Congratulations to Anne S. who was the 114 entry into the Malibu Solar Lamp Giveaway Contest. Anne wins a set of 2 premium solar accent lights! (For those interested, we decided to pick this winner using an online random number generator. Anne’s number was the first pulled).

We’re going to run another giveaway next week for a gift card to Home Depot. The contest rules will favor regular readers & commenters, so that even if a few online sites pick up the contest, our blog friends and regular readers have the best shot at winning!

Last night I took back the broken Melnor AquaTimer Duo.  I bought that timer last fall and it failed in about a week.  (If you’ve been following along, recall that this timer was the second Melnor Duo that failed).  Last night, I finally remembered to take the unit back to big orange.  I found the receipt but the box is ancient history.

The Melnor purchase was more than 90 days old. In fact, it was more than 8 months old, but Home Depot still issued me a store credit for the full purchase price of $42.  (Store credit is as good as cash to us).  They did ask for my drivers license, something other stores, including Target, have started doing to thwart return fraud. 

Most of the time, the big boys of home improvement take a lot of flak for not having products stocked, not having quality customer service, or being overpriced.  In the returns area, Home Depot really shines… if not only because if they didn’t, everyone would shop at Lowes.

What do you think?  Have you had a return experience that really stands out (good or bad)?

Image by Neubie.

P.S.  There’s still more time to enter the Malibu Solar Lamps Giveaway…  In case anyone has been watching the entry total and was as shocked as we were: the giveaway was picked up by a few online sweepstakes sites that have been funneling visitors here by the hundreds.  Unfortunately, most of them are just leaving a comment and heading on their way…

This issue has been the subject of much debate in our homeowners association lately, and I thought I’d post it here to get your take. Our current HOA guidelines require that all decks in the community be painted / stained in natural wood tones.  Newer composite materials are acceptable as long as they meet this guideline.  As with most communities with covenants, homeowners must submit proposed changes to the exteriors of their homes to an architectural committee.

As I mentioned in a prior post, the architectural committee that was just elected in our community has taken a more active approach in enforcing the community’s covenants.  About 15 houses in the community have porches or decks that are at least partly white (railings, or in some cases, the whole structure). Most of them didn’t realize they needed approval from the HOA to make changes to the exterior of their homes.  None of them realized that white was not an approved color for decks.  (And one claims that she had approval to build her deck… and I tend to believe her).

Our community is set in the woods.  Almost every home in the community backs to treed areas.  Some back up right to the state park.  I believe that the idea behind the rule was to make decks and porches “blend in” to the surroundings.  Of course, this rule was created in 1983, before newer composite materials came into style.  Now, white decks and railings are commonplace in newer communities in our area.   In some cases, contractors will only install a white railing if certain composite materials are used for the floor boards.  (This is apparently because the matching composite color is not manufactured for the railings).

The folks in violation of the covenants we’re given 30 days notice to remove or paint their white decks and railings.  Those who aren’t in compliance within 30 days will have the HOA will file a lien against their property.  Several of the folks that were cited are starting a petition to change the deck color rule to allow “natural wood tones or white.”  After thinking about this for a few weeks, I think this is the right move for the community - not because I want to change every rule that folks accidentally violate, but because many homeowners would like to install newer, composite decks with white railings or floor boards.  These decks look nice, add value to their properties, and thereby add value to all properties in the community.

What do You Think?  Would you vote for a change in the rule to allow white decks?  Have you found yourself on the wrong side of an HOA rule before?  What did you do?

Photo: Shadow on Deck by JasperYue.

I was born and raised just outside Baltimore, Maryland and continue to live nearby. Two years ago I was married to my beautiful wife Jocie (short for Jocelyn) and we purchased our first home. It’s an end unit, town home built in 1985. The house wasn’t in bad shape but we wanted to make it our own.

Growing up, my step-father was a very handy guy. I helped him with projects ranging from building a gazebo to laying shingle on the roof. It seemed like he was always planning something. And he was generous enough to teach me a few things along the way.

