CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Take Antlers Off the Wall

CasaSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:00:00 -0800

Some may be over the whole antler trend, but a subtle twist can make them new again. Creating a lovely little vignette for my home, I came up with a new take on the horned décor. While it may be cool to mount hunting trophies on a wall, I quite like the look of these stags held in a glass vessel. Whether they're faux or the real deal, the contained bits bring a rustic look to a room without making them look cliché. Apothecary jars or hurricane lanterns can be the perfect candidate to hold them on a mantel or any bookcase.

Have you been accessorizing your own home lately? Be sure to share photos and tales in our Lovely Little Vignettes group!

How-To: Secure Your Home For a Hurricane

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

With Tropical Storm Gustav making its way through the Caribbean, I've got hurricanes on the mind. When I lived in New Orleans, to prepare for a storm, I'd basically move my bed to the center of the room away from the windows, and move things off the floor onto my mattress: pretty amateur and useless preparations. I lived in a rental then, so I guess I didn't really care about protecting the property. If that weren't the case, the most important precaution I'd take to reduce damage would be to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, you should strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris don't tear large openings in it. There are five critical areas of your home to protect and reinforce. To hear about them, and the steps you should take, read more.

Here is a summary of tips from the National Hurricane Center.

Retrofit your roof.
If you have a gabled roof, you'll want to strengthen the gabled end walls, as they can take a tremendous beating during a storm. To do so, "fasten eight-foot-long braces to the bottom chord of the gable truss and the adjacent trusses with sixteen-penny (16d) nails." Make sure they are perpendicular to the truss, spaced four feet apart on center, max. "Tie back the gable truss with at least one eight-foot-long brace, along the ridge of the roof, to several of the interior trusses."

Shingles also aren't made or installed to be wind resistant, and furthermore, sometimes their adhesives haven't adhered properly. Have a professional check to see if this is the case. If so, "use a quick-setting asphalt cement to bond them together." To do so, "place two spots of quick-setting asphalt cement about the size of a quarter under each tab with a putty knife or caulking gun," and press the shingle's tab into the adhesive.

Install hurricane straps.
You should also install metal hurricane straps to ensure that your roof and walls are properly connected. To do so, "remove the roof sheathing around the perimeter of the roof to reveal the top of the wall [ and . . . ] the soffit and exterior cladding to reveal the top 12 to 18 inches of the wall." And, "If your roof has trusses, make sure you tie them to the wall by either anchoring to the top plate and then the top plate to the wall stud, or strapping the truss directly to the wall stud."

Install impact-resistant shutters.
To protect doors and windows from wind-borne objects, and reduce sudden pressure changes when a window or door is broken, you should install impact-resistant shutters to your windows and doors. A simple plywood panel will do, and manufactured shutters (or those already on your house) may work as well, but you should lean against it and see if it yields; this will tell you if it can resist the impact of debris. In either case, you must make sure the shutters are adequately fastened, or they'll just fly off. You can also invest in impact-resistant windows and doors, which won't require temporary shutters during a storm.

Secure entry doors.
Your home's entry doors can probably resist wind pressure and debris, but there are a few precautions you can take. "Install head and foot bolts on the inactive door of double-entry doors." Ensure you door has "at least three hinges and a deadbolt security lock, which has a minimum one-inch bolt throw length." And on a double entry door, check the connections at the header trim or threshold, making sure "the surface bolt extends into the door header and through the threshold into the subfloor."

Brace garage doors.
Double-wide garage doors are particularly susceptible to wind damage because of their width, and they can be forced out of their roller tracks. Your local building supplier or garage-door retailer may actually sell a retrofit kit to withstand hurricane winds, which will secure it. Otherwise, you should reinforce it at its weakest points, "installing horizontal and/or vertical bracing onto each panel, using wood or light gauge metal girds bolted to the door mullions, [using] heavier hinges and stronger end and vertical supports for your door."

To learn more, check out the National Hurricane Center's website.
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Have You Been Through a Hurricane?

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 13:00:36 -0700

As Tropical Storm Gustav makes its way toward the Gulf Coast, practically three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina hit (which I myself experienced firsthand), I'm feeling pretty uneasy. The storm has already killed 11 people in the Caribbean and is projected to hit Louisiana and the Gulf Coast on Monday. Yikes. I'm sure plenty of you have been through one hurricane, if not several. Have you? How do you prepare your home for an impending storm? Do you pack up and leave, or do you stick it out? Has anyone been affected by a storm this year?
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Are You Preparing For Hurricane Season?

