Fall Home & Garden 2021 - An Adams Publishing Group Special Marketing Publication September, 2021 - Watertown Daily Times
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Fall Home & Garden 2021 An Adams Publishing Group Special Marketing Publication • September, 2021
2 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
September 2021 Fall Home Improvement 3
Ideas for inexpensive,
easy ways to make
your home’s look
come alive
By Peter Lindblad warehouse of stock. She compares it to going on a field trip.
deforestedit@hngnews.com Cash and carry options are available for do-it-yourselfers. Stock options abound,
and places like Y’s Way buy flooring material by the pallet or roll, so they’re rel-
It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to spruce up a home’s look. atively cheap. Support for DIYers can come in the form of showing videos where
A little paint here, some new accents there and suddenly, a house can go from techniques and products are vetted and troubleshooting measures are explained.
drab to fab without its owners taking a big hit in the wallet or getting stressed out. Then, there’s attic stock, which McCarter said, “It’s a little like a rummage sale.”
All that’s needed is some direction, some tips and advice to help guide the way. She said looking over all the materials can spark the imagination.
From flooring to fixtures and fireplaces to adding a splash of color, here are some “There are rows and rows of remnants,” said McCarter. “It’s like a treasure hunt.”
inexpensive and creative ideas for changes that can enhance the “wow” factor of Getting ideas from Pinterest and Google is also a good place to start. Y’s Way will
any house: let customers take samples home to see if they go with things like countertops and
other furnishings.
Ground floor Know your house, though. If it’s an old place or the floors are uneven, like McCar-
Let’s start at the ground floor. The idea of tearing up old carpeting and tile and ter said, “You don’t want to put in EVP (Engineered Vinyl Plank flooring).”
replacing it all with new materials can seem daunting and costly. Area rugs can “add a pop of color and texture.” McCarter talked about how carpet
Carolyn McCarter, part of the team at the Lake Mills location of Y’s Way, also remnants can be bound to make area rugs for indoor or outdoor spaces. Sisal, a
located in Watertown and Oconomowoc, wants to make the process of improving natural fiber, is an interesting option, with its rope-like quality, while Stanton rugs
a home’s flooring fun. She advises visiting a flooring store, especially one with a can also add texture.
4 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
Painting can also renew old floors with interesting patterns, and it’s a
cheaper option than refinishing.
Color palette
Nothing makes an impact like a new color. Jalen Butteris, marketing assis-
tant for Hallman Lindsay Paints in Sun Prairie, is a believer, and she’s seeing
that bold, dramatic colors are coming into vogue after the COVID-19 lock-
down.
“I’m a big fan of color, so I like to see it,” said Butteris, and she’s getting into
the act. Butteris said she’s painted her bathroom forest green.
Using paint is perhaps the most cost-effective way of freshening up a house.
Butteris said it’s possible to get away with one gallon of paint for a whole
room, depending on the size. Costs can range from $45 for a lower-end paint
to $60-$70 for a higher-end product.
When it comes to color trends, Butteris said greys are still popular, although
in the last couple of years, she said there’s been a shift from neutral to bluer
tones – slate grey to almost denim, she said.
The type of room can also determine paint colors. Butteris said calming col-
ors like blue and green are often used for bathrooms and bedrooms to put
people at ease. Yellows and oranges are favorites for kitchens because they
make people hungry, according to Butteris. Neutral colors might work better
in living spaces, where family and friends congregate.
Choosing the right colors for a room or a wall isn’t easy.
“I think the biggest obstacle people deal with in making over a home is pick-
ing colors,” said Butteris, “because they can really vary. They’re unlimited, and
it’s hard trying to narrow it down to just one.”
Important considerations include matching colors to a things like a house’s
trim and flooring, according to Butteris. How many windows a home has can
also impact color choices, said Butteris. The same goes for furnishings.
No matter what, before settling on a color, be sure to take color swatches
home to see how they look in your home.
