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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2016)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016 HERMISTON HERALD/EAST OREGONIAN • PAGE 5 SPRING HOME & GARDEN Organize your garage The garage: the catch- all section of our homes that neYer seems to get as much T/& as it deserYes ,t’s Zhere the oYerÀoZ of holiday decorations, outgroZn clothes and sports equipment con- Yerge, often in disarray ,t’s time to take Eack control of this Yersatile space in your home The garage has so much to offer if you’re Zilling to regularly maintain it This may mean hanging neZ shelYing for extra storage space or repaint- ing the Àoor for a protec- tiYe, great-looking shine Here are three steps you can take this Zeek- end to achieYe a more organized garage: 1. Give Yourself Enough Time STAFF PHOTO BY GARY L. WEST Hard water stains on window are not only unsightly, but the hard water can also reduce the lifespan of window. Maintain windows to extend their life By JENNIFER COLTON Staff Writer Homes are full of main- tenance requirements, from air ¿lters to laZn care, Eut one maintenance opportu- nity is hidden in plain sight and often ignored Zin- doZs For Hermiston Glass’ Phillip and Kirk Marcum, ZindoZ maintenance is a daily education “Our most common calls are proEaEly defectiYe units or hard Zater Euild up from sprinklers — and then the replacements from laZnmoZers, EaseEalls and golf Ealls,´ Phillip Marcum said Although maintenance can’t help much Zith the stray golf Eall or EaseEall, it can extend the life of your ZindoZs and giYe tips as to Zhen those ZindoZs should Ee replaced The lifespan and condi- tion of a ZindoZ can Yary greatly depending on qual- ity, maintenance and in- stallation, Eut the experts pointed to one exception: 6ingle gla]ed ZindoZs haYe de¿nitely passed the end of life point The more layers a Zin- doZ has, the more it Ereaks up heat, UV light, and sound, according to the Marcums Most ZindoZs Hermiston Glass sells noZ haYe triple pane some haYe gas layers in EetZeen to further Ereak up those par- ticles Glass technology changes yearly, and the U-factor — the measure- ment of heat transfer that marks hoZ Zell a ZindoZ insulates — reÀects the changes “They’re changing the glass and technology so fast, making them more energy ef¿cient,´ Kirk Marcum said “,t seems like eYery year Ze can get a Eetter U-Value´ (f¿cient ZindoZs Zill help Elock the Zind Uma- tilla &ounty is knoZn for, as Zell as keeping a home cool in the summer and Zarm in the Zinter “We can’t tell you that µthis ZindoZ Zill saYe you ; amount on your Eills in a year,’ Eut in time, people generally reali]e the saY- ings it does giYe them,´ Phillip Marcum said To keep your ZindoZs in good condition: • Keep tracks clean, Eoth on ZindoZ frames and sliding glass doors Tracks ¿ll Zith sand and deEris, Zhich Zears our the Zheels and guides and Zeakens Zeather strip- ping The experts recom- mend cleaning the track and letting it air dry — neYer use luEricants as these can attract more dirt and deEris • Do not use garden hoses or other hard Zater on ZindoZs Eecause it can cause a Euild up of ¿lm that Zill diminish the quality of the ZindoZ and, Zith time, require replacement • When spraying in- secticides, aYoid spraying chemicals near ZindoZs as the chemicals can re- act Zith those in the seal- ant and Zeather stripping, Zeakening those areas • WheneYer you haYe questions aEout mainte- nance, quality or condi- tion of ZindoZs, contact an expert for an eYalua- tion Many homeoZners think they can poZer through a garage reor- ganization in a matter of a couple of hours 6ure, if your garage is already in relatiYely good shape, that may Ee possiEle But for people looking to complete an organiza- tional oYerhaul, it is Eest to deYote the Eulk of a Zeekend to the chore Not doing so can leaYe you feeling frus- trated Ey a MoE half done GiYe yourself enough time to not only assess your current garage stor- age situation, Eut then also to put together a plan that highlights Zhat goes Zhere and hoZ much you’re Zilling to spend on neZ storage materials 2. Be Ready to Donate OYerfloZ can Ee a real proElem in the ga- rage Fishing poles, soccer Ealls and kids’ Eikes may as Zell call the garage their oZn Without ample space for these materials, the garage’s Zalls may feel like they are caYing in on you The solution: GiYe things aZay Plenty of organizations offer some sort of item drop-off Start a donate pile out- side of your garage to collect all the extra items for Zhich you haYe no use Take your extra toys and EaseEall gloYes to a deserYing charity, Eut only if you’re sure you Zon’t need them again doZn the road 3. Never Organize Alone One of the Eest tips for organizing your ga- rage is to inYite friends and family memEers oYer to help A maMor garage oYerhaul can Ee time consuming, requir- ing numerous hands on deck if you’re hoping to finish anytime soon &all oYer some friends and family mem- Eers HaYe a list of spe- cific responsiEilities for Yolunteers to maximize their time Zhen they are helping you And re- memEer to alZays treat your helpers to hot cof- fee or lunch, a gesture that Zill let them knoZ they are appreciated Mentzer & Elliott Mower Tune-up Special Walk behinds $29 • Riders $99 Chainsaw & Weed Trimmer Tune-up $19 Gas, oil, parts additional thru May 15 420 NE Elm • PIlot Rock, OR 541-443-2351 You r H om e is an Investm ent We make it possible for homeowners to design, update & remodel beautiful, low-maintenance and energy efficient homes. Whether you are building new, remodeling or weatherizing your home, make sure that you are using quality mat erials and workmanship. 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