A Eulogy for Beanie

It brings me no pleasure to tell you that my beanbag chair, which I had nicknamed Beanie for many years, was tossed in the trash this past weekend. Beanie had been residing in a particularly mildew-caked and dusty corner of my mother’s humungous garage, having suffered several tears and rips with no hope of repair; there are some wounds even duct tape can’t heal. So, there Beanie sat for years, surviving winters, floods and numerous visits from NYC handymen brought in to fix-up the garage in the two decades since my mother moved into her house.

My mother is an odd duck and so it came as no surprise when she announced to me that she had cleaned out the garage now, in the middle of November, some six months before most homeowners start their annual clear out. What did come as a surprise is when she uttered these words: “Oh, and I tossed out that smelly old beanbag sack.”  I stalled for a moment and let out a chuckle, unable to understand what “sack” she was speaking of. And then it hit me, and for just the smallest fraction of a second, I felt grief for an inanimate object. These are things I will not be sharing with any of my prospective progeny or grandchildren, for that matter.

There are three distinct memories I have of Beanie that came rushing to me when I pieced together what my mother had done:

1.     December, 1996: Sitting on Beanie with a small glass of beer my father had snuck me, playing a Star Wars video game and blaring a mix of Grateful Dead songs a friend had given me.

2.     Summer, 1999: My first kinda-girlfriend and me, attempting to position ourselves comfortable on top of Beanie before watching Caddyshack for approximately the 77^th time in my life.

3.     August, 2001: Deciding to not bring Beanie with me to college, seeing as there was about as much personal space in my freshman-year dormroom as there were in those sweatboxes in Cool Hand Luke. Spend the night watching movies with my dog, Bishop, on Beanie, after saying goodbye to local friends.

Bean bag chairs came into prominence some time in the late 1960s and were favorites of hippies and quasi-informed philosophy students around those times, and I certainly wanted to connect to that generation and those people. I remember seeing a character in Richar Linklater’s Dazed and Confused sitting on one and immediately wanting to be that character. The bean bag chair started its slow crawl out somewhere in the mid-to-late 1980s and it essentially shrunk, becoming the much-loved and much-maligned hacky sack in the 1990s, seen on college campuses and high school soccer fields nationwide.

Still, there was a comfort that Beanie gave me that my beat-up futon doesn’t offer. Maybe it was the fragility of it, the fact that it was so prone to dilapidating injuries; the fleetingness of its lifespan. I always thought it was a comfort issue but frankly, my recliner is far more comfortable and I was never nuts about being that low to the ground. So, it remains a bit of mystery why I give half-a-care about Beanie, but I do, whether it is just plain old nostalgia or my intermittent ability to become a complete doodle-brain. 

5 Remodeling Mistakes - avoid them at all cost

5 Home Remodeling Mistakes

Lucky are those who already have their own homes because they can consider them as investments. No matter how old the home is, there is always an option and an opportunity to make the home as good as new. This can be done by introducing changes in the home design or in the home facade or color.

Some people renovate their homes because they have lived there for several years already and they have gone tired of the look of their homes. Of course, there are people who renovate their homes with the view of reselling them at higher prices.

Owning a property or a home can be very useful not only as a dwelling place for the owner and his family. Some people who have extra money invest in foreclosed homes and either live in them or remodel them for a higher resale price. Buying and remodeling homes is starting to become a very good business provided the investor has a keen eye for good locations or areas.

Some people who have owned their homes for several years already get tired of the design and the aesthetics of their homes that they resort to remodeling their homes. In most cases, the homeowner who sets out to remodel his own is always on a tight budget.

Remodeling a home is not an easy task and it is very demanding. Remodeling a home is just like constructing your home all over again but this time, it can prove more difficult because there is already an existing structure. Building a new home is said to be easier since it is like drawing on a blank canvas and any idea is possible. Remodeling an already existing home can be more challenging because the designer has to contend with an existing structure.

While home remodeling can add up to the resale value of a home, it can also lower the price and sometimes lessen the chances of the home being resold. This happens when remodeling mistakes are committed, destroying the aesthetic and functional aspects of the home.

Any homeowner planning to remodel his home should watch out for these 5 remodeling mistakes that have been committed by other people over and over again. These may be simple mistakes but they can ruin the home value so it is recommended that every homeowner be aware of these mistakes.

1. Starting a home remodeling project without considering and estimating the costs involved

- Every homeowner who is planning to remodel his home should first take into consideration his financial capacity. Home remodeling can cost more considering the high prices of construction materials today. Prices of cement, paint, and other materials to be used in the home remodeling should be checked first before touching or destroying any part of the home. The homeowner should be prepared to invest money in home remodeling and finish the remodeling project. Or else, he can end up with a debased or devalued home instead of having its price or value improved.

