February Yard & Garden Tips

As the weather begins to warm up, don't get too far ahead in your spring gardening - we may still have frost, so be prepared to cover tender plants.  Trees, shrubs and vines can be fertilized at this time.  Fertilize trees away from the trunk; you want to reach the active roots under the outer part of the tree canopy.  Wait to prune any frost-damaged plants after you begin to see new growth.  You can clean out dead wood and remove suckers on trees in your yard.  Remember when pruning any plant to use clean, sharp tools designed for pruning and disinfect them between uses to prevent any spreading of disease.  Never remove more than 25% of the plant when pruning.

Bermuda grass can still be watered just once per month, while rye grass can be watered once or twice per week.  Don’t water grass at night or cut grass when it is wet – both of these actions can encourage growth of fungal diseases.  Don’t fertilize dormant Bermuda grass until later in the spring.

Dealing with weed control is easiest when weeds are small and their roots are weak.  This is a good time to use a pre-emergent weed control in gravel areas.  Remember that if you are planning to plant seeds, don’t use the pre-emergent in that area because it will prevent the seeds from germinating.

These simple tips will help your trees and landscape stay healthy and help prepare for those hot temperatures.

Home Office Tips from Gale Steves

The New Year may bring changes in career or the option of telecommuting, since more and more of us are working from home these days.  Or, if you are already working from home, you may want to reorganize and improve your home office space.  Gale Steves offers the following things to think about as you plan your new space.

You’ll want to give consideration to storage space – Do you need to keep files locked away? Do you need to be able to leave active projects out in the open?  Does your office space do double duty as family or guest room space when not in use?  If you are a neat person you may do fine with using your office space for other functions; otherwise, you may need a space where you can close the door behind you.

Steves suggests that if you are self employed you will need to create space for creativity and have a fashionable office with light and noise control.  If your home office is more of a family communications center for catching up on work, bills or email, it can be more centrally located and not a dedicated space.
The former editor-in-chief of Home magazine, Steves specializes in making homes more livable through her concept of Right-Sizing, which helps make the most of smaller spaces.

Hot Water Recirculation Pumps Save Water and Time

Did you know that just waiting for hot water to reach your tap results in gallons of wasted water each day?  In the 60 seconds it takes for hot water to actually come out of the faucet, unused water in the supply line is evacuated and wasted.  In order to save water and save time is a hot water recirculation pump. 

New homes can be constructed with a dedicated return line that is installed between the water heater and the end of the hot water supply line, and a pump that pushes heated water through the supply line from the heater and back through the return line.  Existing homes can be retrofitted with a circulation pump that allows the cold water supply line to act as the return line. 

Water is circulated back into the hot water storage so that it’s always ready when you turn on the tap.  A pump keeps hot water in your supply line, while a valve at the tap creates a by-pass for recirculation.  A timer can be installed to provide increased efficiency during low water use periods of the day or night. With this simple retrofit, you’ll enjoy instant hot water throughout your home while eliminating wasted water on a daily basis.

Fall Home Maintenance Tasks

Are you ready to enjoy the fall and winter in beautiful Arizona?  Time to relax with family and friends, get outdoors, whether you’re golfing, hiking or attending the many festivals or art events in the area.  But, before you can play it’s a good idea to get your home maintenance list squared away.  September is a great time to handle routine maintenance items around the house as it begins to cool off a little.

Walk the exterior of your home and check for peeling paint, cracks in the foundation or stucco, damage to the soffit and fascia, and the slab and any plantings around your air conditioning unit.  As temperatures cool, adjust your irrigation timers accordingly.

In fall, solar screens can be removed, cleaned and stored.  Of course, that means windows can be washed after all of our summer dust storms.  It’s also a good time to check your sliding glass doors and clean the tracks and treads.  Check your garage door for proper operation, and follow manufacturer’s instructions for oiling the door if necessary.

Fall is also a good time to check and/or change batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Remember to have your HVAC system checked by a qualified professional, and change your air filters.  While you are checking filters, don’t forget about your water filtration or softening systems – do you need a new filter in your fridge or bags of salt in your water softener?

Spend a day thoroughly checking out your systems and structure, keeping things clean and running smoothly and you’ll be ready to get out and enjoy the beautiful  Arizona fall weather.