Now I look around my home and see projects that I can do rather than hiring someone. I like the work and being able to shape my home. I take a lot of pride from finishing a project. Some major milestones include remodeling my kitchen and master bathroom. I’ll write about them one of these days. We’ve painted just about every wall in our home and the hope to lay hardwood floors this summer(2008).

Some of the other things I love include listening to music (U2), playing Ultimate Frisbee, video games and technology in general.

I really enjoy blogging about my home improvement experiences. And I’ve gained plenty of know-how, discovered creative solutions and avoided many problems from reading about other peoples home projects. A couple blogs I really enjoy reading are Homeowner’s Blog by Paul and The Box House by Joanne.

Feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment. I always enjoy the feedback. Hope to see you around.

Everyday, millions of people turn to the web to purchase goods and services.   Potential customers increasingly rely on the new media (independent blogs and web sites) for guidance on what product or service to choose among the myriad of options available.  As a result, a positive review on a trusted, well-designed site like One Project Closer provides high value to product and service vendors.

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Hi! That’s me over on the right. I’m a 28-year-old home improvement nut living in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland. I’m very happily married to Kim, and we’ve twin sons, H & J. (initials only online to protect their identity). We live in a traditional, 2-story, rectangular colonial - the kind they built by the thousands in the 1980s. We love our house, and will probably stay here for at least 10 more years (or until the projects run out, whichever comes first).

I’m the one who’s really into the construction and materials side of home improvement. I get jazzed up doing projects like framing up walls, pouring self leveling mortar, or power washing a deck. Fortunately, our house needs a lot of that, and it’s where my limited home improvement talent lies. I could look at a color fan all day and all I’d see is a disorganized rainbow. Do the blue and yellow go together? I’m not sure - that’s why we’ve got Kim and Jocie.

As far as hobbies - well, there’s blogging, and working on the house, and blogging, and technology, and blogging. You get the idea. I’m a programmer by trade, so I take care of all the programming on this site. My day job can be pretty demanding, and this is a nice way to get away from it all and do something that’s pure fun. (And, I’m learning PHP and Cascading Stylesheets - you can’t go wrong with that!)

I really enjoy the community aspect of blogging. It’s great that I can meet people like Andy at Build a Better Bungalow, who at the time of my writing is working on a basement in Chicago - 1000 miles away from us - and is facing the same challenges in refinishing his basement. Jennifer, Lisa Rae, modernemama, Amalie - all people I would have never met if it weren’t for the online community we’ve got here. I love stopping by your sites - please keep them up!

You’ll see me around the house-blogosphere - always posting as Fred or Fred@OPC or something like that. I’m glad you stopped by! Come back again soon.

At some point during the winter, my lawn mower quit working. I would yank on the pull cord but to no avail. And so I began my Saturday determined to try everything I could before taking it to a repair center. Todd has a great post on maintaining a John Deere X300 over at Home Construction Improvement. His post reminded me of all the things I should have been doing anyway.

Lawn Mower Maintenance

FYI: I have a Craftsman rotary lawn mower with a 6.75Hp Briggs & Stratton engine. Mower model number 917.370721.

1. Inspect the air filter. Some mower filters are little foam squares. I’ve heard you can simply wash these and pop them back in. My mower had a paper filter. It was really dirty and in need of replacement. The correct filter for my mower was Craftsman item #33644.

2. Check out the spark plug. The spark plug on my mower is in front and has a spark plug wire connected that simply unsnaps. Unscrew the plug and have a look. A burnt out spark plug is easily spotted by the scorch marks. My plug was recently replaced and looked like it was still in good shape. It was manufactured by Champion item #J19LM.

3. Remove the old gas. The gas in the tank was from last season. I had added stabilizer but wanted to eliminate all potential problems. Over time gas will degrade and lose combustion. Stabilizer works to slow the oxidation process and keep gas fresh. All it takes is adding a little stabilizer when you fill up your gas can. As a precaution, I siphoned out the old gas (and later added new gas). Don’t do it the old fashion way! I speak from experience. Use a siphon like this.

4. Change the oil. It’s important to have an empty gas tank so you don’t flood the engine. All I had to do was tip my mower on its side and let the old oil pour out. Then, I added new oil till I reached the full level on the dip-stick. I used SAE30. Colder climates should use 10W-5. Also, my mower doesn’t have an oil filter to change.

