Q  -  I know you do a lot in design work, so what are some very basic DESIGN 101 tips for a novice like me who appreciates a well thought out home?

Jenn – La Porte

A  -  The most important item in a tool box, a tape measure, and some design tips can go a long ways in helping you tosuccessfully appoint any room.

Q  -  I have really enjoyed your past articles about recycling and hidden chemicals in our homes.  I wondered if you had more information on the topic?

Q  -  We got rid of our console TV (tin foil wrapped rabbit ears and all) a few years ago and bought a flat-screen model.  I love it, but my wife still thinks it is too big and too obvious in our living room.  I want to surprise her for a birthday gift and find a way to make it blend into our room more.

Jack – Chicago

A  -  “Foil wrapped rabbit ears”…lol… I loved reading your email Jack.

Remember when we treated our TVs like dirty little secrets, hiding them away in armoires where they couldn’t be seen, an embarrassing fact of life that was best concealed? Who could blame us? Those hulking, unsightly boxes were a decorating buzz-kill, marring the landscape of a room with their behemoth presence, trailing a constellation of cable boxes and VCRs, twists of spaghetti-like wires going everywhere.

Today’s sleek, svelte and stylish flat-screen TVs can actually add to your home décor. The secret to decorating effectively with flat-screen TVs is to incorporate them into existing displays so they become just another element in the room.

Back in the day, there was an official “TV room” in a home, and the entire floor plan was arranged so you could view the TV. That’s still true in media rooms. But now that you’ll find TVs in nearly every room of the home — tucked up under a kitchen cabinet, out on the patio, on a vanity in the bathroom or even imbedded in the medicine cabinet mirror — they are no longer the stars of the show. Instead of being the undisputed focal point, TVs are now simply part of the room.

I think TVs look best when they simply melt into the room, nestled in so they are indistinguishable from other elements. In fact, they are most effective when they seem like an afterthought, just quietly included in a grouping of art or accents, part of a display but not the main attraction. One of the best ways to achieve this is to surround them with beauty.

Since flat screens are so thin and small, you can decorate with them just as you might with a piece of framed art. Some people like to hang their TV over the mantel. Others hang them on an empty wall, centered over a console table or an accent shelf. My favorite treatment is to include the TV in a lovely montage of artwork. When the TV is off, the grouping looks beautiful and complete, and the black rectangle is hardly noticeable for the beauty of the overall display. When the TV is on, the artwork recedes into the background.

Another great benefit of today’s super skinny TVs is that they can be placed on top of just about any table you like, so we are no longer tethered to those oversized armoires or chunky stands.

They can also be totally hidden behind artwork that can be adapted to slide up, down or to the side; or hinged to swing open to reveal the screen.

I really like the look of a small flat-screen TV on the shelf of a bookcase or hutch. If that’s an attractive option to you, set up your TV on one of the midrange shelves then decorate the remaining shelves just as you normally would, filling in with books, artwork and accents. The TV will be inconspicuous, just another feature in the display.

Q  -  I’m handy around the house, but I may have reached my limit.  I recently attempted to install crown molding and the job has been half done for months.  So many angles, so many cuts, carrying 12′ pieces of trim up an down my ladder, loose joints, etc…   It is the most frustrating DIY job I have ever attempted.  Any tips?

Ron – La Porte

A  -  Buyers of newly constructed homes have been conditioned to settle for the stripped-down model of “Home, Sweet Home”  — houses lacking in crafted detail.  Missing, among other things, are the gracious moldings that bring a timeless sophistication to any room. Primary among these is crown molding.

The good news: Crown molding can be added without a big bill from the lumberyard or clouds of drywall dust.
Installing crown molding, however, is a task that strikes fear in the heart of every amateur carpenter—and even some pros. Because it sits at an angle on the wall, each joint is made of compound angles. Getting it right requires a lot of patience, an aptitude for spatial relations, and a few tricks I’ve learned over the years will help also.

There are some basic rules for installing crown molding that you can pick up anywhere, but the little tricks are what will help you keep your sanity and prevent your tape measure from being hurled through the closest window.

For one thing, I rarely pick up a tape measure.  I prefer marking my cuts in place whenever possible.  Measuring leaves you open to miscalculations, and even the slightest sag in a tape measure can cause you to re-cut.

I never lay the crown molding flat to cut it as I would for a chair rail or baseboard. Cutting crown flat, though it might seem easier, requires a saw that lets you tilt the blade (for the bevel) and rotate it (for the miter angle). You also need a set of tables to know the correct angles for the cuts.
Instead, use a simple power miter saw and arrange the material so it sits against the saw fence at the same angle it will be nailed to the wall.
Although the molding has to be upside down in this method, a simple downward cut of the blade set at 45 degrees produces the perfect bevel and miter at once, as you’ll see.