It’s a Buyers’ Market – Invest in a Home Inspection

Home prices and mortgage interest rates are staying low, and it's a great time for home buyers to invest in a

home.  An important part of the home purchase process is having your potential new home inspected.  Sometimes even the current homeowner isn’t aware of issues that could be a problem for you when you move into the home.  Having a home inspection brings any potential problems to your attention, giving you the opportunity to correct them before you move in.

You might discover that the home is poorly maintained overall.  Lack of knowledge, time or money can result in a home that isn’t well cared for.  You can see signs of poor maintenance in peeling paint, cracks, or broken fixtures. A good home inspector will pick up on the little things that may have gone unnoticed in the electrical system, plumbing, HVAC system and structure of the home.  Faulty plumbing fixtures and old piping might be discovered, or insufficient or out-of-date electrical systems.  It’s obviously important that all components of the electrical system are functioning properly and are up to code.

Another common issue that home inspectors uncover is leaks.  Signs of water damage could point to a roof leak due to damaged or deteriorated shingles or tiles, improper flashing, or a worn out flat roofing surface.  Leaks can also be the result of poor caulking or weather stripping around windows and doors.  Gaps or cracks here can also allow air flow that can raise your energy bills.

A good home inspector will cover all of the home’s major operating systems, structure and exterior factors such as grading and patios.  If you’re making an investment in a home, you’ll want to know exactly what you’re getting inside and out.

Outdoor Lighting Boosts Your Home’s Security

If you have an older home or haven't given much thought to your outdoor or security lighting, you may want

to consider updating your exterior with lighting that is functional, beautiful and enhances your home’s safety.  Outdoor lighting is a deterrent to intruders, as it leaves them exposed with nowhere to hide.  It also provides safely illuminated areas for you and your family as you come and go or spend time outdoors.  

You’ll want to choose lighting based on the location and the need in that particular area.  For example, driveways and entrances are great places for lighting that detects motion.  When you (or anyone else) enters the driveway or approaches the door, the lighting will automatically kick on.  These fixtures should be positioned to maximize safety and minimize any glare that might disturb you in the home.  A downward orientation and shielded vision on these types of fixtures creates clear lighting without glare.

For areas where you want more continuous lighting, such as backyard, patio or play areas that might be used in the evening, floodlights are effective.  High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting is energy efficient and long lasting, and is used often in landscape lighting.  Halogen or incandescent lights are commonly used in floodlight applications. 

Take a look around your home with an eye toward safety.  Brighten your entrances with welcoming fixtures, illuminate dark corners with floodlights and consider keeping your home secure with motion detecting lighting.

Treat Your Garage as a Part of Your Home

Your home’s garage can make a world of difference in terms of a first impression or “curb appeal”. Starting out with top quality garage doors in a style that is in keeping with your home’s design shows that you consider your garage an important part of your home.

There are a variety of styles and materials available today that can bring style to your garage. Lodi garage doors feature steel, composite and solid Western Red Cedar garage doors in different sizes and combinations to suit your garage. According to Remodeling Magazine’s annual report, replacing garage doors is one of the top two highest cost- to-value projects homeowners can do.

The garage isn’t just a dirty, outdoor storage space – it is an extension of your home that should be maintained in the same way you would keep up your home’s main living space. It can also feature expertly designed storage space and work space for projects. Garage cabinets come in a variety of finishes to create functional and stylish storage and workbench areas to keep things organized and easily accessible.

Durable, easy to clean epoxy coating for your garage floor is a composition of multi-layer vinyl chips embedded in a pigmented base coat and sealed with successive coats of clear glaze. Lodi offers a range of granite and solid color epoxy looks. The epoxy finish makes cleaning the garage easy and actually prevents staining and tire marks, keeping the garage looking as good as your house.

Take a look at your garage and once you’ve decluttered, consider bringing your garage up to a whole new level by treating it as the newest room in your home.

Smart Technology for your Home

There are so many ways to update your home with “smart” technology to program and control everything from lighting to home theaters to security and HVAC – everything that makes your home comfortable for you. You can program your blinds to open in the morning, and the coffee to brew while your favorite music starts up. The newest technology goes a step further by allowing you to control your home wirelessly from remote locations, which certainly adds peace of mind when you are away from home.