Inside, outside
Paint isn’t just for the inside of a home. Owners can also change a house’s aes-
thetic by painting the outside. Refinishing wood doors, restoring a weathered
deck, and adding fixtures, like a vintage lantern to an entry, can also update the
exterior.
New fixtures, like sconces, ceiling fans and lights, can also add interest to a
home’s interior. An inexpensive way to brighten up a kitchen is to clean and
paint dark cabinetry. It’s way cheaper than buying new cabinets.
Updating fireplaces can be tricky. Homeowners might look at Pinterest to get
ideas for improvements, but it’s hard to conceptualize size, said Abbie Jacobs,
September 2021 Fall Home Improvement 5
sales assistant for Fireplace Professionals in
Cambridge.
New stone, tile or brick can freshen up
the appearance of fireplaces, according to
Jacobs. And while it can be costly, it’s advis-
able to use a professional for installation.
Jacobs said there isn’t a lot of DIY work
when it comes to fireplaces. For example,
you can have the right product, but if you
have the wrong adhesive, it can create
problems. The method of installation also
makes a difference.
Also, consider the age of your house.
Jacobs said with a lot of homes, the fire-
places can be 15-20 years old, and man-
ufacturers may not have parts for them.
Budget can be an issue for homeown-
ers, too, for fireplaces. Fake stone can be
a less costly alternative. Also, think about
how long you may live in your home.
“Don’t make this the worst mistake
you’ve ever made,” said Jacobs. “Get
what you want instead of cutting cor-
ners.”
That’s good advice for anything to do
with your home.
3 Trends That Never Go Out of Style!
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6 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
The
path
to
purchasing
your
first
home
For first-time homebuyers,
the process starts with a positive banking relationship
Madeline Westberg someone,” Armstrong added, “I think they’re better off.”
mwesberg@hngnews.com Debbie Hodge is the vice president of mortgage production at Monona Bank,
which has locations in
As more and more people begin the process of buying a home for the first Hodge agreed with Armstrong, saying a personal relationship with a local
time, area mortgage lenders say the best thing a first-time buyer can do is build lender can serve homebuyers long-term.
a relationship with a locally-based financial institution. “You should really sit down with someone who can explain all the options
Brian Armstrong, a vp loan officer with PremierBank in Fort Atkinson, said and what is needed in order to buy your first home,” Hodge said.
it’s much easier to work with a local bank than to go through a large out-of- A relationship with a local bank can also help homebuyers make connections
state financial institution or an online mortgage broker. with real estate agents, ease future insurance claims and discover housing as-
That relationship can help first-time buyers get their questions answered, sistance programs they may not be aware of, like down payment assistance
find a loan that’s right for their budget and continue to have someone to reach programs, or other grants for first-time homebuyers.
out to after the process begins. “It helps when everyone knows everyone else, when you’re doing a big finan-
“If you establish that relationship, and you have a problem down the road, cial transaction,” Hodge said.
you’re going to have a better success ratio of getting help if you can go back to Hodge said that Monona Bank, and many other locally-based banks, will keep
that same person,” Armstrong said. and continue to service home loans, instead of selling them to a service agency.
“Any time you can pick up a phone and talk to someone, come in and see That means that your relationship with your bank will continue throughout the
September 2021 Fall Home Improvement 7
life of that loan, and could benefit from having that personal
relationship.
Both Hodge and Armstrong recommend that as peo-
ple prepare to meet with a local lender, they should have a
strong awareness of their personal budget.
“The best thing to be conscious of is your budget. Work up
a budget, see where your money is going, and how much you
can afford,” Armstrong said. “The last thing we want to do is
put someone in a house they can’t afford.”
The Dane County Financial Education Center, run
through the UW-Extension, shares a variety of money man-
agement tools to help individuals with their financial plan-
ning. Those tools can be accessed at: https://fyi.extension.
wisc.edu/danecountyfinancialeducationcenter/ .
The Dane County Financial Education Center shares that
people should start with long-term planning, set measur-
able goals, track their current spending and practice mak-
ing shifts to household income and spending.
