the warmth they provide us. That’s why we’re taking a moment to offer up a few springtime home improvement tips that we can all take part in, so that we can brighten Mom’s day! As always, you can count on Horner Painting for interior and exterior home painting services; after all, a fresh coat of paint can work wonders to transform your home, bringing a smile to any mother’s face. Simply reach out to us to get started, and to take advantage of our early bird pricing specials on exterior painting services. Now let’s delve into a few more home improvement projects that you can take on as we approach Mother’s Day (which is on Sunday, May 9!).


Springtime Gardening

Early May doesn’t just mark the time to celebrate mothers, it’s also the best time to begin gardening. Whether Mom likes to garden, or you’re the green thumb of the house, everybody can enjoy delicious veggies and beautiful flowers that your garden can bring. Take time this week to till your garden beds and lay in seeds. If you don’t have garden beds, now is the time to build them. Consider making a raised bed with railroad ties or exterior-grade lumber. Or, till straight into the ground to make a makeshift garden with veggies that will be just as delicious. And feel free to get the kids involved!

Carpet Cleaning


The spring season also marks that time of the year where we dust away the cobwebs of winter, cleaning the house from tip to toe. Yet, folks often forget to give their carpets a thorough cleaning as they practice the spring cleaning tradition. Carpet cleaning can work wonders to transform your home, especially if you have pets and kiddos who bring more dirt in the front door every minute. Try to set aside a time to rent a commercial carpet cleaner from your local hardware store if you’re a do-it-yourselfer. Or consider hiring a professional company while Mom is away from the house for a few hours for a welcome surprise!

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling

If you’re a handyman, you can show your appreciation for the mum in your life with a kitchen or bathroom remodel. While you’ll have to set aside a bit of money and plenty of time for these projects, a home remodel can prove useful, valuable, and appealing to the eye. Transform a bathroom with modern fixtures, or get rid of that old, outdated wallpaper. Or pull out the appliances of your kitchen and replace them with new, more efficient, stainless steel models. If you’re feeling bold, a remodeling project is sure to show your love and appreciation for Mom.

Our Early Bird Specials

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our ideas, and we hope you enjoy the weekend celebrating time with all of the mothers in your life. We’ll be here throughout the summer, ready to provide you with home painting services at the drop of a hat. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to take advantage of our early bird specials this spring.

Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.dilconpainter.com/?p=104

High-Value Home Improvements

Home improvements are expensive. Yet, they can be well worth the investment. Homeowners have long opted to pour money into their homes not just to better customize them to their needs, but also to up the home’s equity, as well as its resale value. If you’re one of the many homeowners out there striving to boost your home’s market value, you may be asking yourself: What are the best investments for my home? What improvements will earn me the most value in the long run? Well, we’ve done some digging, and we’d like to highlight four of the best value-per-dollar investments you can make to improve your home. Here’s our list.

Basement Finish


If you have the money (or the time, tools, and experience to do it yourself), finishing your basement can earn you as much or more money than you invest. Consider finishing your basement with an extra room or two, and an additional bathroom. If you have extra space, tacking on an entertainment room is a great idea. And you can add a storage room (which can remain unfinished). Don’t go overboard on customizations (like integrated surround sound, or a built-in bar), unless you’re planning on enjoying these amenities yourself; when you opt to put your home on the market, you may not earn as much money for basement renovation than you put into it if your home purchaser doesn’t like the custom details as much as you do.

You may also consider finishing your basement with an apartment configuration (including a bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen), so that you can rent the space. Consider adding a separate entrance to your basement if you’re finishing it with a full apartment. Adding a garden apartment is an excellent source of passive income while you’re living in your current abode, and it can be an appealing selling point should you ever put your home on the market in the future.

Exterior Updates

Updating your home’s exterior won’t just provide better protection for your home, it will boost its value and curb appeal. If you have damaged siding, worn out paint, or siding that could use a facelift (like added trim and details, or a stone facade), then an exterior update is a great idea. Replace any damaged siding along the surfaces of your home. And paint your home siding if it hasn’t been painted in five years or longer (of course, you can count on Horner Painting to paint the exterior of your home!). If you have the budget, you can update your siding with a new, tack-on facade of stone and extra trim details to make your home look warmer and richer.


Kitchen & Bathroom Remodels

Do you have a kitchen with outdated appliances or tacky countertops? Or perhaps your bathroom still has an odd avocado-green bathtub. Updating these outdated rooms can work wonders to modernize your home, making it more appealing for homebuyers in the future. Consider replacing old cabinetry, laminate countertops, laminate floors, outdated appliances, and fixtures that don’t fit the character of your home. Consider stainless steel appliances, timeless wood cabinets, and granite countertops in the kitchen. Or update your bathroom with a modern, high-efficiency toilet, a tiled shower, a simple, modern vanity, and fixture changes.

dd a Deck

If you don’t already have a deck, adding a modest deck can prove to be an affordable facelift to boost the value of your home. Consider adding a deck that is open and utilitarian, with space for dining and cooking. Your deck shouldn’t take away too much yard space, and it should be well integrated with your landscape and the trees on your property. Don’t forget to plan your deck for its view, and consider installing privacy fencing if you have neighbors nearby. Don’t forget to stain and maintain your deck to keep it protected from weathering; stain your deck every two to three years.

Call Horner for Exterior Painting

As always, if you live here in Northern Colorado, you can trust Horner Painting for a professional paint job that is sure to boost the value and curb appeal of your home. Horner Painting provides painting services for our neighbors throughout Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, Johnstown, Wellington, Severance, and Timnath. Plus, we’re currently offering early bird specials for folks who schedule spring painting! Simply reach out to us today for an estimate on your upcoming painting project. We hope you’ll call on Horner for our painting services to make your home the talk of the neighborhood!