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Disposal of Hazardous Waste Products in our Homes

Did you ever have that client who has saved almost every item they ever purchased? We all have experienced this in some form or another. I had a client whose parents passed away, so they became responsible for getting the house in shape to get on the market to sell quickly. As you can probably guess, the parents lived in the same home for over 50 years! Aside from going through each and every item in the home and having members of the family taking what they want, they came across a lot of chemical products in the garage and had no idea how to go about getting rid of them. They did talk with a guy who said he’d come in for a price and “clean the whole thing out”. But when I approached my client with some questions about HOW this guy would clean things out, she didn’t have any answers. This presented a very large red flag in my mind, hence the need to write this blog.
With so many household cleaners, degreasers, and pesticides out there for us to buy and use around the home, we have to take into account many things when we talk about “getting rid of them” quickly. Some household cleaners can be used up in order to rid the bottles of the contents, which is better than pouring them down the drain! But others hazardous waste products are not as simple. Leftover painting supplies, automobile products, outdoor lawn & garden supplies, and indoor/outdoor pesticides are some of the more serious items that require smart thinking and investigation before they are disposed of. They need to be disposed of properly and carefully according to state and federal regulations. Here are a few tips to follow when you come across clients who need to rid their homes of potentially dangerous chemicals.
In the Roanoke area we have the “Roanoke Valley Resource Authority”. The Authority owns the Tinker Creek Transfer Station, the Smith Gap Landfill, and the Waste Line Express train. Every locality should provide its residents with information about the disposal of waste products online.
• First, provide your client with solid information about the disposal of household chemicals in your area. Don’t just assume your client will jump on the internet highway to get the information. Please have available hard copy literature that they can read and check off if necessary.

• You will find that most junk removal and moving companies will NOT handle the disposal of chemical waste products. That is why it’s so important to physically hand clients the information! In the Roanoke area click here  for a document to print and hand out to clients (scroll down to document), or visit the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority.

• If you or your client does know of someone who handles the disposal of household chemicals, use this article as a foundation for asking questions. Ask the person specific questions as to where, when, and how they will dispose of the items. If they can’t answer the questions, then they should not be hired to remove anything hazardous from the home!

• Don’t leave it up to the homeowner to guess what they need to do. If disposed of incorrectly, these hazardous chemicals can leach into our soil and water systems and cause serious health problems for the members of your community. If you don’t provide the correct information, who will?

• Certain areas will only accept certain items on a daily basis and only within their hours of operation. Other hazardous items may require pre-registration or authorization before items can be brought in to be disposed of.

• There may be maximum quantities allowed per visit. This may mean many trips to the site and thought about how the items will be stored until they can be taken in. If someone is hired to collect the items from the home, a question about adequate temperature controlled storage may be in order.

• When dealing with older homes, you will likely be dealing with many old containers of numerous products and substances. Always encourage safety precautions when handling these things. Wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, closed shoes, gloves, and safety glasses is always a smart way to work on these projects. You never know when a corroded container is going to spring a leak once picked up or moved!

On definition of sustainability: “A sustainable way of life is one in which human needs are met without diminishing the ability of other people, wild species, or future generations to survive.” I hope this information will be shared amongst Real Estate professionals and Home Stagers. As a green company, we are always looking for ways to preserve our planet and continue to enjoy what we have. It is everyone’s responsibility to insure that our planet has the capacity to endure. It is everyone’s responsibility to help others learn how this can be done.
At Final Touch Designs, we do everything from assisting home sellers in preparing their homes beautifully in order to facilitate a faster, more profitable sale, to assisting home buyers in adding their own character and personality to their spaces, and assisting anyone who wants to become and stay more organized in their home or place of business. We offer many other great services as well.
 

Adding Color To Your Home

Posted by Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA on 02/23/2009 08:40 AM

There is something magical about color. Color is the single most important design element in creating spaces that reflect mood and style. Today we have so many tip, articles, books and TV shows to help you learn how to use color in your home. In fact, some of the books you can purchase are filled with so many beautiful photos, we wish we could just climb right into them and take possession of the room's beauty. So why are so many people fearful of putting their colorful ideas into motion?

For many years decorators have instilled in our brains that their ideas and conceptions are the only sure-fire way to go. Their tastes should satisfy your personal need and express who you are and how you should feel about your home. But your home is not a decorator's showcase, but a place where you and your family retreat to each day to relax, entertain, and enjoy. Your home is not only a place for your body to enjoy, but also your psyche. Color is very personal and should reflect who YOU are, not who someone else is.

This is where color comes into the picture. Colors can evoke many emotions within us. They are the catalyst for feelings, molding moods, and enhancing our lives. No matter you are or how you live, colors move you and affect your physical, mental and spiritual selves--setting a perfect foundation for your mental balance.

