10
2018 Spring Home & Garden
Habitat for Humanity:
Envisioning a world
where everyone has a
decent place to live
Building Dignity
Habitat builds houses alongside
families who demonstrate need and
willingness to partner with the or-
ganization. Families invest hundreds
of hours of their own “sweat equity”
labor into the houses. Their monthly
mortgage payments help fund the con-
struction of more houses. Inadequate
shelter binds a family in struggle.
A Habitat home frees them to enjoy
self-reliance and self-respect. Children
benefi t, neighborhoods are changed
and communities are improved.
Building Relationships
Modeled on biblical principles, Habi-
tat’s solution to the blight of substand-
ard housing is popular with people of
many political, professional, ethnic,
religious and economic backgrounds.
This is the essence of Habitat — invit-
ing diverse individuals to fi nd com-
mon ground through using a hammer,
sharing a common goal and building
relationships as well as houses.
Building Community
Habitat fosters reconciliation as
people join together to build houses.
In Northern Ireland, Protestants and
Catholics work side by side on Habi-
tat building sites. In Jordan and Egypt,
Muslims and Christians are building
bridges of hope. In South Africa,
black and white residents heal wounds
and form bond of friendship with their
neighbors. And in Cottage Grove, we
are working to make a difference in
our own backyards.
Together we can build our community
into a place that welcomes everyone.
Together we can help our neighbors.
Together we can make the world a
better place, one home at a time.
Freshen up rooms for spring with
a new coat of paint
Today’s paint products offer homeown-
ers the fl exibility to easily change the look
and “feel” of a room — or a houseful of
rooms, including walls, cabinets, furni-
ture, accessories and trim items — by
changing the color of a painted surface
or adding paint to achieve a decorative
effect. Paint options General Finishes
Milk Paint is a high-tech, water-based
acrylic paint for interior and exterior use
that is available in more than two dozen
colors, ranging from Dark Chocolate to
Tuscan Red. It is easy to apply, durable
and simple to repair and can be mixed
to create new colors or combined with
General Finishes water-based glazes and
stains to create custom paints and decora-
tive effects such as distressing, antiquing
and color washing.
Rust-Oleum® Chalked Paint is a wa-
ter-based, ultra-matte fi nish for interior
applications that can be used alone as
a simple covering paint or to achieve
decorative effects such as distressing
or dry brushing to give any project
a one-of-a-kind look with a vintage
feel. It applies easily with brush or
roller; spraying is not recommended.
Dress Up Your Windows
Windows are major players in home design.
How they are dressed and framed from the
exterior lends to the curb appeal of your home.
Keeping them clean and dressed with drapery
inside will affect the overall mood of a room
and how much natural light a room receives. All
of this is to say don’t ignore your windows.
Adding or Repairing Shutters
Shutters add so much to the curb appeal of your
home. Making sure yours are in good shape is a
worthwhile investment. Each year, inspect your
shutters. Do they need a new coat of paint? Are
they secured properly with no loose screws? If
your home lacks shutters, consider adding them.
There are few architectural styles that shutters
work against, so be sure to consult with your
local window and gutter installation company.
Dressing Window Boxes
If you have window boxes, spring is the ideal
time to clean them out and prep them for fo-
liage. Swing by your local hardware store or
nursery and choose annuals with lots of color to
fi ll them. If you do not currently have window-
boxes, consider adding them to the mix. Win-
dow boxes add texture and fl are to the exterior
of any home.
Introducing New Draperies
If you recently replaced your drapes or love the
ones you currently have, don’t underestimate
what a good cleaning will do for them. Check
the tags and see if yours are machine washa-
ble. If not, you may have to take your drapes
to the dry cleaners. This trip will be well worth
it when you see how much brighter they look
rehung across your windows.
a Good Power Wash
After a winter full of dreary weather and high
wind chills, your windows are not at their peak
performance when it comes to light. Give them
a good scrub inside before heading outside to
hit up their exterior panes. If your windows are
double-hung, this will be a much easier task.
Always follow safety instructions on cleaning
equipment, especially when you’re dealing
with glass.
Handy helpers for painting:
• Wagner Home Décor Paint Sprayer.
This is a great fi rst-step product for those
new to HVLP spraying. It is easy to use
and sprays milk paint, stains, sealers and
lacquers. Check your paint manufacturer’s
directions for use in sprayers.
• The versatile Vika TwofoldTM is confi g-
ured for use as a 21.7"-high scaffold or a
workbench that is 47.6" long X 18.7" deep
X 31.8" high with a tool tray, drilling hole,
protractor and ruler inscribed into the
MDF work surface.
• QuikBENCH™ Portable Workbench is a
lightweight, easy-to-set-up portable work-
bench with a 30" x 24" work surface that
is 32" high and capable of holding up to
300 lbs. Convert two QuikBENCHES™
to sawhorses, and together they can hold
up to 2,000 lbs.
• Painter’s Pyramids, New and Improved
10-pack allows homeowners to paint, fl ip
and paint without having to wait for the
fi rst side to dry. Pyramids now include
tabs and slots on the bases so they can be
screwed down to make permanent fi nish-
ing platforms or joined together to create
more stable temporary applications.