Schlage (the lock company) has developed technology to control and monitor locks, cameras, indoor and outdoor lighting and your home’s thermostat, all from computer or web-enabled cell phone. The company has partnered with Trane and allows users to adjust the temperature of their home remotely using the Trane ComfortLink Remote Thermostat. The programmable thermostat can save up to 15% on energy consumption compared to a non-programmable thermostat. You can also program lights and appliances to be off when not in use, saving more on your energy use.

Schlage’s applications allow you to open doors in your home remotely, change or add user codes, and receive text or email notifications when your locks are opened. You can start with just one wireless lock and add more to your system as you need, so your wireless smart technology is totally customized.

Made in the Shade - Keep Summer Energy Costs Down

Many of us are working within tighter budgets this summer, and as things start to heat up there are a few ways you can add value to your home, while saving on energy costs. Simply adding more shade to your home can provide valuable energy savings in the summer.

Stop summer heat coming in through your windows by using shades, sun screens, awnings and patio covers to block the sun. If your sun screens are old, they may not be shading effectively and you may want to have the screening replaced. Here is an example from APS showing how much you could save by simply concentrating on your windows:

Shading Method or                   Annual Energy
Window Treatment                          Cost*
Awnings or overhangs                          $775
Tinted windows                                        $740
Shade screens                                           $650
No window treatment                           $950
(regular windows)
                        
*The figures above are based on energy calculations by APS using the APS Standard Plan. Your actual energy costs may vary.

Another way to shade your home and keep it cooler is to plant trees or shrubs that will not only improve the look of your property, but will block the sun. Even groundcovers and low shrubs and reduce heat reflected from the ground to your walls and windows. Deciduous trees can provide shade in the summer, and after losing their leaves in winter will allow the sun to warm your home. Shade trees can also cool down your attic in summer. So block out the summer sun and enjoy some energy savings this season, and look for more energy saving tips next week.

Caulking Tiled Surfaces Couldn’t be Easier

When installing new tile or looking to refresh an existing tiled area, you may wonder whether to use grout or tile.  In general, most joints between tiles will be grouted, but in transition or expansion areas, grout would be the preferred material to use.  In kitchen and bath projects, using a caulk specifically designed for high moisture areas is recommended.  Kitchen and bath caulk comes in a variety of colors to blend in with grout and effectively seals tubs, showers, toilets and sinks.

Grout is not flexible, but caulk is – allowing it to “give” with any possible structural movement that occurs between surfaces.  Joints between surfaces – like wall and floor – or anywhere that settling might occur, should be caulked.  Use caulk between wall tile and tub or shower, between countertop and backsplash, and in corners where two walls come together.  Grout is also a porous surface, which allows moisture to penetrate.  Caulk is effective for creating a waterproof seal in areas such as around plumbing valves, sinks and faucets.

Caulk is easy to apply, by just following manufacturer’s recommendations.  You’ll need a caulking gun, a damp rag or a caulk smoothing tool.  Load the caulk tube into the gun and use a sharp blade to make an angled cut across the tip of the tube, then poke a hole into the tube with a nail or the metal tool that comes on some caulking guns.  Move your caulking gun smoothly across the seam and then smooth the joint with a damp rag, moistened fingertip or caulk smoothing tool.  Be sure to note whether your caulking gun stops dispensing when you release the trigger, some need to be stopped manually or caulk will keep flowing!

Allow your caulk to dry thoroughly per manufacturer’s instructions, and your tiled surface will be ready to use and sealed to perfection.

Trends in Remodeling Cost vs. Value

Remodeling Magazine has released its 2010-2011 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. This annual report takes 35 popular remodeling projects and compares the cost to the value the projects retain at resale. Although the unstable economy has affected the construction industry as well as home values across the country, one thing has remained consistent according to the study. “Replacement projects have historically outperformed full-service remodeling projects, primarily because they are lower-cost projects that are perceived as essential to regular home maintenance.”

Exterior projects that result in increased curb appeal lead the pack, with entry door and garage door replacements recouping up to 102.1% and 83.9% respectively. Replacing windows was another high-return home project, showing a return of 81.5% in the Phoenix area. Another top exterior project that adds appeal and value is the addition of a wood deck. This relatively inexpensive project tied for fourth place in the cost to value analysis with minor kitchen remodeling. Minor kitchen remodeling is a significant expenditure at an average of $21,695 nationally, but shows the importance to homeowners of investing in a comparatively inexpensive “face lift” to keep this essential part of the house up-to-date and aesthetically pleasing to potential buyers.