5. Clean up the mower. I removed some grass and leaves from the underside and some more from the mower deck. I also removed the blade to sharpen it. I used a simple file but would recommend a grinder. Using a file is time consuming. Make sure you sharpen evenly to keep the blade balanced. Unbalanced blades become problematic down the road.

After all this I decided to give it a try. I was a little shocked when it started right up. Next, I happily mowed my front yard.

What do you think? What maintenance does your mower need?
Image courtesy of Sa’ d Khorsid.

I’m a firm believer in making your home a place that evokes feelings of warmth, comfort, and happiness. One of the simplest ways I have found to do this is by displaying photographs of friends and family. As I began doing this in my new home, my dad (Chris Paulis) was just starting to get involved in photography, and we all quickly learned that he was incredibly talented. He has always been artistically inclined - drawing, making wind chimes, stained glass decor (lamps, garden stands, kaleidoscopes, etc.), and most recently photography. In addition to taking beautiful family pictures, he also has amazing photos of flowers, birds, lighthouses, and much, much more. In the past few months I have ordered multiple prints and framed them for different areas of the house. The art is not only a beautiful and classy compliment to the decor, but it also reminds me of my loving father every time I see them.

Some framing and printing tips:

• You may have seen in my earlier post (Before/After Home Office) how I incorporated some of his photos into our home office. With these particular pictures, I did not want to crop them (even though they were not standard size). Since I could not find a frame to fit these pictures without cropping them, I bought Matte-less frames. The picture is placed in between two pieces of glass and the wall color shows through to appear like a matte.
• With good art work, you don’t have to spend too much on a simple frame, therefore letting the art stand-out.
• If you find a good, cheap frame but don’t like the color, lightly sand, prime, and paint the frame. Its takes a little extra time and love, but is well worth it.
  
• I use Shutterfly.com for smaller prints and larger quantities. I have had good luck with the quality of their prints and the speed of production. If you tend to order lots of prints, they also sell packages at discounted prices per print.
  
• I use Adorama.com for larger prints. I have also had great experience with the quality of their prints and the speed of production. They also run frequent deals for larger prints. For example, I recently spent $0.99 for an 8×10 Lustre print of excellent quality.

Feel free to check out more Chris Paulis Photography.

Here are a few photographs that are my favorites and a few that I display in my home. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Tree trimming is important to keep your tree healthy and strong. Making the appropriate cuts early on will ensure the tree grows in a safe and long lasting manner. Generally, trimming in the winter is easiest when you can see the shape of your tree without any new growth (flowers, fruit, etc.). I found these tips helpful while trimming my own tree.

Dead or Diseased Branches

Look for dead or diseased branches. Dead wood is often dark and brittle. Diseased wood is usually discolored. These should be removed to prevent the disease from spreading and to make way for new growth.

Crossing Branches

Tree branches should not rest on one another. Currently, the top branch does not add much weight. But as that branch grows, the bottom branch will end up supporting an enormous weight. The top branch should be trimmed away before they break causing damage to the tree and anything underneath.

Split Branches

Split branches pose a risk of splitting the tree trunk or major limbs. As the limbs grow larger and heavier the point at which they meet becomes more susceptible to breaking. Strong winds can cause the trunk to split starting at branches like these.

Cutting the branch

Cut the branches in a way to prevent tearing. An easy method is to make a partial cut on the underside. Then complete from above. Finish by removing the stub up to the collar. This will encourage healing. Removing fewer, larger branches is preferable (to many, smaller branches) and your tree will recover better.

Tree Paint Compound

Professionals are undecided about using tree compound. Some still feel it aids in healing and prevents disease. Others feel the natural process has better results. From what I have found, tree compound will at least protect from disease. That’s reason enough for me. Purchase some here. Avoid the aerosol containers. These tend to gunk up and make it difficult to be precise.

What do you think? Would you use tree compound? What tips do you want to pass along?

If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you’ve probably already figured out what OPC is all about. If this is your first or second time around, welcome! We love having new visitors! Either way, this post will get you caught up to speed on who we are and what we’re doing.

