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DIY

Home improvements you can do in 24 hours or lessTo help you spring into

warm weather home im-provement, here are 24 sim-ple projects that take 24hours or less to accomplish:

Put a fresh coat of painton the front door. Stan-dard paints can take a longtime to dry, especially ifyou live in a humid climate.SnapDry(R) from Sherwin-

Williams(R) dries in as lit-tle as one hour, and you'll beable to close the door with-out it sticking. The paintcan be used inside or out-side the home and it resistsdirt, fingerprints, UV raysand weathering.

Update kitchen cabinets.Recently, homeowners arechanging the facades of

their kitchen cabinets andpainting them instead ofstaining them-a trend thathas grown tremendously.Add new knobs to completethe look for an easy, inex-pensive way to give yourcabinets a facelift.

Swap pillows and throws.You can't change yourcouch every time the sea-

son changes, but switchingout pillows and throws is agreat way to give seasonalflare to your living roomdecor. Create a statementwall. Installing graphicwallpaper or wood plank-ing on one wall, or simplypainting one wall or theceiling a contrasting color,can add drama to any roomin the house.

Spruce up the deck forsummer enjoyment. A re-finished deck looks great,and doesn't have to be a lotof work. SuperDeck(R) fromSherwin-Williams goes onfast and easy, and protectsthe integrity of your wooddeck. It can even reducethe surface temperature ofthe wood, making the deckbarefoot-friendly on a hotsummer day.

Add wow factor to yourentryway. Large planters

with hardy, bright bloomsadd curb appeal when posi-tioned on either side of thefront door.

Update your lighting.Modern light fixtures inkitchens and bathroomsshed a whole new light andlook on the room. Considerinstalling a dimmer so youcan create the right mood,any time of the day. Whileyou're upgrading lighting,be sure to replace old-styleincandescent bulbs with en-ergy-efficient ones that willlast longer and cost less tooperate.

Create a gallery wall.Hang multiple family pho-tos and/or chic prints invarying frame styles andsizes on one wall of the liv-ing room.

Rearrange your furni-ture. Talk about a no-costway to get a totally differ-

ent look. Experiment withdifferent furniture configu-rations, and don't be afraidto move pieces from roomto room.

BRANDPOINT

Every house has a spotwhere shoes, backpacksand other personal itemscollect. Organize that areawith hooks for hanging andcubbies or shoe racks forstorage.

DIY>> PAGE4

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Dave Earwood, Office Manager, and Jim Kerr, President, Modern Exterminating andTermite Control, pose alongside Jesse Jaws and his pals from the “Hole-in-the-Wall”gang. The company was named favorite exterminator in the annual Talk of the Townreader voting. This February marks the company’s 70th year in business.

LOCALBUSINESS

KEEPING HOMES PESTFREE FOR 70 YEARS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Create a rechargingdrawer in your kitchen.Clean out that junk drawer,add dividers and a powerstrip and you have the per-fect place for rechargingyour family’s electronic de-vices.

Install a ceiling fan. Noth-ing says spring and summerlike a ceiling fan wafting gen-tle breeze through a room.Choose the style and sizethat’s right for your space.Bonus: ceiling fans can helpreduce energy bills bycheaplysupplementing air-condition-ing and heating.

Organize your mudroom.Whether it’s a formal mud-room or a corner of the en-tryway, every house has aspot where shoes, backpacksand other personal items col-lect. Organize that area withhooksforhangingandcubbiesor shoe racks for storage.

Add a display shelf abovea doorway. A wooden shelf

above a doorway is a greatplace to feature collectibles.

Add vintage class to a pow-der room. Replace the ordi-nary doorknob on your pow-der room door with a vintageor replica glass knob.

Install decorative housenumbers. You can purchasedecorative tileorglassnumer-als from a variety of sources.

Stencil some fun. Add ani-malorcharacterstencilstothewalls of a child’s room, stair-case or kitchen, or patio tablefor a quick, artsy take.

Add a ceiling medallion.Draw attention to a light fix-ture by installing a decora-tiveceilingmedallionthathasa slightly different color thanthe ceiling.

Replace a kitchen faucet.A new kitchen faucet can bepractical and decorative, butcan also control water flow,saving money.

Pressure wash siding andwalkways. Power washing ex-terior home areas makes sid-ing and walkways look fresh.