In this 10 part series, I want to open your senses to color and how we can use them effectively and fearlessly within the walls of our homes. For some of you, it's time to begin exploring your feelings about color; why we react so negatively to some colors, and why we embrace others. I want to discuss how colors can be used in decorating, but also in preparing a home to be sold. The old white walls are a thing of the past - color has taken its place.
 

Feel The Excitement of Red 

Posted by Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA on 03/02/2009 06:55 PM

Throughout history, red has signaled excitement, danger, dynamism, and sex. In every culture, it elicits the strongest emotions. From primitive times, red has been associated with fire and flame, birth and renewal, destruction and evil; and capable of stirring strong emotions. The fiery, strong tones of red are majestic and imperious. True reds and hot red tones are symbolized as sexual energy, stimulation and vivacity. But red also has a serious and elegant side in its jeweled tones. Reds that have some orange in them tend to bring out the sensuous inner warmth and is very inviting.

Did you know? Physiologically, red causes an increased frequency of eye blinking and a rise in blood pressure, respiration, heartbeat, and pulse rate? It's no wonder we "see red" when we become mad as the red shows up on our faces! Our sense of smell also improves as our taste buds become more sensitive and our appetite improves. On the sensual side of red, our hormonal and sexual activity increases along with our physical intensity of passion.

The personality of red: If red is your favorite color, you are very self-confident. Red is the hottest hue, the most exciting and sexiest, the second most powerful color, following black. Red is the loudest, most fun, most revitalizing, and most delicious of all colors. More than likely you don't just like red; you probably love the color and will use it for the rest of your life. Just as the color red is exciting, dangerous, and not easily ignored, so are the people who love this color. These people are intense, optimistic, and passionate in their pursuits, competitive, energetic, daring, and aggressive.

Reds can be used successfully in any room in a home. It is at home in a dining room where it can stimulate the apatite. Rich, dark reds can be very masculine in a den. In the bedroom, a bright red is right at home to create a sexy atmosphere. You can easily use reds as backdrops for niches, shelving, inside cabinets or armoires. When used with dark colored woods it creates a warm, comfortable setting.

Feng Shui and Red: Avoid red kitchens or there will be too much heat in the kitchen and the cook may become hot-tempered. Red and black can be used successfully as accent colors in a predominantly white kitchen.

 

Roanoke, Virginia Workshops

Posted by Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA on 03/02/2009 07:18 PM


If you live in or near the Roanoke area, I'd like to invite you to attend one of my workshops. These workshops are designed for Realtors and homeowners to collect more information about preparing their home to be sold, adding color to their homes confidently, and helping anyone maintain their home or work filing systems. One of the workshops has been prepared just for busy housewives who have a full schedule just keeping up with the family's schedules.

I'm also presenting a series of "Going Green" workshops that you or a friend might find very useful. The workshops are offered through Roanoke County Parks & Recreation (540-772-PLAY) and are as follows:

Decorating With What You Have

Get the beautiful look you want for the rooms in your home by using the space you have, the things you have, and the creativity we help you to find. Learn what the ten most common decorating mistakes are that make you feel uncomfortable; you'll learn to recognize them and correct them. Bring to class a photo of a room that causes you the most problems and learn the steps needed to make it functional, appealing, and comfortable. Then go home and see how easy it is to make the transformations come to life. ages: teens and adults

Color Your Life!

We use color in our clothing, to make a statement about ourselves and to project an image, yet we've been slow to consider how surrounding ourselves with color can also make a statement about us. Why are people afraid to use the colors they love in our interiors? Learn how we all "acquire" that tendency to use colors that we grew up with or that's been handed down to us (you know who you are) and how to break away from the mold we've created for ourselves. New color trends have brought new life to our interiors...and a new, brighter attitude of ourselves when we use them.

Sidetracked Home Executives

Do you find yourself trying to clean house, get the kids to all their events, and have dinner on the table on time each day, only to find that you've gotten yourself sidetracked by everything else, once again? Well, you're not alone! We all have difficulty managing our time and prioritizing what needs to be done daily. Instead of enjoying our days, we are merely "reacting" to them. Now those misplaced priorities and undirected energies can be turned around. You'll go home armed with a rotating card system that schedules your chores and events on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Consider it a magic box your whole family can use simply and effectively. Your patience and attitude will improve dramatically as this system changes your life. Ages: adult

Papers, Papers, and More Papers

How do you manage all the junk mail, financial papers, appointment lists, business cards, coupons, magazines, and all the other papers you accumulate? You begin first by defining your own organizational style and needs. This workshop will discuss how to do just that then set up and maintain a "tickler file" for quick filing and retrieval of important papers. Next we'll discuss how to set up an office filing system that works for you and your style of learning. We all fall behind with paperwork, but we can conquer the piles and keep them small and manageable once we learn a few tricks. Find out how simple it really is. The whole family can now access papers quickly and painlessly.

