Revive Your House With a Fresh Coat of Paint
It is now spring. The flowers are blooming, children are playing outside, and what is that? Your home's exterior paint on your wood siding is chipping! In times like these, the Habitat Omaha ReStore is the perfect place to find the tools necessary to fix up the paint. It will take five easy steps and your home will look brand new for the next decade. By shopping at the Habitat Omaha ReStore you can get quality products without breaking the bank.
1. Clean properly
This step is essential for paint to stick on your siding. You will need a sponge, paint scrappers, and power washer. Wash off any mud, bird poo, and chipping paint.
2. Fill cracks
Take some paint spackle to fill any cracked areas in the siding. Also, use acrylic, silicone caulk to seal off any cracks that can allow water to get behind the siding.
3. Cut in
Using a natural bristle, two and half inch, angle brush to cut in the corners will make this an easy task. It is advisable to use acrylic and polyurethane paint to resist water damage and fading.
4. Paint
Use a roller to apply a nice, thin first coat. Let the first coat completely dry before applying the second.
5. You're done
Step back and admire your beautiful work.
You did it! Your house is ready for the next decade and will continue to look beautiful. Come on into the Omaha ReStore to pick up the supplies you need to complete this project. All you need now is a stretch of warm, dry days this should be a snap. Good luck. (Return to ReStore homepage)
Is Renovating Your Old House Getting Expensive?
Save money, find unique items by shopping at Habitat Omaha ReStore
Don Browers
"Old House Mechanic"
This original column appeared in the 2010 April issue of the Dundee Memorial Park Neighborhood Association.
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It's a fact, renovating an old house can get expensive. But if you could find a source for building materials that cost only pennieson the dollar and at the same time you were doing your part to save the planet and helping other people, would you be interested? I thought so.
Habitat for Humanity's ReStore is a gem of a resource for all homeowners and especially owners of older homes. The ReStore takes new, used and surplus building-related materials from contractors, individuals, property managers, remodelers and suppliers. Some of the materials are used in the construction of Habitat for Humanity Omaha homes, but most are offered to the general public to purchase at significantly reduced prices with savings of 50 to 70 percent. or more.
The ReStore is located at 1003 South 24th Street (one block south of Leavenworth on 24th Street) and is open to the public Monday through Saturday. Because the materials are donated, the stock is always changing. If you are a treasure hunter at heart and like a good bargain, then this is the place for you. It's an adventure to wander up and down the aisles at the ReStore to discover that just right item for your old house at a dirt cheap price.
What can you find at the ReStore? Well, just about anything. They have a whole section of doors, for example, with exterior and interior doors, hollow core doors, solid core doors, combination storm doors and even doors with fancy leaded glass inserts. Do you need plumbing fixtures? No problem. When I was there recently I saw dozens of functional toilets in excellent shape and bathroom and kitchen sinks for as little as ten bucks and that included the faucets, too.
If you're like me, you're always painting something. ReStore has paint for about five bucks a gallon. This is name brand paint from leading paint manufacturers and some of it was the exact same paint (that I recently bought) which retails for more than thirty dollars a gallon.
The ReStore even has appliances (which they guarantee to work) and some furniture. For example, Westroads Mall recently donated to the ReStore 200 tables and 600 chairs from its food court. Windows, cabinets, hardware, tools, tile, interior trim, light fixtures--the list of building items goes on and on. You just have to visit the ReStore to see all of it for yourself.
More than just offering money-saving bargains for homeowners, the ReStore is keeping tons of materials out of our landfills. David Klitz, the ReStore Director, says that last year through the Omaha ReStore "more than 1,000 tons of building materials were put to good use rather than being put into the Douglas County landfill." (David, by the way, is a Dundee neighbor and an old house owner. He finds plenty of materials at the ReStore to renovate his old house. For instance, he found a set of light fixtures. After a quick spritz of spray paint-also from the ReStore-they fit perfectly with the style of his house.)
All the proceeds from the ReStore supports the mission of Habitat for Humanity: "Every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. Habitat builds for people in need regardless of race or religion." In Omaha, David points out that "Habitat is eliminating vacant lots and abandoned homes in the blighted areas of North and South Omaha while improving the overall appearance of our community."
A common misconception about Habitat is that the homes are given to people in need. Habitat homeowners purchase their homes through 25 or 30-year no-interest mortgages and they are required to complete 350 hours of sweat equity before they purchase their homes. Since it started here in Omaha in 1984 more than 275 families have realized the dream of homeownership and are ending the cycle of poverty for their children. The proceeds from the ReStore last year provided the funds to build two and one half of those houses.
I heard a radio commercial recently which contends that "frugal is the new cool". If that's so, then the ReStore is the very essence of coolness. Be cool. Check it out. (Return to ReStore homepage)
Havana Garage: A new cigar bar in the Old Market uses the ReStore for 80% of their building meterials
Chaz Kline visited Habitat Omaha ReStore everyday for three and half months to complete his new cigar bar in Downtown Omaha, Havana Garage. Pointing with his finger, he explained what was all from the ReStore. Paint on the walls, ReStore. Stain on the tables, ReStore. Chairs to furnish his cigar bar, ReStore too. Even the lighting fixtures are from the ReStore. Chaz calls Habitat Omaha ReStore "Christmas everyday; you just never know what you'll find there." After hearing about Habitat Omaha Restore from his bar remodeler and discovering the deep discounts, he became a loyal shopper.
Chaz dreamed of owning a bar that had a comfortable, old time atmosphere in which to relax, enjoy cocktails and fine cigars. The garage door feature at the front of the bar can be opened on nice days. On March 17, 2010 Havana Garage opened on 10th and Howard St. in the Old Market. Chaz hopes to form Havana Garage into "the rum capital of Omaha," with imported, single barrel, and high end rum. Havana Garage has happy hours, rum tastings and cigar samplings regularly. They even have live entertainment by their house band, Cuban Missile Crisis, featuring instruments such as steel pan, saxophone, and congas. The band plays every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night from 8 to 10 PM.
Chaz believes that every person opening a business, remodeling, or just cleaning house should make a visit to Habitat Omaha ReStore. You don't have to bring doughnuts or check in every day for three months as Chaz did to find what you need. Habitat Omaha ReStore Director, David Klitz, says, "at Habitat Omaha ReStore, we are proud to say we provide an invaluable service to both our customers and our community. After all, Habitat Omaha ReStore diverted over 1,000 tons from the landfills in 2009."
