Kyle Carlson, who along with his equally tasty twin, Lane modeled for leading designers, including Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani and Abercrombie & Fitch — has left his blazer behind and now dons a tool belt. In addition to running a construction business in Los Angeles, Carlson has appeared as the wonder of wood (aka a hunky carpenter) on shows such as “Mobile Home Disaster” (WB), “Deserving Design” and “Out Door Room” (HGTV). Soon, Carlson will be featured on OWN’s “Home Take Over” but in the mean time, Westside Today talked with his “Homey Hotness” to get some tips for readers who may be tempted to take spring cleaning too far.
1. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER:
Know where all the shut off valves for your utilities — gas, water, electric — are located in your home. You may need to turn them off quickly in the event of a disaster.
2. AN ONCE OF PREVENTION… SAVES A LOT OF CASH FOR THE CURE
Homeowners should check furnace filters and chimney flus yearly. And, while you’re hunting around for those utility shut offs (or just looking around for your reading glasses) you should also check for any leaks (sprinkler, gas, water) which may be costing you a little money now but could result in major damage if left unchecked. Homeowners should also make sure that they have sufficient flipping breakers so that the use of a blow dryer doesn’t darken the whole house.
3. HOME BEAUTY CAN BE SKIN DEEP
A coat of paint — on the wall or on a piece of furniture — is a great way to change the look of your environment. Updating light fixtures, adding or replacing a ceiling fan is also a great way to change your space without drilling ditches in your wallet.
4. A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED
Install energy saving items; florescent bulbs; timers on sprinklers and lighting systems; solar powered exterior lights. You’ll be glad you did when your next energy bill comes around. Further, there are some tax advantages to doing this too — given that April 15th (Tax Day) and April 22nd (Earth Day) are right around the corner, now is a good time to think about going greener for the Earth and your pocketbook.
Southern California Edison has a savings possibilities at:
http://www.sce.com/residential/rebates-savings/rebates-savings.htm
LA DWP’s savings possibilities can be found at:
http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp000478.jsp
5. DIGGING IN FOR GOOD
Changing or revamping your landscape design will improve your home’s curb appeal. Make sure that you pitch the land away from your home so that water is prevented from coming in or pool in or around the foundation.