Hang a new mirror inthe bathroom. A decorativeframed mirror in place of astandard bathroom mirror

adds interest, elegance andeven light to the space.

Put a decorative decal inthe laundry room. Createsome fun in the laundry areaby adding a decal with a hu-morous saying, such as “Lifeis too short to fold fittedsheets!”

Upgrade bathroom towelstorage. Replace thosebuilder-issue towel bars andrings with decorative optionsthat add pizzazz.

Make your own art witha shower curtain. Lovelarge-scale artwork buthave a smaller scale bud-get? Use wood to frame adecorative shower curtainand turn it into wall art.

Wash windows! What’sthe one spring DIY taskthat will make all the oth-ers in your home look evenbetter? Wash windows toallow spring and summersunlight into your home.

Trying just a few ofthese easy home-improve-ment tasks is a fast wayto perk up your home forspring and summer.

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MARPLE >> Wm. HendersonPlumbing, Heating & Cool-ing Inc. had a very modeststart in the HVAC industryin Delaware County.

Started in 1977 by Rita andWilliam “Bill” Henderson, itwas just a two-person opera-tion based out of the Hender-son’s Havertown home withBill doing all of the servicecalls for at least the first year.Since then, it has blossomedto a nearly 50-person opera-tion with a 2,000 square-footoffice – and a 2,000 square-foot warehouse to boot –and a fleet of trucks with thecompany’s name doled out inthat iconic green font.

Come April 1, the Hen-dersons will be celebrating40 years of service to the re-gion where “your comfort isour priority.”

“We’ve just grown, we’vegrown by leaps and bounds,”said Rita Henderson, whostill works part time in thebusiness office.

Inadditiontoalargerspacefootprint and expanding fromone technician to 25 techni-cians and apprentices, Wm.Hendersonhasexpandedfromdoing residential work to lightcommercial and apartmentbuildings throughout Dela-ware County, the Main Line

and Chester County since itsstart.

“Did I think it would be 50employees? I don’t think so.I was a little afraid of that,you know? But I have to sayit’s been very good to us,”said Henderson. “We’ve beenblessed, very blessed. Blessedwith good employees, blessedwith everything good I haveto say.”

Today, the business hasits own dispatch service thatcan get technicians out tocustomers 24/7, but it wasn’talways like that.

For at least the first 15years, Bill Henderson wouldbe the one to work a regu-lar shift during the weekand be the on-call techni-cian around the clock.

“He never asked the mento be on call,” Rita said of her

husband’s strong work ethic.“When we got a little biggerthat’s when (technicians)started to be on-call only onthe weekends. My husbandalways took the whole week.He was ambitious, very work-minded.”

And now another ambi-tious person in the familyhas taken the reigns: Ritaand Bill’s son, Michael.

Michael became second-generation owner of Wm.Henderson in April 2016 fol-lowing an already substan-tial role in the business. Hecut his teeth in the HVAC in-dustry while still attendingHaverford High School bygoing into a plumbing ap-prenticeship class and thenattending other reputabletechnical career schools inthe region. He joined Wm.

Henderson as a first appren-tice and worked his way upto the operations managerin 2007.

“I thought that it wouldonly get bigger when Michaelstarted to come in and makea lot of changes and add a lotof things to the business,”said Henderson. “I knewthat he wanted (to take thebusiness over) years ago be-cause there was no one whowould care like he cares. It’swonderful that he has takenover.”

She did admit that it washard, and still is, to hand thebusiness over.

As they start the next 40years, family, friends andemployees will celebrateWm. Henderson’s 40 yearsof business with a specialparty at the Springfield

Country Club on April 1.With an established pres-ence in the community, anda new Henderson in controlof the company, Rita laid out

a very simple way to con-tinue the business’s pros-perity.

“We’re going to continuethe success,” she said.

BUSINESS

Wm. Henderson celebrates 40 years in business

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Wm. Henderson Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Inc. wasfounded 40years ago by William and Rita Henderson, withtheir son Michael, right, becoming the second-generationowner in April 2016.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Wm. Henderson’s approximately 50-person crew today.

