Don’t Trade off Chic for Safety, These 6 Stylish Tips Will Help
(FamilyFeatures)–Home accidents cause nearly 13 million injuries a year. Some simple updates to your homecan help you avoid these accidents, as well as give your rooms a facelift.
“People often think that home improvement projects mean a complete overhaul of a room,” says Matt Muenster, a licensed contractor, designer and HGTV and DIY Network TV host, “but there are dozens of smaller updates that people can DIY that can have a big impact on the room. It’s the subtle details that make a difference in how you use and enjoy the space.”
To get your home makeover underway, try these tips from Muenster, who has teamed up with 3M, to keep your home both safe and stylish:
Step It Up: Have kids at home? Install a stepstool that slides into the toe kick beneath the sink so that your kids are able to pull it out like a drawer and step up to wash their hands. This is also great for parents who have young chefs in the house who like to help out in the kitchen.
A Soft Landing: If you find yourself having butterfinger-moments more often than not, consider flooring that is made from a soft material like woodgrain cork, or rubberized tile that look like stone, in the working areas of the kitchen. This helps prevent breakage when something slips through your fingers.
Get a Grip: If you are planning upgrades to your bathroom or simply want to make a change, choose wall and floor tile with a textured surface. It’ll provide better traction for wet, bare feet and grip for wet hands. Smaller tile with more grout also helps reduce slippery surfaces.
The Less Clutter, the Better: Sometimes the bulky knife block can be an eyesore or take up too much space on small countertops. If you are looking for new and interesting ways to store sharp knives, try installing magnet strips on the backsplash in the kitchen. This will not only keep your counter clutter free, but give your kitchen some flair.
So Fresh and So Clean: Enjoy fresh, filtered water at home without having a bulky filter attached to the faucet or the hassle of constantly refilling a pitcher. The new 3M Maximum Under Sink Water Filtration System stays out of sight while allowing high water flow from your existing faucet. The system, which is available at Lowe’s stores or Lowes.com, is easy to install using just a screwdriver, wrench and drill, and the quick-change filter lasts up to six months. Best of all, it reduces contaminants that may be in your water, including 99.3 percent of lead, as well as microbial cysts, chlorine taste and odor, sand, sediment, rust and soil.
Let There Be Light: Whether it’s a trip to the kitchen for a midnight snack or to the bathroom in the middle of the night, motion sensor LED lighting can be a great help. They shut themselves off after a few minutes.
A kitchen or bathroom remodel can be big or small, but with some planning and the right tools, the projects can be accomplished using your own hands. By tackling these projects yourself, not only will you have the assurance that your home is safer without sacrificing style, but your new space will also feel extra special.
Reprinted with permission from RISMedia. ©2016. All rights reserved.
More Resources for Home Sellers and Home Buyers
Our Buyer’s FAQ page has 9 of the most frequently asked questions from Home Buyers, along with 10 additional resources for Home Buyers at the bottom of the page.
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Thinking of Selling your home? First check out our 9 FAQs for Sellers. Then read on, there are 9 additional resources for Home Sellers at the bottom of the page.
Home Buyer’s Frequently Asked Questions
Home Seller’s Frequently Asked Questions
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