Return on project investment is also dependent on the current real estate trends and values in your neighborhood. That said, keeping a well-maintained house and investing in updated features that are in line with comparable properties will allow you to enjoy your home and keep it in top form for potential resale.

Outdoor Lighting – Make the Most of Your Property

Arizona offers up some of the most dramatic landscapes anywhere, with everything from lush tropical plantings to towering saguaros and spectacular stone water features. Many of us should get a great deal of enjoyment out of our home landscapes at night, when the family is home and temperatures are pleasant. Here are some ways to improve the outdoor lighting in your landscape, to bring out your property’s potential.

Look around your landscape for highlights that you want to feature. You can choose to up-light or down-light various plants and trees. Consider the height of plantings, trees and hardscape features when you are choosing your outdoor lighting fixtures, as well as placement. Will you be spotlighting something from a distance, or incorporating low-profile fixtures into your planting areas?

Pathways, patios and other outdoor living areas should have appropriate lighting. You’ll need to provide enough light for people to get around and see where they’re going, without overdoing it and creating glare.

When you are designing your lighting plan, don’t forget the house itself. Many homes feature unique architectural elements and beautiful exterior finishes that can be highlighted, as well as providing general lighting for entryways, driveways, etc. Lighting your home can create an elegant and inviting look that increases curb appeal. Your exterior lighting is also an important security consideration. A dark property can not only be dangerous, but allows easier access for intruders.

There are a wide variety of outdoor fixtures to choose from, as well as outdoor lighting designers who can help you create the most effective ways to enhance your property with outdoor lighting.

Insulation in Arizona?

While family and friends battle snow drifts and icy blasts winter winds across the country, Arizona residents are enjoying some of the nation’s best weather. It’s easy at this time of year to forget the scorching heat of Arizona summers, and the toll the high temperatures take on our energy bills. Your home’s insulation (or lack of it) plays a key role in your utility costs.

The R-value of insulation measures resistance to heat flow, so insulation with a higher R-value provides more effective insulating power. APS recommends R-30 ceiling insulation and R-19 wall insulation for homes in the Phoenix area. There are several types of insulation that can be installed, including loose-fill or blown-in, batts or blankets. Having the insulation properly installed is crucial to effective insulating power. Air gaps can reduce the effectiveness of insulation by over 30%, and insulation that is compressed will also underperform.

The attic is the first place to start when investigating your home’s insulation. This is an area of the home where there are often deficiencies that can be corrected for energy savings that can be substantial. This is especially true in older Arizona homes. Just 5% missing attic insulation could result in R-value dropping by as much as 50%.

Having improvements made to your home’s insulation by a quality installer can be a great investment – both as an energy savings strategy, and as an investment in the proper care and maintenance of your home that will pay off when it’s time to sell your property.

Dual Flush Toilet Kits Save Water and Money

Dual Flush toilets are becoming more and more common in new construction. These toilets can perform a full flush, or a flush with half of the amount of water. In most cases, a half-flush is all that is needed to keep the toilet bowl clean. A new dual flush toilet can be expensive and require professional installation, but if you are looking to save water you can install a dual flush retrofit kit on your existing toilet.

These dual flush kits are generally easy to install and fit most existing toilets. Even if you decide to have the kit professionally installed, it will be significantly less expensive than a new dual flush toilet. Dual flush kits allow you to select the amount of water for flushing – 0.8 gallon for a lighter flush and 1.6 gallons when you need more power. Of course, your savings will vary depending on how many people are using the toilet, and how often – basically, how many times is the toilet flushed?

Estimates of how many gallons are saved using a dual flush toilet kit vary widely – from 1,600 gallons per year to 40,000 gallons per year. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that toilets account for 30% of the water used in the home, and that switching an older toilet to a dual flush or other water efficient toilet can save a family of four an average of $2,000 on water bills over the life of the fixture. That’s not a bad return on a minimal investment of time and money.