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WATERFEATURES

Add the benefits of a koi pond

While many people aredrawn to koi ponds becauseof their aesthetic appeal,there are many additionalreasons for homeowners toconsider installing koi pondsin their backyards.METROCREATIVE

Koi ponds can make forbeautiful additions to land-scaped backyards or homegardens. While many peo-ple are drawn to koi pondsbecause of their aestheticappeal, there are many ad-ditional reasons for home-owners to consider install-ing koi ponds in their back-yards.

Ponds and water gardenscan transform yards ratherquickly. Ponds can add ap-peal to otherwise mun-dane yards and provide eye-catching, relaxing spots tosit and enjoy the scenery.

Koi ponds have recentlyfallen into a favor withhomeowners in North

America, but these popularwater features date backseveral centuries to Asia.Centuries ago, Chinese ricefarmers began keepingcarp in their rice paddies,and that practice eventuallycaught on in Japan. The fishstarted to breed and formslight color variations. Koi,often referred to as “Nishi-kigoi,” are actually descen-dants of the common carp,though the koi of today aremore brightly hued and or-namental fish than carp.

Koi can become a low-maintenance family pet.These fish tend to grow ac-customed to having peoplearound, and will often in-

teract with visitors at thesurface of the water. It’snot unusual to have koibeg for food or take foodfrom a person’s hand. Theyalso may tolerate some lighthandling.

Another benefit of koiponds is that they cre-ate a miniature ecosys-tem within the yard. Whenstocked with aquatic plantsand other fish that can helpkeep mosquito larvae andother parasites at bay, theycan sustain themselvesquite nicely. Ponds alsocan attract birds and ben-eficial insects, such as but-terflies and dragonflies. Byimplementing straight ver-

tical walls on the perime-ter of the pond and settingup some natural barriers,homeowners can avoidunwanted predators fromdisturbing their koi ponds.

Koi ponds also providesome psychological bene-fits. The sound of the wa-ter can be soothing and re-laxing. Sitting by the pondmay help alleviate stress,as unwinding next to apond and watching thefish swim by can help in-dividuals decompress.

Homeowners who havekoi ponds may also bene-fit socially from these eye-catching additions to theirlandscapes. Homeowners

may connect with otherswho share their passionfor koi and water features.This opens up the oppor-tunity to share the land-

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DON’T CALL IT BLAND

Newneutralsdominate thecolor trendsof2017From furniture to walls,

new homes to remodels, coolgrays have dominated homedesign palettes for the lastfive years. Look to 2017 togently shake things up witha focus on fresh neutrals thatbring warm and cool tonestogether to create versatilecolor with timeless appeal.

One of the most notabletrends of the year is the tran-sition of neutrals from mono-chrome gray to warmer hues,including complex taupe,beige, khaki and brown col-ors. These warmer tones cre-ate an inviting feeling, andwhile grays will continue tobe popular, look for hybridhues that blend the best ofgray with warmer under-tones for colors that areunique, yet familiar.

The perfect example ofthis trend is Poised Taupe

(SW 6039), the Sherwin-Williams 2017 Color of theYear. Earthen brown com-bines with conservativegray resulting in a weath-ered, woodsy and complexneutral that fits well in vir-tually any room.

"Poised Taupe celebrateseverything people love aboutcool gray as a neutral, andalso brings in the warmth ofbrown, taking a color to anentirely new level," says SueWadden, director of colormarketing for Sherwin-Wil-liams. "Not cool or warm,nor gray or brown, PoisedTaupe brings a sense of cozi-ness and harmony that peo-ple are seeking."

If you're looking to refreshyour space with this newcolor trend, there are count-less opportunities. Here arefour stunning home decor

themes using this up-and-coming color:

Cornflower hues

With its cool-yet-warmvibe, Poised Taupe is an idealcomplement to cornflowerhues. For example, whenpaired with the faded in-digo of Stardew (SW 9138),it creates a charming pal-ette ideal for French coun-tryside aesthetics. Thisfun twist on a classic issure to produce timelessresults in the kitchen orliving spaces.

Organic re-imaginedCreate an updated na-

ture-inspired palette inyour home with citrusgreen, weathered bronze,mustard yellow and light,cool-toned blue pairedwith earthy neutrals like

Poised Taupe. This con-temporary organic look isperfectly re-imagined forthe modern world withjust the right amount ofvisual appeal.

