Florida Homebuilder Centerline Homes | Real Estate Blog

Here are 10 Fall Home Maintenance Tips

1. Roof: Check the roof and around vents, skylights, and chimneys for leaks. Repair as necessary.
2. Attic: If there is no ridge vent, keep gable vents open year-round to ensure proper ventilation.
3. Gutters: Clean the gutters and drain pipes so leaves won't clog them and be sure they drain away from the house.
4. Filters: Remember to clean or replace filters once a month, or as needed. Check and clean the dryer vent, air conditioner, stove hood, and room fans. Keep heating and cooling vents clean and free from furniture and draperies.
5. Safety Equipment: Ensure that all smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers are in good working order. Replace batteries in appropriate devices as needed, or at least twice each year.
6. Refrigerator: Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, the latch may need to be adjusted or the seal may need to be replaced. In addition, if you have a coil-back refrigerator, vacuum the coils at least twice each year. Your refrigerator will run more efficiently with clean coils. Also, stock up! A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one.
7. Windows and Doors: Seal drafty doors and windows. If you added up all of the small cracks where heating and cooling escapes from a home, it would be the same as having a window open. Replace seals as needed.
8. Siding and Paint: Look for cracks and holes in house siding or paint. Replace caulk if necessary. A carpet knife can work well for cutting away old caulking from house siding. Slice down alongside it from both directions with the hook-like blade, then use the knife to lift out the old caulk bead intact.
9. Heating System: Have the heating system serviced. Change filters.
10. Hot Water Heater: Drain the hot water heater. Remove sediment from the bottom of the tank.

I Want My Home To Look Like A Model!

Quite often, visitors to model homes are heard to remark that they want their homes to look like a model home but have no idea how to achieve the look without hiring a professional decorator. Hiring a professional can be a budget-buster for many families.

There’s actually a simple trick that will enable anyone to get the look that they desire. When you see a beautifully merchandised model home or a photograph of a room that you really like, your brain is taking in the totality of everything within your line of vision. It can seem very overwhelming. Train yourself to look at the interior or photo that you like as layers.

Start with the paint on the walls. What color is it? Chances are that new paint is a cheap fix for any home and a great place to start your new look. That gives you a background.

Same logic applies with flooring. Maybe you can’t afford to change your flooring, but the addition of area rugs may give you the desired look. Again, build out from the walls in layers. What type of furniture did they use? What type of artwork have they used?

Lastly, look at the accessories that were used. Chances are that you’ll be able to find items that are similar in size and color at one of the many home interior stores such as; Ikea, Old-Time Carolina Pottery, Homegoods and Target.

By breaking your dream look down into manageable bites, you’ll be surprised at how much your home really can look like a model home – regardless of your budget.

www.CenterlineHomes.com

A couple of the biggest lawn care issues in South Florida are the high heat and lack of water. These problems are compounded by watering restrictions in most areas. Know the local laws from the City, State and county when it comes to water use and make a plan to work within them to develop deep roots and a heat-tolerant lawn. Providing the lawn year-round care will help it holdup to the South Florida climate.

Selecting the proper heat and drought tolerant grass is very important.  Not all grasses will stand up to the heat of South Florida summers. Common grasses used are St. Augustine grass, Zoysia grass, Bahia grass and Bermuda grass which are all heat tolerant and well suited for South Florida heat. You should always consult with a local professional when choosing a grass for your area and yard.

Water is an issue in South Florida because of the hot, dry weather and watering restrictions in most areas. Grass needs frequent watering during the hot summer months which fortunalty is the rainy season here.  A good strategy is to water only when necessary, but this often isn't possible due to assigned watering days during restricted times. Watering deeply and less frequently encourages the roots to grow deeper and helps the plant tolerate drought and heat better. Water in the morning when the plants are actively taking in water. In the heat of the day, more water is lost to evaporation and at night the water stays on the foliage longer and may encourage fungal diseases. Give the lawn approximately 3/4 inch of water in the morning one day a week. Increase watering to two days per week during the hottest parts of the summer. A good indicator is to look for your footprints when you walk across the lawn. If your footprints are visible, the lawn needs water.

Selecting the Correct Fertilizer is important and again consulting a local professional is always a good idea.  Many suggest using a high nitrogen fertilizer on the lawn during the spring through fall but you should not use fertilizer during periods of drought. Broadcast fertilizer on dry grass and water immediately after. Fertilizers with some or all of the nitrogen available in a time-release form are best. Supplement the lawn with an iron spray if the soil pH is greater than 7.0.

Control Weeds by using herbicides that are labeled for the specific grass variety you have to prevent weeds. In south Florida, there are plenty of weeds like dollar weed that can be difficult to control.  Keep up with it and dont let the growth overwhelm your grass.  Keeping the lawn thick and healthy can help reduce weed issues.  You may apply pre-emergent herbicides late January or early February. Use post-emergent herbicides throughout the summer, whenever the temperature is below 85 degrees F and the grass has been receiving plenty of moisture.

