Home & Garden

As the wind begins to blow and temperatures warm up a bit in Santa Clarita, vacations and summer-camp planning, are not the only signs that spring has arrived: chances are good that you’re also being invaded by newly-awakened pests.  Insects that are now in search of food, and they are most likely to come indoors to do it.  Here is one of the earliest “unwanted guests” in the Santa Clarita Valley and what you can do about them.

The kitchen is the heart of your home and should be beautiful, as well as functional.  Unfortunately, to replace cabinets just because they are worn out or for beauty’s sake is a very expensive, time consuming and an inconvenient proposition.
There is an alternative to this costly, often frustration and messy job of remodeling known as cabinet refacing.  This alternative to remodeling allows you to use your kitchen in a moderate manner, during the work or refacing and restyling.

I am often asked what can be done to make the water softener exchange tanks last longer.  The answer to this question may be simpler than you think.
Since the restriction on automatic water softeners took effect in March of 2003 and the ban altogether in November of 2008, softening our water has become much more expensive.  Where a top of the line automatic water softener might cost a family of four or five about $75 to $90 a year to maintain, the tank exchange for the same family can cost up to $80 a month.  That adds up to $960 a year.  Big difference.

Here are some tricks designers use to make a small room feel larger.  These are the tools of my trade.  With the use of proper fabrics, patterns and materials, I can dramatically change the look and feel of your space.  Try some of these tricks in your home!
Create a Flow: Select one or two colors to carry from one room to the next.  This leads the eye and creates the illusion of a bigger space, because the eye is not broken by a jolt of changing color.

You have a multitude of choices as to the finish for your pool.  White or grey plaster, of course, is the most common.  But plaster can be mixed to other colors as well.  However, take a look at Beadcrete or Diamond Brite products that can add a luster and elegance to your backyard paradise.  Does your current pool need a new finish?  Consider the creativity that tile can add. 

Containers can add beauty, color, and interest to your garden, however many gardeners stay away from planting in containers because they have heard stories of failures or they themselves have come away with dead, withered plants.  Container planting can be extraordinarily beautiful and is really not difficult if you keep a few basic things in mind.  The basics are drainage, planting mix, watering, and plant combinations.

Considering home improvements or remodeling this year?  If so, then hire a licensed, experienced company for the project unless you are the skilled contractor.  Construction has been one of the largest industries in California, according to the California State License Board, and it has many laws and regulations.
• When electing to do your own construction project, you are acting as the Owner/Builder.  The definition is a person who owns the property and acts as their own general contractor on the job and either does the work themselves or has employees (or subcontractors) working on the project.

Don’t spend beautiful, fall evenings inside just because it has cooled off a bit – heat things up outside!  There are many types of patio heaters to choose from to make outdoor living more comfortable.
A Lava Heater is not only a statement of style and elegance but the virtue of functionality as well.  It’s a look one cannot miss or ignore.  Standing nearly eight feet tall, a Lava Heater is a bold statement of purpose, design and functionality.  Equally impressive in its engineering and durability, the Lava Heater is constructed from stainless steel, aluminum and powder coated metal. 

You’ve waited for the right time to buy a pool and this is it!  Premier Pools & Spas, the nation’s third largest pool company and National Pool Builder of the Year*, can create your beautiful custom pool and spa with quality and value like you have never seen before.
Local owner and licensed pool contractor Rick Starsmere brings over 18 years of experience to Premier Pools and Spas. Although their designers have achieved many ASPS International Awards of Excellence, each project is unique.

Spring brings the first warming rays of sun, lifting up our spirits and renewing us inwardly, as well as the world around us.  Our gardens bring us revitalization through the beauty of the flowers, the fragrance from the plants, the drone of the insects, the songs of the birds, and activity of the little creatures busy in their daily routines.

If you own a hot tub or spa, chances are good that one of the chemicals you’re soaking into your skin is chlorine, a pretty nasty irritant and hazard to human and environmental health.  It also wreaks havoc on bathing suits, spa/pool equipment and landscaping.
A little bit about chlorine: Residing at number 17 on the Periodic Table of the Elements, chlorine is a toxic, yellow-green gas that’s one of today’s most heavily used chemical agents.  As consumers, we’re most familiar with chlorine’s role as a bleaching agent for paper and as an ingredient in household cleaners.

We all take our garage doors for granted: when they work properly, we ignore them.  When they start making odd noises or squeaks, we ignore them.  When they get loud and clunky, we ignore them.  Yet, sound is the primary tool we use to diagnose service problems.  Those sounds you hear are speaking volumes to a trained professional.

For over 25 years, Ozuna’s Landscaping and Pools has been making outdoor dreams come true.   A full service pool company and provider of top quality design and installation of hardscapes and custom pools, Ozuna’s Landscaping & Pools is dedicated to quality work and excellent customer service.  Let the professionals handle your hardscape needs from start to finish.

The trees and flowers are blooming and we are all ready for spring to arrive!  Along with a change in weather come changes in daily activities, so organize the garage for things you’ll use this spring.
Start with gardening tools; rakes, shovels, clippers, etc.  You use these throughout the summer so you want them together in one place.  Designate a corner in your garage and put all gardening tools there.  Smaller clippers, gloves, etc. can hang on a pegboard within easy reach for quick grab and clip jobs.  Larger tools can be stored in a plastic trashcan, 30 to 50 gallon size or a corner tool stand, depending on how many you have.

Our last topic of this series was on the scope.  The first topic was the budget.  This topic is on the estimate.  If you have established a budget and a scope for your anticipated home improvement project then your next move is to gather estimates.  The Contractors’ State License Board recommends that you get three estimates.  You may have more than three contactors out to your home in order to get three legitimate estimates. 

For the past 20 years, Go Pavers has been providing customers with the highest quality paving stone design installation and maintenance. Serving the Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties, Go Pavers is your source for design and construction projects. “We offer the best prices, best service and best workmanship,” states owners. “We are known as a family business with one of the best prices on the market.”

Wondering how to spice up your Spring?  Why not try putting in a new kitchen or bath?  Or maybe its time to update the colors of your home by either toning them down with neutrals or adding a few bold accents.  How about adding a wine storage area or closet organizer?  You might be surprised at what your home has to offer that only a decorator’s eye would be able to find.  You can make your home truly functional in every aspect with the space you have to work with, by adding organizational components to your kitchen, bath, entry and closets.

New facility contains and treats contamination from former Bermite explosives plant. It was one of the Santa Clarita Valley’s longest-running, most vexing issues: How could the community deal with contamination spreading from the former site of the Whittaker-Bermite munitions manufacturing plant in the center of town?
The issue came to the forefront in the 1990s when it was discovered that perchlorate — a component of solid rocket fuel, munitions, fireworks, flares, and other explosive-type materials — were spreading from the site into the SCV’s groundwater.