Wine and taupeSaturated color pair-

ings that evoke deepmoods are gaining pop-ularity. Taking cues frombaroque and romanticismdesigns, the Sherwin-Williams Noir palette isrich with colors that arereminiscent of vine-ripefruits, dramatic wine col-ors and deep blues. Bal-ance this mysterious pal-ette with a neutral likePoised Taupe and you'llhave a look that is unex-pected and gorgeous.

Yellow popGray tones always pro-

v ide a clean, modernbase, but contrastingthese hues with vivid col-ors allows you to trans-form any room into acontemporary paradise.Try using the deep tealof Marea Baja (SW 9185)and sunny hued Bee (SW6683) alongside PoisedTaupe to create a graphiclook perfect for the officeor kids rooms.

Ready to make thisthe year you update yourhouse with fresh designsand stunning colors? Tolearn more about toptrends for 2017, visit www.sherwin-williams.com.


One of the most notabletrends of the year is thetransition of neutralsfrom monochrome grayto warmer hues, includingcomplex taupe, beige, khakiand brown colors.BRANDPOINT

If you think that the only way to exercise and burn calories involves gym equipment, think again.Yard work can be just as challenging as a thorough aerobics workout at a nearby fitness club. Toreap the greatest benefits, gardeners should use as little motorized machinery as possible. Manualtools will get you moving and can burn a substantial amount of calories. Try to vary positions andalternate which hands you use to reduce strain and get an even workout. Fitness experts say thatgardening can improve strength, increase endurance and assist with flexibility. According to a reportin the UK publication The Telegraph, clearing a pond or weeding can burn some 300calories in anhour. Forty-five minutes worth of gardening can burn as many calories as 30minutes of aerobics.

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NEWHOME

7 home improvements to tackle before youmove inYou found the perfect

home, so it's not surpris-ing that you want to movein as quickly as possible.However, there are someprojects that are best donewhen the house is stillempty.

So, consider completingthe following seven itemsbefore the moving trucksarrive.

● Painting. A fresh coatof paint can instantly up-date a room, and it's com-mon to buy a home know-ing you will need to paintseveral rooms or the entirehouse after the sale. How-ever, painting is best donewhile every wall is accessi-ble and there are no wor-ries about getting paint onfurniture or rugs.

● Changing locks. Now isthe time to change the lockson your new home to elim-inate the risk of any formerkeyholders accessing yournew space. Do this even ifyou know the former key-holders because you neverknow who they shared keyswith. This fix is quick, inex-pensive and it provides youwith peace of mind.

● Flooring updates. Re-doing a floor is always eas-ier when the floor is empty.Whether you're choosing toredo wood floors or lay tilebefore you move in, tack-ling this process now alsoallows you to keep woodand tile dust off of furni-

ture and collectables.● Roof repairs. Roof re-

pairs are a must. If thehome inspection revealedany damage to the roof,make the necessary repairsbefore moving in. Choosea contractor experiencedwith the type of shinglesyour home requires. Sev-eral of the largest shinglemanufacturers have pro-grams for contractors whomeet certain qualifications,like TAMKO Building Prod-ucts' Pro Certified Contrac-tor program. Homeownerscan easily locate a TAMKOPro at www.TAMKO.com/find-a-pro to get their proj-ect started.

● Removing popcorn

ceilings. No one likesthese. We're not sure any-one ever did, but alas, theyare a common sight, espe-cially in older homes. Pop-corn ceilings (and walls)are easy to remove, butmessy. Use a spray bottleto moisten an area, thenscrape the texture off witha towel. Clean-up will bemuch easier if you com-plete this project before in-troducing your furniture tothe space.

● Fix leaks. If left un-treated, water leaks cando serious damage to fur-niture, rugs, flooring andother valuables. Leakscan also lead to second-ary problems like rot-

ting wood, mold and mil-dew. And let's be honest,no one wants to live ina house where you can't

use the water, so addressplumbing issues before youmove in.

● Child and pet proof-

ing. Careful child and petproofing can protect yourbabies (furry or otherwise).Gates at the top and bot-tom of stairs, outlet cov-ers and locks on cabinets,drawers and any otherplace chemicals or med-icines are kept, can helpmake your new home asafer place.

As difficult as it can be,sometimes delaying yourmove-in by a few weeks cansave months of frustrationin the long run. So don'twait, because the sooneryou start, the sooner youcan start your new life inyour new home.