When meeting with local lenders, homebuyers should get
pre-qualified for a loan, Hodge and Armstrong said. Lenders
will look at factors like credit history, employment history,
debt ratios and expenses in that process.
They’ll work with you to understand the best type of loan
for you, down payment savings and answering any ques-
tions, the lenders said. Metro Creative
“A good lender is going to know what questions to ask When preparing to start the process, first-time homebuyers should build an awareness of their finan-
you,” Hodge said. cial state, tracking spending, building a budget and working with lenders to see what kind of loan they
“You’ve got to look at the whole picture,” Armstrong added. will qualify for.
8 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
Metro Creative
Area lenders encourage first-time buyers to use a realtor, to assist with the pro-
cess, and can make recommendations on local realtors to work with.
Lenders will also help potential realtor is very important to the pro-
homebuyers figure out down payment cess, and first time buyers may not be
costs. Hodge and Armstrong shared aware that realtor commission costs
that a down payment of 20% the to- fall on the seller, not the buyer.
tal cost of the home is not required in During the process of searching for
order to buy a home. If homeowners a home, Armstrong recommends that
can’t raise a full 20% down payment, homebuyers don’t incur additional
private mortgage insurance will al- debt, miss debt payments or make
low them to purchase for less than major career shifts during this time,
that, Armstrong said. This insurance to keep budgets stable, especially in
is an added fee that protects the lend- today’s housing market when it can be
er in the event of a default. difficult to purchase a home.
After that pre-qualification process, Once an offer is made, the lender
homebuyers will be approved for a will finalize the loan amount, orga-
loan up to a certain amount. They will nize appraisals and collect any nec-
then begin working with a realtor and essary documentation until the clos-
arranging the purchase of a home, ing, when the homebuyers sign loan
based on that loan amount. payments and officially purchase the
Hodge added that working with a home.
September 2021 Fall Home Improvement 9
Get your
home
HVAC
ready
for the
WINTER
Local experts
give advice
on preparing
your system
By Chris Mertes Heating and Air Conditioning in Cottage Grove. “So it’s a good idea to do that. To
spedit@hngnews.com be real honest with you, not everybody does that, but it’s almost as important as
changing your oil in a car to do that type of routine maintenance.”
Despite summer’s sweltering temperatures, the cool autumn days of fall will soon While you’re at it, Feiler said, familiarize yourself with your furnace’s air filter.
arrive, and when they do, chances are most people will turn their furnaces on. Some “And at that particular time, change the furnace filters,” Feiler said. “Some filters
of those furnaces — including some that resemble the coal-burning behemoths of are a once a year filter that are in homes, but then others have once a month filters
old — won’t turn on. to change, and even others have once every three months to change filters.”
Don’t be intimidated by the cold or your furnace. Clint Pharo from Pharo Heating Dan McCue, with Al Beyers Indoor Comfort Systems in Cambridge, said having
and Cooling in Waunakee recommends taking a simple step with your furnace be- an experienced conduct a maintenance check-up on the furnace is the best way to
fore the cool of autumn arrives. know what condition it’s in, and whether it can face winter or not.
“In the fall, turn the furnace on and just make sure everything runs,” Pharo said. “Probably the biggest thing that is important, especially with today’s high effi-
“That’s so that you’re not stuck when all of a sudden it gets really cold and you need ciency furnaces, is making sure the pressure tubes, the vent tubes, the drain lines,
it and you’re scrambling for a service call, because that’s when everybody gets busy. the condensate tubes are all clear,” McCue said. “There’s a condensate trap in a fur-
I tell everybody the same with air conditioning -- just turn it on before you actually nace that it needs to drain freely and you don’t want it to back up because then the
really need it to make sure everything’s working OK.” furnace will go out, especially. The more it runs, the more condensate it makes and
Local experts agree that planning ahead and getting your furnace on a regular the susceptibility of a restricted drain line will back it up and make the furnace quit.”
maintenance check-up schedule — regardless of its age — just may be the best way When a furnace is more than 20 years old, maintenance needs to be a priority for
to guarantee an efficient, effective furnace this fall. the homeowner, according to McCue.