Once the first corner cut is made, you’ll need to join 2 crown pieces end to end now, or at some point during the installation.  The best way to do this is NOT with two 90-degree cuts (a butt joint) but rather with two 45-degree opposite cuts (known as a scarph or scarf joint).  Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the scarf joint on the molding that’s now nailed in place. Install the adjoining piece of crown so it creates a tight- fit.
Fasten the second piece with finish nails top and bottom, and wipe away any glue from the scarf joint.
After the glue dries, use 100-grit sandpaper to sand the joint smooth.

An outside corner can be formed by cutting two pieces of crown with opposite miters of 45 degrees each, making sure both miters are longer on the top of the crown (the part that rests on the saw table when you cut). But most of the time the outside corner isn’t exactly square due to corner beads and plaster, so you must first measure the angle formed by the two walls and then bisect it, or divide it by 2.
To do this, take two pieces of wood (I usually use scraps of 1×4) of exactly the same width and hold one against each wall, making sure their ends overlap by an inch or so.
Next, draw pencil lines on the face of the upper piece (the one held flat to the ceiling) alongside each edge of the overlapping piece.
Draw a diagonal line to connect two opposite corners of the marks.
Turn the pieces so they are stacked precisely one on top of the other (make sure to put the piece with the pencil lines on top). Then take this stack to the miter saw, put one set of the boards’ edges against the saw fence, and adjust the blade angle to match the diagonal line.
Saw through both pieces at the same time along the diagonal line. This cut bisects the angle of the outside corner.
Hold the cut pieces against the ceiling and check for a tight fit. If necessary, mark in which direction the angle is off, adjust the saw to match this corrected angle, reassemble the two boards as before, and cut them. Then test again to be sure.
This trick allows you to easily make tests and adjustments using short lumber scraps and not long pieces of molding and will make the job much easier.

Mount a piece of crown in the saw (upside down as before), leaving the blade set to the angle used to cut the test scrap. This is the angle you’ll use to cut the outside corner.
Because the molding is upside down, if the saw blade is swung to the right, you will be cutting the right-half piece of the joint and you’ll need to cut off the right end of the workpiece. If the blade is swung to the left, cut off the left end of the workpiece to complete the left half of the joint.
Once you’ve cut the first piece, use the test scrap to adjust the blade in the opposite direction and cut the other half of the joint.
Hold the molding pieces in position at the outside corner and check for a tight fit (left).
Before nailing the molding to the wall, bore two pilot holes through the point of the miter joint. A 4d finish nail chucked into your drill works well here.
Then apply glue to the miter joint and fasten each piece of crown with 6d or 8d finish nails top and bottom.
At the corner joint, tap 4d finish nails through the pilot holes.
Set, all the nails. Wood putty and sand, prime, paint…. and enjoy!

Q  -  We enjoy reading your column and usually get a Monday morning laugh out of it too.  Currently, we are planning a kitchen remodel in the Spring, but have been surprised at the wide range of cabinet prices.  How do we know we are getting good quality for a fair price?

Ann – Michigan City

A  -  Yep, there is a wide range of price and quality out there.  Historically, a correlation between price and quality existed, but not so much anymore.

Cabinetry ranges from builder-grade or stock cabinets, through semi-custom to fully customized.

Responding to consumer demands, the manufacturers now offer ‘more-for-less’… or so they say.

Confusing the situation even more for consumers are the RTA (ready to assemble) cabinets from countries using cheaper labor and materials.  Many U.S. cabinet makers complain that it’s hard to even compete with RTA lines because these are often made with materials which U.S. companies are not allowed to use for safety and environmental reasons.

Do you really want to keep your family’s food in a wooden box made from chemically treated wood and glues that are illegal to use here?

Try to look for a Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) seal.  Ask where and how the cabinets are manufactured.  And ask if there is documentation that the materials are safe.

Q  -  Every winter, I hear about chimney fires, or house fires that start in the chimney.  Do all chimneys need to be cleaned annually?

Ed – New Buffalo

A  -  Each year, 27,000 house fires start in the chimney or fireplace, and nearly 16,000 fires begin in clothes driers.  These are the top two sources for home fire damage and that means roughly 43,000 house fires per year could easily be prevented.

It’s recommended that all chimneys and dryer vents be inspected at least annually.  Many homeowners think their chimney only needs to be cleaned and inspected if they burn wood in their fireplaces or wood stoves.  But most all heating appliances, whether they burn gas, oil, wood or coal, rely on the chimney to safely carry toxic gases out of the home.