To learn more about howyou can use TAMKO build-ing products in your nexthome project, visit TAMKO.com.


BRANDPOINT

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SHADYCHARACTERS

Shade-tolerant plants help complete landscapesPlants need sunlight to thrive

and grow, but some need lesssunlight than others. People whofind their landscapes are less sup-portive to sun-loving plants canchoose from a variety of shade-tolerant plants, shrubs and trees.

Shade tolerance refers to aplant’s ability to withstand lowlevels of light. Certain plants haveadapted this feature to survive inthe wild. Plants that grow at thebase of forest floors, for example,will get less sunlight than oth-ers outside of the tree canopy.Such adaptations enable a widevariety of foliage to grow eventhough they are not exposed tomuch sunlight.

While sun-loving plants oftenhave broad leaves and expendsignificant energy to capturesunlight for photosynthesis,shade-tolerant plants expendless energy and tend to be moreefficient consumers of soil nutri-ents and sunlight.

Penn State Extension’s Plantand Pests division says theamount of shade a plant is grow-ing under will directly affect thedensity of the foliage and theplant’s flowering and fruitingcharacteristics. Blending shade-tolerant plants into the landscapecan be an effective use of space.Before choosing plants for an ex-isting landscape, it’s important toassess the level of shade or sun theplants will receive.

● Heavy shade: Heavy shade iswhen no direct sunlight reachesa plant. This occurs at the base of

northern-facing walls or beneaththick tree canopies.

● Full sun: Areas that receivefull sun enjoy direct sunlight be-tween six and eight hours per day.

● Moderate shade: These siteshave reflected sunlight that maycome off of water features.

● Light shade: Plants in theseareas will get partially filtered ordappled sunlight.

Once homeowners understand

which type of shade they are deal-ing with, they can then visit plantnurseries and select their plants.Most greenery comes with careinstructions that include recom-mendations regarding the amountof shade/sunlight the plant willneed to do well. If further assis-tance is needed, a knowledgeableemployee can make suggestionsbased on landscape needs.

Those who are looking for

some preliminary guidance whenit comes to selecting shade-toler-ant shrubs, plants or trees can con-sult the following list.

● Bleeding heart: Bleedingheart, or Dicentra spectabilis, istypically found in woodlands. It’sa perennial in the poppy familythat produces mounded foliageand arching vine-like stems ofheart-shaped flowers in the spring.

● Amethyst flower: Browallia

hybrids offer star-shaped bloomsof blue and violet. These plantswill billow out of hanging bas-kets or containers, and they preferwarm shade or filtered sunlight.

●Coleus: The coleus, Solenoste-mon scutellarioides, is another pe-rennial that can have a variety ofdifferent leaf colors and striations.

● Witch hazels: These are agenus in the family Hamameli-dacea, which has four differentspecies in North America. Thisshrub or small tree features arch-ing branches with dense, multi-stemmed clumps. Witch hazelproduces flowers in the late au-tumn when most other plantsare sparse.

● Bayberry: Myrica pensylva-nica can grow in partial shadeas a hedge or natural propertydivider. The leaves of this shrubare aromatic when crushed. Theshrub will produce tiny, gray/white fruits in late summer.

● English Ivy: Also known asHedera helix, this trailing plantis widely cultivated as an or-namental plant. It will spreadeasily and can become inva-sive.

Those searching for shade-tol-erant trees can choose amongSugar maple, Black alder, Flower-ing dogwood, and White spruce,among others.

Shade-tolerant plants can makewelcome additions to the land-scape, offering greenery and colorin the darker areas of a property.

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From fresh egg produc-tion to natural garden fer-tilizer, there is no shortageof benefits in raising back-yard poultry. But even asfamilies become more fa-miliar with sustainable liv-ing and keeping chickens,several poultry myths stillexist.

Here to set the recordstraight for our featheredfriends is poultry expertLisa Steele, creator of therenowned Fresh Eggs Dailybrand and author of threetop-selling books on thesubject. Steele is also a con-sultant with Tractor SupplyCompany, the rural lifestyleretailer now celebratingChick Days with live chicksand ducklings at its storesnationwide.

Here are Steele's eightmost common myths sur-rounding backyard flocks:

Myth 1: Chickens are dif-ficult to care for.