“All manufacturers recommend that any gas appliance or furnace should be “When a unit gets in the neighborhood of, let’s say 15 to 20 years old, it probably
checked once a year by a qualified service technician,” said Dave Feiler of Wohlers becomes more important to do the maintenance that we’ve been talking about be-
10 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
and nicely and burning as completely as possible. That’s one of the things we
actually do during our routine service checks too, is check the gas pressures to
make sure it’s kind of tuned in to be operating at its maximum efficiency.”
Making sure exterior vent pipes are not obstructed is also important for
homeowners.
“Make sure that the vent pipes or the PVC pipes going out the side walls have
nothing obstructing them from shrubs . . . lot of that stuff will die off come
winter. But, in your fall days of September or early October, you could still have
shrubs and things like that,” Feiler said.
Feiler also advised homeowners with children to check their furnace vent
pipes because children of a certain age like to push rocks or put debris down
that pipe outside, resulting in a blockage for the furnace exhaust stream or in-
take stream.
“That could prevent the furnace from working or having an issue when you
need it the most for that heating to happen, or it could run into trouble — just
because of possibly what happened during the summer with kids,” Feiler ad-
vised.
Programmable thermostats, or even just changing the batteries in existing
Metro Creative Connection thermostats, could also assist homeowners in preparing their heating, ventila-
Local experts agree that scheduling regular maintenance for a furnace, regard- tion and air conditioning systems for the fall and winter of 2021.
less of age, before it’s needed is the best way to ensure it will be operational “Certainly a programmable thermostat will help save energy while when the
when cold weather arrives later this year. unit or the system is not necessarily needed or a setback period over a night-
cause you want to make sure that the gas pressures are tuned also,” McCue said. time will help them,” McCue said, referring to setting the thermostat a few de-
“And you want to make sure the unit is breathing correctly, not only for safety grees cooler. “So they usually say you can save roughly about 3% just by setting
concerns, but optimum efficiency. And make sure the burners are clean when it back a few degrees overnight.”
you get upwards around 15 to 20 years old -- there’s corrosion effects that can Pharo said not to pay too much attention to those who advise setting the
occur. We like to make sure that things are breathing and operating as freely thermostat back more than a few degrees.September 2021 Fall Home Improvement 11
“I guess we generally don’t recommend you on wires and so on. And then in the spring it
set them back quite as far, especially during re- doesn’t work, and we have to go out and make
ally cold weather. It doesn’t hurt to set it back a a repair just because the rodents were in there.
little bit if you’re gone all day, but just probably But more importantly, when people wrap it up
like a two to four degree setback,” Pharo said. with plastic, it can’t breathe.”
“Some of these [websites] like Energy Star sites “We really don’t recommend covering them.
will tell you to set it back like eight degrees to Some contractors might a little bit, but we’ve
save money, but when it’s really cold out, you’re noticed more issues from people that cover
putting a lot of load on that system to catch them, with rodents and things getting in there
back up when it is cold.” and using it as a little housing complex when
Feiler said changing the batteries in a ther- it’s blocked by the wind and elements,” Pharo
mostat should be a regular occurrence for said. “So then they start chewing on wires.”
homeowners. “AC units are made to sit outside,” Feiler
“Thermostat-wise, you might have batter- agreed. “Typically most manufacturers don’t
ies in the thermostat. A rule of thumb is, each want you to cover your air conditioner. Some
change of seasons, change batteries. So obviously when you first turn your fur- will say to cover the top of the air conditioner from any foreign debris that
nace on or your air conditioner, if you do have batteries, it’s a good time to could come in through the top of it, but soon as you [completely] cover your air
replace your batteries in your thermostat.” conditioner, you’re creating a home for critters.”