If you DIY an inspection, look for cracks and loose morter, and morter debris at the base of the all chimneys.  If you have a wood or coal source, an inspector will also look for creosote buildup.

Lint and other debris can build up in the clothes dryer hoses and vents.  This can also create potentially hazardous conditions including carbon monoxide in the home and the possibility for an exhaust fire.

When a homeowner is shifting into winter or summer home-prep mode, they tend to focus on what can be seen, like garages, gardens, gutters, water hoses/spigots, etc…  But I usually suggest that they add these ‘hidden’ hazards to the list.

Q  -  Here’s a generic question for you that might be of interest many of your readers:  How can I save money around my home (especially with the recent NIPSCO rate increases)?

Tom – South Bend

A  -  Great question.  So here’s my list…

* Service your heating system every year. It’s the best money you’ll spend. The cost for a typical service call to clean the unit and change filters in both the furnace and humidifier on average is between $85-$100, depending on where you live.

* Install a programmable thermostat. This is a must. There are many different brands on the market that range in price from $50-$125. You can program it to lower the temperature while you’re at work or sleeping and save up to 30-percent in a well insulated home. What’s more, outdated thermostats are the weakest link in conserving energy.

According to the government’s Energy Information Administration, only about 11% of U.S. homes are equipped with modern programmable thermostats. Honeywell®, a leader in control technology, estimates that homeowners can receive one to three months of free heating and cooling by installing a programmable thermostat. What are you waiting for?

* Add weather stripping around windows and doors. This is certainly a project that any homeowner can do. This also has a real impact on drafts and conserving energy. Door thresholds, window caulking, and plastic window film can go a long way in saving your money this winter. If you live in a drafty home, you could save up to 20% with an investment of as little as $25. I’m a huge fan of the removable window caulks called Peel-n-Seal and Wind-Jammer that can be pulled away cleanly and easily in the spring.

* If you are replacing your front door consider a fiberglass unit. These not only look great but have a higher insulating performance than traditional wood or steel doors.

* Utilize or install ceiling fans in your home. Remember learning that heat rises in physics class? Well, running the fans slowly and in reverse will keep that warm air circulating and keep you more comfortable.  The time your furnace runs will reduce, and so will your monthly energy bill.

* Check the arrangement of your furniture. (Really!)  Many times people put couches and chairs over vents and in front of baseboard radiators; this action decreases the efficiency of the units and causes your heating system to run longer

* Consider installing a tankless-water heater. I am the unofficial drumbeater for these things.  This technology has been around for almost 70 years. Now units are less expensive and can save you hundreds of dollars each year. How? They create hot water on demand so there’s no stored water needing to be continuously heated. (Think about when you’re away or asleep.) Cost? A small unit that will produce about 3.3 gallons of hot water continuously is around $500-$700, a standard 50 gallon tank heater cost around $300.00. But you’ll recoup the cost increase in just three years, and then the savings keeps coming.

What’s more, standard water heaters tend to reduce in efficiency as time goes on. A seven-year-old tank heater runs at about 60% efficiency. While a tank-less heater of the same age runs at about 70-75% the limitations? Multiple fixtures can’t run at the same time, making it difficult to run your washing machine and take a shower simultaneously. But the savings are really worth it. Trust me. For more information, check out www.controlledenergy.com

* Consider using compact florescent light bulbs or CFL’s. These bulbs give off the same amount of light but use a third of the energy and many will last up to 5 years. Electric companies across the country say that by replacing the five most used regular light bulbs in your home with CFL’s you can save up to $60.00 a year on your electric bill.

* Install thermo-pane windows in your home. You’ll increase your home’s energy efficiency up to 70%. Multi-pane windows can have R-values of as high as 9.1. The higher the R-value, the more resistant the glass is to losing heat. Conversely, your typical single pane glass has an R-value of 1.9.

* Make sure your ceilings and attic are properly insulated. Heat rises, and if there isn’t enough insulation in the space above, your money is going out the roof. Literally. Most ceilings and attic spaces should have at least an R-30 rating, although some areas of the country recommend an R-40-50 rating. 10.

* Let the sun be your guide. Why not? It’s free energy. During the day, open up those drapes and blinds and let that sun heat your home. At night draw the curtains to keep the heat inside.

BONUS TIP:A small label can save you big money. Look for the energy star label on your appliances, easily found on washing machines, computers and stereo equipment. This label means the department of energy and the EPA have deemed these products as energy efficient. Hope you use these tips and products to help you keep more heat in your home and, ultimately, more money in your bank.