"There is, of course, acertain level of responsibil-ity required to properly carefor any living animal. How-ever, when it comes to back-yard poultry, the time com-mitment is fairly minimal- maybe 30 minutes daily,"Steele says. Here's what youcan expect: In the morning,chickens will need to be letout and fed; waterers willneed to be filled. At somepoint, eggs will need to becollected. Then, arounddusk, after the chickenshave wandered back to thecoop, the door needs to belocked to protect from pred-ators.

Myth 2: Chickens (andcoops) smell.

"Chickens themselvesdon't smell, nor does a well-maintained coop," Steelesays. "On average, a chickenproduces about 1.5 ounces ofmanure a day, which is farless than the average dog -not to mention, when com-posted, it makes wonderfulnitrogen-rich fertilizer for a

garden."Myth 3: Chickens are

noisy."Despite what you may

have heard, chickens arepretty quiet. In fact, a cluck-ing chicken tends to be onpar with normal humanconversation (60-65 deci-bels). In other words, it's alot quieter than your neigh-bor's barking dog, lawnmower or car alarm," Steelesays.

Roosters are a differentstory, and some areas pro-hibit them for that very rea-son. Be sure to check yourlocal ordinances aboutkeeping backyard poultry!

Myth 4: You need arooster to get eggs.

Chickens will lay eggsregardless of whether ornot there is a rooster inthe flock. A male chicken isonly needed to fertilize an

egg, meaning eggs laid byhens in a rooster-less flockcan never hatch into babychicks. And while there aresome benefits to havingroosters, they aren't nec-essary for your hen to pro-duce a basket of delicious,fresh eggs.

Myth 5: A chicken lays anegg every day.

Fresh eggs to eat andshare with friends are oneof the best benefits of rais-ing poultry, but Steele saysnot to expect your hen to layan egg every day. "The av-erage chicken will producefour to five eggs a week, butthat will vary dependingon the chicken's age, breed,health and environment.Shorter days, extreme tem-peratures, molting (grow-ing in new feathers) andother stressors, such as thepresence of predators, can

all affect egg production,"Steele says.

Myth 6: Brown eggs aremore nutritious than whiteeggs.

"The nutrient content ofan egg is based largely on ahen's diet, not the color ofits egg, which is determinedsolely by the chicken'sbreed," Steele says. Accord-ing to a study conductedby Mother Earth Newsmagazine, a free-roam-ing chicken that consumesgrass and bugs will lay eggswith less cholesterol andsaturated fat and more Vi-tamin A and E, beta-caro-tene and Omega-3s thana chicken fed purely com-mercial corn/grain-basedfoods.

Myth 7: Chickens carrydisease.

"Chickens don't carry

any more risk of diseasethan a dog or cat. In fact,they love to eat ticks andother pesky critters knownto transmit diseases likeLyme disease, tapewormand heartworm," Steele ex-plains. "While salmonellacan be transmitted to hu-mans through poultry dan-der and feces, simply wash-ing hands after handlingthe chickens keeps the riskof infection minimal." TheCenters for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC) alsocautions against live poul-try inside the home andagainst letting childrenyounger than 5 years oldhandle poultry.

Myth 8: Chickens attractrodents and predators.

"Wild predators arenot any more attracted tochickens than they are towild birds, rabbits, squir-rels and other small an-imals," Steele says. "Thetruth is, predators arelikely already living in

your midst. The key tokeeping them at bay is tokeep your chickens safein an enclosed pen or runarea. Chicken feed shouldalso be taken up at nightand stored in predator-proof containers to reducethe possibility of flies andmice."

Now through April,Tractor Supply featuresChick Days, where at nearlyevery location you can seeand select live chicks andducklings. When it comesto raising backyard poul-try, Tractor Supply is aone-stop shop with coops,equipment, feed and the ex-pert advice you need to suc-cessfully raise chicks intoan egg-laying flock.

For more expert informa-tion on safe handling andcare for poultry, startinga chicken coop and more,visit TractorSupply.com/Chicks.


THINKINGOUTSIDETHECOOP

8 commonmyths about raising backyard poultry

BRANDPOINT

From fresh egg production to natural garden fertilizer, there is no shortage of benefits inraising backyard poultry.

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