When it comes to preparing for winter, all three experts agreed on not com- Feiler, Pharo and McCue all agreed that calling now to set up maintenance is
pletely covering AC units. important, so that when HVAC work slows for contractors at the end of August
“If somebody who’s going to try to protect their outdoor unit throughout the or early September, maintenance calls can be completed.
winter from, let’s say icicles coming down off the soffit and the gutters and hit- Usually it’s a good idea to call a 30, even 60, days in advance of potential cold
ting the top of it, we really only recommend just covering the top of the unit weather, Feiler said.
only with, let’s say, a piece of plywood board and a couple of bricks or some- “I say that that usually October 15th is a good date or a good number to go off
thing to hold it there, a cord or something to keep it in place,” McCue said. “Be- of.” Feiler said. “Even the end of August to September is probably a good time to
cause wrapping it in plastic, like some people do, is not a good thing. It makes a start thinking about getting on that schedule and making that phone call to get
safe haven for rodents and mice can get up in there and make a mess and chew furnaces checked and cleaned up.”12 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
Invite autumn’s beauty home with
fall décor ideas
By Roberta Baumann
tribnews@hngnews.com
As summer’s long days begin to wane, and cooler temperatures arrive, we find
ourselves heading indoors more. Autumn brings harvest and breathtaking foli-
age, and a time to add warm décor to our homes, both inside and out.
Humphrey Floral and Gift in Fort Atkinson helps customers celebrate the fall ments of cattails, leaves and lotus pods to set by the front door. Wicker baskets
season. The shop offers botanical decorations for porches and yards. Often, this can also become containers for dried floral arrangements, Humphrey said.
time of year, customers come in search for hardy mums in pots to decorate with, Another customer brought in an old, barn-red tool chest to decorate last year.
said owner Tim Humphrey, adding those perennials can later be planted in the “We opened it up, and it was kind of brimming with an autumn harvest sort
ground to come up each year. of look,” Humphrey said. “The longer we’re in business, the more containers we
The floral shop also creates decorative corn shocks with bows, along with see.”
small haybales, to add a rustic, fall look to light posts or doorways. Arrange- Milk cans can be decorated with a burlap ribbon to hold corn shocks. Hum-
ments with dried flowers such as yarrow and straw flowers also add beauty this phrey Floral and Gift carries a wide variety of burlap, autumn plaid and other
time of year. ribbons, some with leaf patterns, the owner said.
“We do a lot with grape vines,” Humphrey said. “We’ve had people bring in an Pumpkins are other popular items for floral arrangements around Hallow-
old chair, and we’ve kind of wound grape vine on it, so it looks like it has kind of een, and faux pumpkins work well for outdoor arrangements.
climbed onto the chair.” The outdoors can also be an extension of the indoors, with similar colors car-
Several customers repurpose vintage furniture for decorative planters and ried throughout,
porch pieces, Humphrey said. Angie Schwab of Angie Schwab Interiors of Madison said. Some spaces are
He’s seen old chairs with holes cut into the seats for pots with dried arrange- transitional, such as screened porches, and those are places where flower potsSeptember 2021 Fall Home Improvement 13
Roberta Baumann
Red Barn Company Store owner Vicky Marsala puts some of the fall items
on display at her store in Waunakee.
Angie Schwab
Interiors
Angie Schwab
of Angie
Sc hw ab Inte-
riors put to-
gether this fall
mood board to
provide clients
with ideas for
décor.14 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
from outdoors can be brought in. Throws and blankets add warmth, so we can are anxious to host friends for gatherings, and with the cooler weather, these
enjoy those spaces longer. get-togethers will be in our homes. After the pandemic stress, décor that is
“I think it’s important to recognize a lot of these spaces are extensions of the cozy, comfortable, warm and inviting is trending, said Marsala and Nichol Lyf-
interior. It’s nice to keep that in mind and make sure it’s a nice transition to the togt, one of the Red Barn Company Store team.
outdoors,” Schwab said. For many, fall is an especially beautiful season.