(By the way, OPC stands for One Project Closer, (not Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as one commenter suggested). Since the acronym is easier to say and type, we’ve basically adopted it for use throughout the site).

What’s With the Name?

Each of us has a home. Whether we rent, own, or live with other family members, we get up and go to bed in the same place (most of the time). Most of us are working to make our home and community better, either through remodeling, community involvement, or simply painting a room in the house a more cheerful color. Each of us envisions the perfect home and community for our family and our neighbors. And we work to get there - one project or cause at a time.

Anyone who’s owned a home for more than a few years knows that the list of house and community projects never ends. But that doesn’t stop us from tackling them, because every project moves us One Project Closer to the perfect home, or community, or life. So that’s what the site is about: tips, advice, experiences, products, reviews, giveaways, finances, how-tos, tools, and more that help us build better homes, communities, and lives. Whether we get to the perfect end, well, that’s not really that important, is it?

So Who’s Writing Here?

In short: Fred, Kim, Ethan, and Jocie. We’re four best friends living in the same community in the suburbs of Baltimore County, Maryland. We’re married (Fred to Kim, Ethan to Jocie), and have three homes between us. Fred & Kim live in a four bedroom traditional colonial in the back of a cul-de-sac. Ethan & Jocie live in an end unit townhome that backs to the woods on another court. Fred and Kim own another townhome in a nearby community that they rent out.

Our community has about 450 homes on 130 acres, and is governed by an active (but not too intrusive) Homeowners’ Association. We’ve a nearby community pool, and are blessed to have a number of other friends living close by.

Are You Professionals?

This question makes us laugh. The answer is no, we aren’t. All of us have day jobs that we love. We’re two families who work on our homes at night and on weekends. You should treat the information provided on this site just like a friend telling you about their own home and experiences. Sometimes we write instructions, reviews, or answers in an authoritative style because that’s what’s worked for us. That doesn’t necessarily mean we know what we’re doing (and doesn’t mean what we did was safe).

Please realize that some types of home improvement can be very dangerous. You should always consult a professional before undertaking a job you aren’t qualified to perform. Read our disclaimer for more information on this.

How Can I Contact You?

You can always e-mail us at oneprojectcloser@gmail.com. We check that address regularly. If you’ve a question/comment about a particular article on the site, you can just leave a comment on that article. We read all of the comments on the site (even if the article is old) and respond either with a follow-on comment or by replying directly via e-mail. If you have our personal e-mail addresses already, feel free to use them. We generally like people; we just don’t put our addresses out in the public.

Do You Do Product / Service Reviews?

OPC receives thousands of hits per month and is an excellent venue to get your product/service recognized. We’re happy to review any product, but realize that our reviews are always honest, objective, and fair (even if you give us the product for free). So before you ask for a review, make sure your product lives up to your claims.

Can We Send You Money?

Yes, you can. But you probably aren’t likely to, so how about doing the next best thing. If you see something on this site that’s helped you out, there are two ways to help us out in return:

1. Cite the article on your own blog / website. This lets others know about OPC and it tells the search engines that people think our content is valuable, which in turn lets more people find our site. When possible, cite content with anchor text from the name of the article.
2. Consider social bookmarking the page. Services like Technorati, Digg, Reddit, and others let you bookmark and share sites. You can find an Add This button at the bottom of every post that’ll let you bookmark the page.

Of course, we also enjoy when people comment on posts just to tell us they like the content. Everyone needs a little encouragement once in a while, and the conversation keeps us interested.

Do Your Readers Visit Every Day?

Our guess is no. Most regular readers subcribe to our feed with an RSS news reader. You can subscribe in a number of other ways as well, just follow this link to see your subscription options. The four of us each subscribe to blogs that we connect with the most. Sometimes those overlap. We apologize for writing too many comments on your sites

If you’re unfamiliar with how to get started in an RSS reader, just send us an e-mail at oneprojectcloser@gmail.com. We’ll help you out.

Do You Recommend Any Other Sites?

We’re huge fans of the entire houseblogs.net community. In general, we visit sites of the folks who read and comment here frequently. You can check out the blogs list on the left for places we frequent.