The Stone Age – Granite in Your Kitchen

Update or customize your kitchen with granite countertops and you can expect lasting beauty and a great return on your investment. Building and design professionals consistently choose granite for luxury homes and custom remodeling projects. As a natural stone, granite possesses unique variations in color and markings that can make the countertops an exceptional and striking design element in any kitchen. From eye-catching mineral flecks to distinctive vein patterns and swirls of rich color, the characteristics of granite coordinate with cabinets, flooring and wall finishes creating the perfect, luxurious compliment to your kitchen design.

Historically marble and limestone were preferred by stone fabricators because they are softer and easier to work with. Granite is one of the hardest and most durable of the stone types, and advances in machinery and fabricating technologies have eliminated the difficulties in working with granite. Granite’s outstanding qualities led to the highest number of “excellent” ratings in a recent study of kitchen countertop materials, according to Consumer Reports.

In additional to fabricating advances, new granite resources continue to be located worldwide. Currently, approximately two-thirds of the granite used worldwide is quarried in China, India and Brazil, with granite quarries operating in dozens of other countries. Visit a reputable granite supplier and it’s likely you will have access to a plentiful supply of various colors and characteristics representing quarries around the world.

Once your project is completed and you are enjoying your new countertops, you can clean them with a neutral cleaner, stone soap or mild dishwashing detergent and warm water. Rinse the surface well and dry with a soft cloth. Don’t use scouring powders or “soft” scrubs that might scratch the surface. Your stone installer will let you know if you should apply a stone sealer and can recommend one that is non-toxic and safe in food preparation areas. It’s that easy.

Easy Bathroom Updates

Updating a tired bathroom is a great way to start the fall. But don’t think you have to get into heavy-duty, dusty demolition and costly renovations. One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to make bathroom improvements is to update your bath or shower area with an acrylic liner. These custom-fitted liners fit your existing tub or shower area perfectly, and are guaranteed not to fade, crack or peel for your house’s lifetime.

Liners Direct has been in the liner business for almost 20 years, and is an industry leader in acrylic manufacturing. They offer a variety of colors and have a complete selection of molds for tub and shower models of all ages and sizes.

So, what if you could be looking at a clean, modern shower or bath area in just one day? This is the time of year when out-of-town relatives and friends start booking their trips for Arizona’s warm winter – when is your rotation of houseguests going to start? By taking advantage of the quick turnaround using Liners Direct, you’ll be ready to host Mom and Dad in no time, for a smaller investment than you would expect.

Match your existing bathroom colors, or go in a new direction with a selection of colors and finishes – from granite and marble designs to a clean tile look. Add accessories to enhance your tub or shower, such as shelves, recessed soap dishes or a corner seat. Liners Direct can also provide a custom-fitted window kit that results in a water-tight seal on your existing window. Update the rest of the room with Liners Direct wainscoting for a fresh look with unmatched durability.

Getting excited about the possibility of a top quality bath renovation that is quick and easy? Take a look at these before and after photos for even more ideas.

Update the Gate!

Gates are a functional part of your property, but are also an architectural element that can express your home’s style and add to curb appeal. Whether your home is a stately Tuscan, traditional southwestern territorial style, a 1920’s bungalow or a Spanish-style stucco - a front or side gate, courtyard gate or driveway gate can add a unique design element to your property. Automated gates are one way to boost your home’s security and add the ultimate convenience.

Wrought iron or powder-coated steel gates are a long-lasting alternative to wood gates, which can rot, sustain damage from insects, loosen and sag. The Arizona climate is tough on wooden gates, and can result in gates that don’t work properly, failing to latch or swing properly on their hinges. Of course, gates in disrepair are not only a safety hazard, but detract from your property’s curb appeal.

Choosing a new gate that is galvanized is a great investment, preventing rust and decay for years to come. There will be minimal rust possible in cracks and seams with the powder coating, but for the most part these materials are built to be maintenance free and last. Powder coating or electrostatically painting your gate offers up color choices to match your landscaping and existing fencing, stone or block wall.

If you love the look of wood for your gates, consider a synthetic wood. Gate companies like Great Gates Inc. offer a synthetic wood in four realistic colors: Coastal Cedar, Sequoia Red, Driftwood Gray, and Dark Walnut. This product is made of 100% recycled materials; will not split, chip or degrade and is 100% maintenance free.

Look for a gate and fencing manufacturer who uses top quality materials, and have your gate installed by an experienced, licensed fencing contractor to ensure that it functions properly and will enhance the beauty of your home for years to come.