How Safe are Your Skin Care Products?

If you care what you put into your body, you should care about what you put on your skin. In order for us to care properly for our skin, it's important for us to know what's in our skin care products. This workshop offers consumers knowledge and information to help you make better choices about the skin care products you choose. You will learn what harmful ingredients to avoid, how to read ingredient labels, what natural ingredients are beneficial for your healthy skin, and how to save money by making your own personalized natural skin care products quickly and easily! ages: teen to adult

How Safe are Your Household Cleaning Products?

Did you know that your favorite cleaner could be making you sick? Compelling evidence now links the chemicals in our household products to a range of conditions including cancer, asthma, allergies, and many other sensitivities and disorders. Yet cleaning products enter the marketplace with little or no testing for potential health risks. This workshop will provide you with lots of information about what harmful ingredients to avoid, choosing alternative natural products, and even making your own nontoxic, eco-friendly products with ingredients you already have in your kitchen. Learn how to save lots of money and keep your household safer for young children. ages: teen to adult

 

 

Green Sites to Check Out!

Posted by Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA on 03/04/2009 03:33 PM


When I was doing some research today I came upon an awesome site to share with people. A young lady named Cameron Chapman put together a list of 100 plus green sites to share with the world. She's done a remarkable job, so you might like to bookmark this page for future reference. I hope it is as helpful to you as it is and will be for me. http://mashable.com/2008/10/04/100-sites-for-green-living/   Cathy

 

 

The Energy and Warmth of Yellow

Posted by Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA on 04/26/2009 07:44 AM

Throughout history gold stood for generosity, nobility, divinity, and wisdom. The English word for yellow stems from the meaning "to gleam". Could the name come from minerals, flowers, vegetables, or fruits? In many cultures yellow or gold has been used to portray royalty, prestige, status and wealth. In others, it has symbolized the sun and energy, life and growth, and nobility and holiness. All cultures agree on yellow's warmth.

The message of yellow: People who are drawn to yellow are often insightful and intuitive. It's thought of as a friendly, joyous color that outgoing and open people love. In various studies, yellow is associated with comedy, playfulness, and a happy moods. Have you noticed how yellow ribbons have been used in the past as signs of hope and optimism, and in current years as symbols of a safe return home for our troops?

The personality of yellow: Yellow is luminous and warm as are the people who like and surround themselves with it. People who enjoy yellow are optimistic, imaginative, creative, artistic, often spiritual and intriguing, and highly intuitive. They are often perfectionists who balance themselves with a noticeable job. They will welcome you in and keep you there with their intriguing personality. They embrace change and tend to accomplish what they start.

No matter what shade of yellow you see, the moods are similar. The color portrays warmth, cheer, activity, youthful vigor, and softness as it stimulates our senses and lifts our spirits by letting sunshine into our lives. Warm yellow will enhance the natural light in any room. If you want to bring in added warmth to any of the cool colors of the spectrum in a room, add yellow into the palette.

Where other colors darken with saturation, yellow is the one color that becomes brighter with greater saturation. If you want the eye to be attracted to an area of attention, yellow is the color to use. When used in the kitchen where most families today gather, it offers an inviting and a sunny atmosphere in which to gather. In children's rooms, yellow is fun, bright and inviting.

As many people have heard, "Yellow sells a home". This is because a home's "curb appeal" draws people into its warmth to look further.

Next week, the color GREEN.
 
Home Stager says you don't need training to stage homes

Posted by Cathy Dick - Final Touch Designs, Inc. in Roanoke VA on 05/08/2009 08:39 PM


I was looking at some sites and came across one today that really bothered me. About 16 months ago someone by the name of Rusty Phillips submitted an article on Hubpages entitled, "Home Staging Changed My Life". She/he says that you don't need any certification or training to become a Home Stager. After reading the many comments that followed, I decided to go ahead and submit a comment of my own. I'm sure you will agree that this article needs more comments submitted to uphold the integrity and standards of this industry. Even though this article is over a year old, people like myself are still going to run across it and possibly get the wrong opinion if they don't read further through all the comments.

Please read this article and feel free to express your own opinion so those who want to get into the industry, have a clearer idea of what to expect and what will be expected of them. I'm sure I didn't cover all the points (it's been a long tiring day), so I hope you will fill in the gaps that I may have overlooked. It's articles like these that hinders accurate education for homeowners. It's no wonder we must continue to educate, educate, and educate the public.

The link is as follows: Home Staging Changed My Life http://hubpages.com/hub/homestagingbusiness
Please let me know your thoughts.

Cathy Dick
http://www.final-touchdesigns.com