2. Implementing remodeling projects without creating a remodeling plan

- This is one of the most common mistakes committed by most homeowners. There are times when a homeowner notices the faded paint of a room, or the damaged blocks in a certain part of a home. Then and there, he decides to have the room or that part destroyed as he wants to convert it into open concept. He contacts a builder to destroy the room and when the job is finished, he finds out that turning the room or area into open concept can cause problems in the overall structure of the house. 

By failing to create a remodeling plan, the homeowner has just destroyed a still-useful room and expended money in the process. He now has to spend more 

3. Selecting a contractor and starting the remodeling project without researching on the reputation of such contractor 
- Any homeowner who hires a contractor should make sure he gets referrals for the contractor. If not, he should check on the background and work ethics of the contractor to make sure that he gets his remodeling project done quickly and efficiently. There are homeowners who are so excited about their home remodeling project that they commit the mistake of hiring a contractor without knowing his background. This can cost the homeowner a lot in terms of time and money especially if the contractor produces inferior work or leaves the work without finishing the remodeling project.

4. Embarking on a very expensive and impractical remodeling project making it impossible to resell the house at a profit

- Some homeowners become overzealous when starting a home remodeling project that they commit the mistake of spending more on the remodeling project than what is reasonable. Sometimes the expenses for the remodeling project becomes too much that the owner can no longer resell at a price within the range of the real estate rates in the community. Of course, if the home is an inherited home and the homeowner intends to preserve the home to his family for a long time, then such expenses may be justified. 

5. Veering away from classic design and turning to color and design trends when remodeling a home

- It is always good to keep up with the times especially when remodeling a home but following the trend too much can cost the homeowner in the end. Classic home designs are still the ideal for home remodeling projects because such designs never go out of style. Following a certain color trend or design that will last only for one or two years will require another home renovation project when the trend has passed.

The goal of home remodeling will always be to improve the value of the home for whatever purpose. To achieve this goal, homeowners should consider the 5 common home remodeling mistakes and avoid them at all cost.

What's Consider To Be A Home Improvement Project?

What Do You Consider To Be A Home 

Improvement Project

Home Improvement is a popular tem these days but what is it really? What does a project have to include to be termed a home improvement project? Home improvement can be anything from just repainting or wallpapering a bathroom or kitchen to a total home remodel and makeover. Any home improvement project can be shared with everyone in the home taking on some responsibility in the event.

There is no reason to pay contractors the outrageous rates they charge when you have able bodied people in the house to help out. I know what you are going to say, "I can't even get my teenager to take out the trash!", but when you give them the choice of helping or selling everything in their room to help pay for a contractor they will change their tune! You will find that family and friends may be willing to help as well, kind of like people used to pitch in back in the day.

Whenever you are thinking about starting a home improvement project you should talk to everyone in the house about it because the turmoil and disruption concerns everyone. Some projects like painting are easy enough that anyone can do them. All you have to do is protect against spills and make sure you don't get paint on items you don't want painted. Often you can repaint and entire home in just a few days. A fresh new color can go a long way to changing the look of a house.

If you are planning a large project that requires carpentry skills and renovation of rooms then you may have no choice but to hire a contractor unless you are skilled in that area, try The Trades Network for any tradesperson. Another consideration is money, do you have enough money to pay cash for the project or will it require financing?

If you are seeking out help from friends and relatives for your home improvement project don't even bother calling up those that don't take care of their own house. If they don't care about their stuff they surely won't care about yours and all they will do is sit around and drink beer giving arm chair advice and criticism. You should schedule a home improvement project so that you can complete it during a short vacation or long weekend.

Another thing to consider is storage. If you are remodeling your home and need to empty a room, where are you going to put everything? If you are like me, your garage is already full. You should consider getting a temporary storage container. If you think that you could possible reorganize the garage you may want to buy some garage storage containers to help you with the organization and make room for the items you need to remove in the house.

Couch Surfing USA!

Whether you live in New York City or not, the couch is still the central part of the living room. The design and flow of your living room or den is largely decided by the placement, size and color of your couch, not to mention the fact that the couch tends to be where most family members cool out after their workday. Okay, so the function of the couch as nap headquarters, make-out central and the place where your status as King/Queen Couch Potato is solidified is a bit more easy to figure than the design and flow (a term I still grapple with) of your living room but for the more in-the-know home owner, this is a large facet of how your home will look to visiting friends and family. Here are some things to look out for when choosing your next couch.

