Welcome! Elkhart Home Improvement Find includes every home improvement related resource in the area and features photos,
maps and brochures so you can find all the services you need for your home!

Choosing a contractor

One of the most important decisions in the home improvement process is choosing a contractor. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• Make sure whomever you choose is properly licensed and insured.
• Inquire about credentials and check references. When contacting previous clients, ask detailed questions about the quality of work, how well they stayed on time and budget and if they were good about cleaning up after themselves.
• Get several estimates from different contractors. Write down exactly what you want to accomplish on paper, so you provide the same information to every contractor. It will be easier to compare prices that way.

Source: The Washington Post

Changing a shower head

With a wrench and some thread tape, most shower heads on the market can be changed in a few simple steps.

Turn off the water supply to the house, or just to the shower, before working on the shower head. Turn on the shower handles and let whatever water is sitting in the pipes drain out so you don’t have leakage while you’re working.

Follow the product instructions carefully. Keep your shower head spic-and-span with an over-the-counter cleaner to avoid lime accumulation.

Consumers can find a variety of shower heads, from water massagers to hand-held versions for $20 to more than $150.

Source: Associated Press

Storage space

Empty spaces in your home can be a great opportunity to increase storage, and they help create order. For example, kill the dust bunnies under your bed and put that space to good use with some under-bed storage containers. These work especially well for infrequently used or seasonal items. High shelves can be another good place to stow such things. The less often you need to access the item, the less accessible it should be.

Make a list of what you put in long-term-storage areas so you won’t lose track of what you have and end up buying duplicates.

Source: HGTV

Getting rid of fire ants

Old-fashioned remedies such as grits, soap or wood ashes won’t kill fire ants, but hot water and a shovel will, suggest experts at the Florida Cooperative Extension Service.

Carefully pour about 3 gallons of boiling water on the mound. If that doesn’t work, dig out the mound. Wear long pants and sleeves, closed-toe shoes or boots, and gloves. Sprinkle body powder on the shovel handle and the inside of a bucket (so ants can’t climb either). Then, on a cool morning (ants stay underground during hot, dry weather), dig out the mound and place it in the bucket. Pour boiling water in the bucket to kill the ants.

Source: St. Petersburg Times