Control Insects in your lawn.  Chinch bugs are a major source of damage to South Florida lawns, causing yellowing, browning and eventually dead spots in the grass. Check for chinch bugs by cutting both ends off of a metal coffee can and pushing it halfway into the ground at the edge of a suspected area. Fill with water and wait five minutes. The beetle-like chinch bugs will float up to the surface of the water. Control chinch bugs with repeated applications of insecticide.  You may also have fireants to contend with.  Red imported fire ants are pests of urban, agricultural and wildlife areas and can pose a serious health threat to plants and animals.  Make sure you treat them with the proper insecticides or hire a professional.

South Florida lawns need mowing year-round and during the summer you may find that mowing once or twice a week is required. IYou will find that in the winter months which is also the dry season, mowing every few weeks will typically be adaquate. Never remove more than 1/3 of the blade in a single mowing. Mow long grass tall, then mow shorter a few days later.

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Getting Ready to Paint The Inside of Your Home

You always hear about preparation being important and trust me, it is.  Preparing the room before beginning your painting project not only makes it easier and faster for you to paint, it also protects your new home from the inevitable spills, splatters and runs.

Start by removing all the obvious items in the room

1. Remove draperies, pictures, mirrors, area rugs, hardware (if possible), and switch and receptacle cover plates.
2. Move all furniture to the center of the room or the room, if possible. Cover all furniture with drop cloths.
3. Tape off woodwork and tape down plastic drop cloths. 
4. Wrap plastic around light fixtures, and use masking tape to cover any hardware you can't remove. 
5. Open a window or door to ensure good ventilation.
6. Clean the surface as needed.
7. Gaps between walls, ceilings, crown moldings and other interior trim can be filled with the appropriate caulk after priming the surface.

Now For the Basic Tool Review.  Yes, most of you have probably done this a time or two but many new home owners haven't ever picked up a brush.

Using a Paint Brush

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With Memorial Day coming up this weekend many people are dragging out their grills for the first time this season.  Fortunately for us here in Florida we’ve been grilling all year long and we know a clean grill is a big part of great grilling. Yesterday's fresh Caribbean fish won't taste good on today's juicy steak. Seafood is particularly notorious for adding unwanted flavors to your grill grate. A dirty grate also can make your meats stick, especially fish. You can avoid that situation altogether by cooking fish dishes, like dolphin, on foil placed on top of the grate. You can also buy pans and grates that are specifically made for grilling which will aid in cooking these items. They have holes on the bottom that allow the flames to lick the meat, so you still get that fresh grilled taste, and wooden handles that don't conduct heat.

Here are a few other tips for cleaning your grill
Use a brass-bristled wire brush. When the grates are still hot, clean the food grates with the brush. Since brass bristles are made with sturdy materials, it can be used to perform a thorough cleaning without scratching the grates. You do not have to clean the brass-bristled brush afterwards; you can simply hang it on the grill. If you don’t own a brass-bristled brush, you can use aluminum foil and crush it into a ball. To clean the grates, use a thong to hold the foil ball and simply scrub the grill grates completely.

Spraying or rubbing a light coating of olive oil your grill grate is a good way to keep meats from sticking to it.  And after you grill use a good wire grill scrubber and then coat the entire grate with olive oil. Then use a scrub brush or grill scraper to remove the rest of the caked-on food and spice. Then simply rinse the grate with water and your grill is nice and clean. You can remove the grates and do it in the yard to prevent a wet mess in your grill tray.

If you've let your grill get out of hand and it's coated in cooked-on food, you may need to remove the grate and take care of it with some soap and water. If you don’t grill year round like most of us here in Florida this is always a good idea to do at the end of your grilling season.  If your sink is big enough, you can use it for to soak the grates otherwise you'll need to use washtub or plastic bin.   Fill the sink or bin with warm soapy dish washing liquid and let the grates soak for at least a couple hours. The longer you soak it, the easier it will be to get the gunk off. After the soak, remove the grate and scrub it with a stiff wire brush, rinse it and let dry. Make sure you never use any harsh chemicals like bleach or a chlorine powder. After all, this is what you cook your food on. You can also look for an all-natural, chemical-free liquid soap for your soak.

Make sure to inspect the grates regularly. If the grate becomes very thin or sags excessively, it may be time to replace it with new gas grill grates sized to your particular model. Maintaining your gas grill starts with cleaning your grates. As long as you make these tips a routine, you’ll probably double the life of your gas grill.

Always schedule a yearly or bi-annual (for heavy grilling) cleaning and checkup for your gas grill.

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