Simple Prep Work for Painting

Nothing has a bigger impact on your living space than interior painting. A fresh coat of paint can add appeal your home, making a tired interior seem new again. Painting is often a crucial part of getting your house ready to sell, especially in a tough housing market. You might think that choosing the perfect color is the main concern before having your interior painted, but having the proper prep work done before painting is just as important. Your paint job will look its best and last longer when your walls are prepared properly.

If your walls are already painted, it’s important to determine whether the existing paint is latex or oil-based. Testing the paint with denatured alcohol on a rag is a quick way to determine what type of paint is on your walls. If rubbing with the alcohol softens or removes the paint, it is an acrylic or latex paint. You can apply an oil-based or latex paint over this without priming. If the paint is unaffected by the alcohol, it is oil based and cannot be recoated with latex paint without using a primer.

Nail holes and minor cracks in your wall can be filled with lightweight spackle and lightly sanded. This is also a great time to check the caulking around windows, moldings and baseboards. Make sure the any new caulk that is applied is paintable. If you are painting a light color over a bold, dark color, it’s helpful to prime the walls. If you encounter peeling, stains, mold or mildew or major cracks on your walls, more extensive prep work will need to be done before painting. Skimping on the preparation can result in problems down the road, and the need to repaint a second time. It’s also important in homes built before 1978 to use proper precautions when scraping or sanding existing paint, which may be lead-based.

Update Your Kitchen with Cabinet Refacing

In this economy, homeowners are looking to make home improvements that make sense. Kitchens are one part of the home where improvements can go from something as small as new cabinet hardware to a full-blown kitchen remodel. According to Remodeling Magazine, homeowners in 2009 who chose to do smaller kitchen remodeling jobs, spending less than half the cost of a major remodel, recouped a higher percentage of their investment – 81.5%. The magazine included cabinet refacing in their estimates for the minor remodel.

Cabinet refacing makes sense if you are looking for an updated look in your kitchen, but like the existing layout of your kitchen. You can create a whole new look at a fraction of the cost and with a lot less disruption within your home. The actual process of cabinet refacing consists of removing the doors and drawer fronts, leaving the cabinet boxes in place. The doors and drawer fronts are replaced with high-quality new pieces, and the exterior faces of the boxes are covered with new surface material. There are a wide variety of styles and finishes available for your “new” cabinets, and you can replace and update the hardware as well, creating an updated kitchen in as little as a few days.

Don’t just think color or finish when considering refacing your cabinets. This is a great time to add new features or accessories to your kitchen. Incorporate mullion doors into your design. Add moldings and rosettes for the look of a high-end custom kitchen. You can even add cabinets to your existing layout to improve your kitchen’s functionality. Finish your refacing project off with a built-in wine rack or added corner shelves. The options are unlimited, and make sense for homeowners who want a quality kitchen for less.

Your Home Improvement Topic is Our Topic On HouseTalk Saturday, October 31, 2009

I will bring in a few topics of discussion this week as well as open the phones for your questions regarding any projects you need guidance with. One topic may be the guides that are available for HouseTalk listeners this Saturday.

I have written these guides because of YOU! Why? Let me explain: In the eight years plus of hosting HouseTalk, I have gotten some calls that were cries for help! These were a result of people somehow, someway ending up in a very bad situation in regard to satisfactorily getting some work completed on their homes. I have seen situations like room additions framed up and abandoned, bad window installations that left homeowners with multiple water leaks when the rains finally came, roofs that failed prematurely, bathrooms left gutted and way too much more! The point is that of course there are several great contractors out there but there are some that are not so great. How do you figure out which contractor to hire? This is exactly why I wrote these guides!

I wrote one guide on Remodeling, one on Window Replacement and one on Roofing. Now these guides are specific to the types of work my company, Trades Unlimited, does so if you ever have a need for any of those things be sure to call my office at 480-483-1775 or click here to go to my company, Trades Unlimited. There are many things in these guides that can be used regardless of what type of work you are having done such as questions to ask your contractor or items a contractor should provide and more.

To listen live online from 8-10 Saturday morning, click here. If you're in the Phoenix valley area, we're on KKNT960 AM. Let's talk on HouseTalk!

Make it a great day!

Warren