What Do You Do There? – For many, this is a given. The couch is largely a utility for relaxing and watching your DVR. There are others, however, who think of it like a nook, a small place to read a book with some sunlight; some people don’t even want a TV in their living room. Any NYC handyman will tell you that your television can be positioned nearly anywhere in the living room, so think more about light in this case. If you use it more for naps, try to get it away from the light; if you have kids, keep it away from the center of the room and allow them some room to roll around and play. Also, be aware, most NYC electricians can help you with your lighting to ensure that your space looks exactly how you’d like. 

What Look Are You Going For? – The regular three-cushion look is the most popular and its classic for a good reason. It optimizes your space and is the perfect size for couples with or without kids. There’s also the L-shape one (see below) which makes a cozy piece for the corner of the room and may be a better choice for bigger families and those who entertain more often. Configurations matter a lot here, so take measurements and consider the size of the area before deciding on what you want to pay for.

What’s The Mood of Your Room? – It pains me to write that rooms do indeed have moods. If your walls are a lighter (yellow or white), you’ll want to look for more pronounced, bold colors like reds and greens. If you have darker walls, you can either go darker with a dark brown/chestnut look or perhaps a nice, dark blue. You could also go for something lighter, even white, though I am hesitant to suggest such things as this can be a problem if you eat on your couch often and stains are a real possibility.

What Makes You Comfortable? – When you’re younger, you suffer with futons, allowing a perfect crash location for your drunk friends or visitors. As you get older, your tastes change (maybe) and you start thinking more about sitting down for a meal with a significant other, a beloved pet, your child or your closest friends. Do you like to sink into your couch or do you like a firm seat? Test out different fillings and see what suits you. Equally important is the choice of fabric. If you like a smoother surface, leather might be the best choice, though then its fickle to weather and makes odd noises. So then, maybe something more textured would be a better fit for you. Talk to your local furniture store salesman and they’ll help you with this as well.

In this particular fashion, I am deeply old-fashioned. Give me a comfortable couch that I can sink into and watch an old movie on TCM with, and it could be a polka dot couch for all I care. That being said, walking into a beautifully laid out living room, as my girlfriend and I did a few weeks ago while visiting relatives, creates its own comfort and atmosphere off the bat. This is all to say, once again, the importance of the stuff above is subjective to your needs as a homeowner. Act accordingly.  

NYC Apartments: Cleaning Out the Clutter

Eliminating clutter in a New York City apartment has always been a matter of organization and preparation, with a handful of perceivably hard decisions that turn out to be simple once you really think about it.  It’s easy to say “I’ll clean it up later” and chill out with some television and a cocktail instead of taking five minutes to put things where they belong. But then a few weeks go by, your office looks like the remnants of a ticker-tape parade, you’d have to put on hiking boots to reach the top of the mountains of dirty clothes, the leftovers from Gino’s gains a pulse and you have to whack at things with a machete to get more than a foot into your closet.

Okay, so maybe I’m employing hyperbole but organization of time, amongst other things, is crucial to having a clear, uncluttered NYC apartment that you can look forward to showing off. Not only does the organization of an apartment create a clean aesthetic for you to live in, but it has also been proven to help one’s psychological outlook and confidence.  Here are some easy tips to keep your apartment clean, neat and well managed.

·          Paper & Bills: In the age of the green movement, this is less of a problem, or at least that’s what you’d hope. The fact of the matter is that a lot of people still receive huge amounts of their mail and bills in physical form on paper. This can lead to a lot of clutter but can be avoided easily with a set of magazine holders, an in & out rack for your desk and a small filing cabinet for copies, forms and other loose papers. Make it a routine of separating your stuff out and filing it away when you get home.

·         Junk & Trinkets: Junk drawers beget apartments full of junk; it’s an attitude that everything will eventually have a use or holds some indeterminable sentimental value. Having a few nostalgic but ostensibly useless trinkets is fine but if you start collecting every little scrap, things could get messy quick. Set a Sunday aside to look through your drawers three or four times a year, to make sure nothing gets out of control.

·         Clothing: I’m expecting some sort of hate mail for this but most people have a good portion of clothes that they never really use, the storage of which takes up a lot of room at times. Take a day by yourself or with your partner to go through your wardrobe and pick out stuff that you simply don’t wear anymore. Get a friend to help: they’ll be able to tell you if you wear certain outfits regularly, if you don’t remember. This will clear out your closets and allow you to get a good sense of how you want to store articles of clothing.