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:20 -0700

If you live in an Atlantic coastal area, chances are your mind's on hurricane season. Today marks the official start of hurricane season, which runs from today through November. Gerry Bell, lead hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, says residents should "[p]repare for each and every season regardless of the seasonal outlook. Even a near- or below-normal season can produce landfalling hurricanes, and it only takes one landfalling storm to make it a bad season."

Residents can protect their homes and families by contacting companies such as Family Shutters. In this shot, an employee of Family Shutters places Plexiglas hurricane panels on a home to help protect it from high winds in Miami.

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Roundup: Hurricane Lamps

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:23 -0700

Last night, I was disappointed to see that HBO ran a previously aired episode of True Blood. Watching this show, from Alan Ball, who also created Six Feet Under, is definitely a guilty pleasure. Tara Thornton, played by actress Rutina Wesley, is one of my favorite characters on the show. She's been taken under the wing of Maryann (Michelle Forbes), who's been adding some Greek mythology to the already fantastical set.

While I have my suspicions about Maryann's intentions, I must admit that her house is totally crave worthy, as are her fabulous breakfast spreads. I love the casually elegant al fresco breakfast setting here. Hurricane lamps are a must-have item for outdoor meals, as the tall glass cylinders will protect candles from flickering out. While a light source isn't needed for an outdoor breakfast, the hurricanes add to the elegance of the setting.

Want some hurricanes of your own? See my favorites when you read more.

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Were You Affected by Hurricane Ike?

CasaSugar — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:30:54 -0700

With all eyes on Tropical Storm Gustav a few weeks ago, it seems as if Hurricane Ike snuck up on us. It ended up being a deadly storm. Were you or your home, or the homes of anyone you love, affected by the storm?

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Roundup: Glass Lighting in the Garden

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:22 -0700

Recently, I showed you some great options in metal lanterns to help enhance your home's Summer Style. Well, after seeing this lovely patio photo, I was inspired to find some pretty choices for you in glass as well. Who knows, maybe with a few more glass lanterns or hurricanes, your home's photos will win my Summer Style contest.

To see some pretty glass lanterns for your home's outdoor space, read more.

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NOLA Musicians' Village Makes Progress

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:45:46 -0800

In December 2005, three months after Hurricane Katrina, Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis, both musical forces in New Orleans, along with Habitat for Humanity, announced plans to build Musicians' Village, a neighborhood of the Upper Ninth Ward centered around the Ellis Marsalis Center For Music for displaced local musicians and other qualifying homeowner families.

Musicians' Village is intended to both preserve the city's musical culture, and foster the education of its residents. Now, two years later, 70 single-family homes are either under construction, or have been built on 8.1 vacant acres, which the New Orleans Area Habitat For Humanity purchased in early 2006. Habitat For Humanity has plans to build 300 additional homes in the surrounding Ninth Ward area on other lots which they own. A portion of the proceeds from Connick's new CD Oh, My NOLA will benefit the Musicians' Village. I like that Connick is sporting the Saints hat, too. Who Dat?

Check out our gallery to see photos of the progress.

View 5 Photos ›

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Before and After: Matt's Hurricane Katrina Makeover

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:00:25 -0700

Yesterday, I asked who you thought should win Design Star. You can still vote online through Wednesday. To make the most informed decision, I figured I'd show you some photos from each designer's makeover (check out Jen's makeover here). Both designers worked with a New Orleans family whose home had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Matt's family, the Oleagas, wanted a comfortable, minimal, and modern space.

To see what the home looked like after Matt redesigned the space, read more.
Are you a fan of Matt's renovation?

View 9 Photos ›

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Before and After: Jennifer's Hurricane Katrina Makeover

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:00:55 -0700

Yesterday, I asked you who you thought should win Design Star. You can still vote online through Wednesday. To make the most informed decision, I figured I'd show you some photos from each designer's makeover. Both designers worked with a New Orleans family whose home had been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Jen's family, the Gowlands, needed a space that accommodated both their love of cooking and their big family.

Before Jen showed up, the family had very limited furniture and a raw, unfinished space, as they concentrated on rebuilding their home.

To see what the home looked like after Jen flexed her design muscles, read more.

Are you a fan of Jen's renovation?

View 6 Photos ›

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