With school beginning in the fall, families’ lifestyles change with our ward- “They appreciate the joy of these colors. Fall has a richness, and they want to
robes. It’s a time to make sure the home offers spaces like mudrooms for boots, find a way to extend it,” Lyftogt said.
coats and snowpants to be ready for the season, Schwab advises. Paint is another way to bring those colors in. Schwab of Angie Schwab Inte-
“Summertime is so great – all we have are flipflops,” she said, adding with fall riors suggests painting cabinets or occasional furniture to refresh a home, and
comes boots. Red Barn carries paints just for that.
Built-in cabinets can offer an easy grab-and-go function, allowing us to spend Right now is the time to make the home feel special and different.
less time hanging up coats, she said. After a year of spending so much time in it, home should have an inviting and
Accessories such as pillows or platters can also bring fall into a home, Schwab comfortable feel, “not trapped-home,” Marasla said.
said. To help her clients as they look to refresh their rooms, Schwab provides
them with mood board, and using Pinterest, can pin the ideas they like or add
others. Some might be candles or lanterns, Schwab said, noting as the days
become shorter, we often want to bring more light inside.
The Red Barn Company Store in Waunakee has a large variety of hand-poured
candles that owner Vicky Marsala said are very popular. All made in the Unit-
ed States and come in a variety of scents. In the fall, the Vintage Harvest and
Pumpkin Hallow Farm scents are in high demand.
“It’s the time when people want to warm up their homes. They want to make
them more inviting when there’s less light. Candles and lanterns give you that
glow and explosion of color for the season,” Marsala said.
Lanterns offer a way to have the glow of the candle without the worry of an
open flame, Marsala added. Candle warmers add an ambience, as well.
After a year of quarantine and worries about the COVID-19 pandemic, manySeptember 2021 Fall Home Improvement 15
How to care for
Perennials can add color and vibrancy to any
perennials eral minutes before gently planting in the ground,
garden. One of the more desirable components of indicates the how-to resource Tip Bulletin.
perennials is that they come back year after year, Perennials should be watered deeply, especially
meaning homeowners do not have to invest in a during the first growing season. However, the soil
gardenful of new flowers every year. That can add should never be overly dry or wet. Most perennials
up to considerable savings. Perennials often form do not need to be fertilized heavily. A single appli-
the foundation of beautiful gardens. cation in the spring typically is all that’s needed.
Annuals only grow for one season, produce Care along the way can include deadheading
seeds and then die. However, perennials die back spent flowers so that plants can use their energy
to the ground every autumn and their roots sur- on seed production and reblooming. Perennials
vive the winter. So the plants reemerge in the should be divided when they grow large, every
spring, according to The Farmer’s Almanac. Some three to four years when the plants are not in
perennials are short-lived, meaning they will bloom. Perennials produce fewer flowers or may
come back a few consecutive years; others will last look sickly when the time has passed to divide
for decades. them. Early spring often is a good time to divide
Though planted perennials require less main- perennials, advises The Farmer’s Almanac.
tenance than annuals, they are not completely A thick layer of mulch can help perennials to
maintenance-free. Certain care is needed to help When including perennials in the garden, make sure overwinter successfully. Perennials planted in
perennials thrive, and that starts with the soil. In fact, you wait for the right time to plant them. The ideal time containers will need to be transplanted into the gar-
soil is the single most important factor for growing is during the spring or fall. Perennials come as contain- den before it gets cold because most containers cannot
healthy plants. Penn State Extension says most peren- er-grown perennials, which already have been estab- thoroughly insulate perennial roots.
nials grow ideally in well drained, fertile soil with a pH lished in the soil. Bare-root perennials are just roots Apart from these strategies, perennials pretty much
of 6.0 to 7.0. In addition, organic matter can improve that are often packed in peat moss. In order to plant take care of themselves. As long as sunlight require-
soil texture and water-holding ability. bare-root perennials, soak the roots in water for sev- ments match plant needs, the perennials should thrive.16 Fall Home Improvement September 2021
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