Charles and Hudson

Tips for Simple Deck Staining

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:16:37 -0800

Spring is a popular time to stain the deck, fence or other wood in your backyard. Keep the task simple and buy a good quality stain to have the best looking wood in the neighborhood.

Timing Is Key
Make sure that you will have decent weather for the duration of the project. Most brands recommend looking for 24 hours of a steady temperature above 41 degrees Fahrenheit with no forecasted precipitation.

How To Shut Off the Gas in an Emergency

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:14:10 -0800

In case of an emergency you should know how to turn off the gas in your home from the meter. The following steps will show you how.

Step 1. It is important to know exactly where your gas meter is located (See above image) so that in the event of an emergency, you know how to shut it off.

* DO NOT turn off your meter unless you smell gas, hear the sound of gas escaping or see other signs of a leak.

Step 2. As you face the meter, you will see a pipe running from the ground to the meter. There is a shut-off valve running parallel with the pipe usually located about 6 to 8 inches above the ground.

Shake Winter Off of Your Deck or Patio

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:03:10 -0800

When spring comes and the snow melts away, dirt and grime are bound to be left behind. Pick a sunny day and get outside to give the deck or patio a good cleaning.

Make sure that the temperature is high enough to avoid freezing the diluted cleaning solution.

1) Gently clear away any remaining ice or snow patches on the patio with a broom or plastic shovel. This will remove any heavy debris as well, leaving just the stains and build up from the snow.

2) Buy a concentrated cleaner that works for both wood and concrete for the most versatility. Dilute the solution as per the instructions on the bottle.

3) Using a shop broom or a long handled scrub brush, clean the deck or patio surface. Start from one side and move all of the way across. The cleaning solution will likely foam a little (like soap) and the liquid in the bucket will get dirty faster than you think. Change up to clean solution as you feel the need to. Most brands will clean between 100 - 200 square feet of surface with each mix.

Introducing Our New Blogs

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:04:30 -0800

We're pleased to announce the launch of 5 more blogs which will focus on Kitchens, Paint, Green Building, Tools and Home Security.

The depth of these categories is huge so we felt they needed their own websites.

You can reach these other blogs from the navigation bar at the very top of the page and don't forget the content on every blog is also segmented into specific categories which you'll find along the right-hand side of the website.

We can now offer direct advertising opportunities across our entire network or on a single blog within the network.

We'd like to thank Maggie Hong of Pixrelated for creating our great crest logos and Chad Everett for his Movable Type mastery in developing the back-end of our blogs.

We'd also like to thank our bevy of bloggers who pump out great content on a daily basis, Katy Ryan, Tabatha Muntzinger, Laura Serino, Diana Dart, Deren Monday and Jennifer Volland. You can also check out the rest of our team here.

If you're interested in blogging for Charles & Hudson or have a product or service announcement you think would be a great fit for our home improvement blog network please contact us.

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy our new blogs.

Extreme Curb Appeal, Part 2: Can (or should) Vinyl Siding Become Brick?

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:32:26 -0800

When you talk about curb appeal and changing the exterior of your home, usually simple things like landscaping, fencing, and walkways come to mind. However, have you ever thought about what it would take to dramatically change the exterior facade of your home? Well, I have, and I'd like to share a series of posts on what it would take to do just that.

As I was looking at other homes whose exteriors I covet for inspiration for an exterior renovation of my own home (there's a great slideshow from Better Homes & Gardens here), I noticed one strong, unfailing trend ... brick exteriors, usually painted. I found this development kind of depressing because my 112 year old house has vinyl siding -- and after a damaged piece of it had to be removed, my dreams of their being some other material underneath were quickly dashed.

Massive Moves on DIY Network

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:40:35 -0800

We thought our move from NYC to LA was harsh. It took two full-vans to pack contents of a 1-bedroom apartment and 3000 sqft design studio. But everything went smoothly and two weeks later we had all of our stuff sans a broken lamp.

Tonight on DIY Network 11:30pm/10:30c the new show Massive Moves debuts. It should put anyone's moving nightmares in perspective.

Small Space Gardening with the Tomato Tower

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:00:35 -0800

When we first saw the Tomato Tower we instantly thought of the urban and small space applications. Gardening is a growing trend and eating organically is a priority for many people. You can't get more organic than eating fruits and vegetables that are grown from your own garden.

The issue many times is space. Apartment dwellers are lucky to get a deck and if they do there is really no space for planting vegetables. Herbs are typically the only choice.

The Tomato Tower creates a very small footprint and allows you to grow flowers or herbs from the top while tomato vines grow out of the bottom. You're getting two planters in one.