·        Storage: I can’t stress enough how important and beneficial solid system of organized storage is to having a tidy home. Look for furniture that offers storage (coffee tables with drawers, beds with space underneath etc.) and consider getting some shelves put in your living room, bedroom, bathroom and, especially, the kitchen. Use labels, if it helps, but know where things belong and try to find places for loose items. This will all make it easier to attain a sense of open space, something that always garners compliments and fosters a healthy outlook.

As you might have guessed, storage is one of my more passionate issues when it comes to design and organization in the home. I’ll be talking more about how to use storage in a NYC apartment in the future, talking about things you can undertake with one of your local New York City handymen for advance apartment options. All this being said, it’s important to also give yourself time to do all of these things, to have some sort of schedule or routine in each case, which is something many people find rigid and bothersome. Maybe it is, but doing something that you may not find incredibly enthralling is part of owning your own space and being in charge of your adult life. Also, eat your vegetables and call your mother, she worries.  

Furnace Tips You Should Know About In Canada

What You Ought To Know About Furnaces In Canada
 by: Addison Colb

Natural or gas from an outdoors source is piped towards the furnace where it's burned to create warmth. Often a fan-driven forced-air distribution system blows the warmed air through ductwork that vent in to the various rooms of the home. Older gas furnaces make use of a standing-pilot ignition. Maintenance involves turning from the pilot each spring and relighting it each fall. More recent, more effective gas furnaces make use of an electric spark to light the gas as necessary. 

So What Can Fail? 

Most gas furnaces are very reliable. Do you know the signs and symptoms of problems? The furnace might not produce warmth or might not produce enough warmth. The pilot light might go out frequently or won't light. The thermocouple might be faulty. The pilot may sensational looking not ignite the burners. The furnace might be noisy. You will find some maintenance along with a couple of minor repairs that you could make. However, major service ought to be left to some trained specialist. 

Fix-It Tips

To reduce issues with your gas furnace, take some time every month to determine the air conditioning filter and clean or change it if required (make sure your filter is the right size for the furnace). Annually, clean the blower rotor blades, lubricate the blower motor, and inspect the belt. 

How Do I Identify the issue? 


If there's no heat, look into the electrical service panel for any burned fuse or tripped breaker. Relight the pilot light. 

If there's insufficient warmth, adjust the burners air shutter (see below) and clean the burners ports (see below). 

When the pilot light doesn't light or doesn't stay lit, clean the pilot hole carefully having a toothpick, test the thermocouple and change it if it's faulty.

When the flame flickers, adjust the pilot (see below). 

If there's an overflowing seem once the burners ignites, adjust the pilot to some greater setting and clean the pilot hole and also the burners ports. 

When the burners takes greater than a couple of seconds to ignite, clean the pilot hole and adjust the pilot light. 

When the burners flame is uneven, clean the burners ports. When the burners flame is extremely yellow, clean the burners open vents within the furnace room to supply more air adjust the burners air shutter. 

When the air is simply too dry, clean or replace the evaporator pad for those who have a humidifier test the humidistat and adjust water-level float to boost water level. 

If some rooms are extremely cold yet others too warm, the distribution system may need balancing. 

This maybe the time to call an expert heating and mechanical contractor. 


Find one now at www.TheTradesNetwork.com

Getting the Best Deal on Your Home Improvements

By Craig R Cole

There aren't many families out their at the moment that have a great deal of disposable cash floating about. The global recession has meant that everyone is watching their money more closely than ever.

Some jobs just can't be put off however. If for example you need to fit a new door to your property, then it is not the kind of project you can put on the back burner - if it needs replacing then that's all there is to it. As any homeowner knows, it's worth paying for a good company to carry out work on your property, but that does not mean you need to pay over the odds. By shopping around and asking for quotes from a number of companies, you greatly increase your chances of getting the best deal that is available.

At one time, the only way to find building companies in your area was to pick up the yellow pages, circle a few local firms and start making calls. Not only is this time consuming but you really limit yourself by only making contact with a fraction of the companies that are out there that are qualified to carry out work on your home.

Thankfully, the internet has changed the way we find workmen forever. Many businesses now have their own website, but even this way of contacting firms can take time. That's where online price comparison sites come into their own. There's also internet companies that are dedicated to finding the best Tradesmen and contractors for your improvement project, just post your job and get matched at TheTradesNetwork.

You don't need to go near a phone, in fact all you need to do is fill out a quote form and your requirements will be automatically forwarded to a list of approved suppliers in your area who will be happy to provide you with quotes. Stress free and easy, using a price comparison can certainly save you an enormous amount of time and will most likely leave more money in your pocket.

When the time comes around to carry out improvements to your property, then make sure you don't pay over the odds. Log onto the internet and search for The Trades Network.