Heath Tile Overstock - One man's seconds is another man's treasure

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:57:30 -0800

Heath Ceramics is a Bay Area institution. The company's skilled craftsmen have been producing exquisite tableware and tile at the Sausalito factory for over 50 years. Lucky for us, they are only human. Because the tile is made-to-order, they often churn out pieces that don't pass Heath's strict standards and sell it at the factory store.

But, trust me, this is still an incredible find. Offered at 75% off retail, the overstock works particularly well for small installations (like the bathroom pictured here). Colors, sizes, and quantity vary daily so it pays to check the inventory list for current availability. And you must purchase in person, so if you don't live on the West Coast, it's a good excuse to start planning a trip.

Weedy Situation

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:03:40 -0800

I took a recent trip over to the L.A. Times home blog where Emily Green, author of The Dry Garden column, takes on a nasty topic: weeds. The topic of weeds reminds me of summer vacations and getting "punished" for who-knows-what. I can never remember why I'd get in trouble but the punishment was always the same - helping my Mother weed the garden.

I dreaded sticking my knees in the dirt, swatting at pesky insects and sweating in the sun as my Mother would shout at me to "pull by the roots!" For those of you that consider this task just as tedious as I, read on for some clever tips by Emily Green.

Though Green's tips are for those of you in the SoCal area of the country, a lot of what she says can be applied elsewhere.

Idea File: An Organized (and Stylish) Garage

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:00:00 -0800

Last week, we gave you a few ideas for late-winter maintenance including everyone's favorite task: garage cleaning!

But no matter how much you dread (or look forward to) garage cleaning and re-organization, leave it to Chicago-based blogger Nicole of Making It Lovely to transform a functional, utilitarian space into a chic retreat befitting your home improvement and gardening projects.

Extreme Curb Appeal, Part 1: Changing the Exterior of Your Home

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:57:25 -0800

After reading the Forbes list of the 10 must-haves for new homes, I began to think about how I could incorporate some of those attributes into my own home. Even though my house is 112 years old, that doesn't mean it can't hold a flame to the newer, cookie-cutter homes, and I'd like to make sure it's a real competitor when we go to sell it.

The one "must have" that kept popping up in the back of my head was the preference for some exterior materials over some others. Out were vinyl and stucco siding (my house has vinyl) and in are brick and stone. And I kept wondering, how on earth can I, just a lowly homeowner and renovator, make that work in my favor?

The Renovation Chain of Command

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:36 -0800

We've been following this great home renovation series from the Wall Street Journal as a tech editor, Julia Angwin, continues to renovate her Harlem Brownstone.

This week she shares a humbling experience regarding the chain of command when it comes to a renovation. It's a lesson learned and fortunately Julia's pride doesn't seem like it will hinder this project.

There is definitely something to be said for making executive decisions but also for letting your paid professionals make the decisions you've employed them to make. They know their subs and teams the best and will usually make decisions much faster and with more information than you as a homeowner could. But it also never hurts to follow up and check up on everything.

The Value of Second-Hand Furniture

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:24:40 -0800

A new series from BBC Two called Cracking Antiques, aims to show you how second-hand furniture and antiques could and should be a part of your own home decor.

IKEA and Pottery Barn are great but you'll never find pieces with the same character that you could discover at an antique market or used furniture shop. Minimalism and modern design has been the hot trend worldwide but many designers are looking way back to vintage furniture to infuse warmth and charm to contemporary spaces.

Flea Market Style, The Magazine

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:23:56 -0800

Today, the shelter-centered parts of my feedreader exploded with excitement and joy -- there was a new shelter magazine released! In the wake of such greats like Domino and Metropolitan Home being discontinued, it seems like a welcome reprieve to welcome a new contender to the ring.

So, without further ado, I introduce you to Flea Market Style, the magazine.

Created by Matthew Mead, a regular contributor to Better Homes & Gardens and Victoria magazines, and Ki Nassauer, the former editor and columnist of Country Home magazine, Flea Market Style is supposedly for both the scavenger/repurposer and the DIY crafter.

How to Repair Heaved Fence Posts

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:36:38 -0800

Winter can be rough on your fence. As the frost leaves the ground and you start to wander around the backyard, you may notice that some of your fence posts have moved around.

Is your fence leaning? Are their sections snapped off or threatening to? Does your gate take heavy machinery to open? All of these conditions are a result of frost heaving the concrete around the post and doing a number on your fence.

With some sweat, a sledge and a shovel, you can fix these up before the summer hits. Here's how.