8 Home improvement projects for fall Home improvement projects can add value to a home and do-it-yourselfers know the sweat-equity that goes into such projects can give homeowners a greater sense of pride in their homes. But no two home improvement projects are the same, and homeowners should know that certain projects are best tackled during certain times of the year. Fall is a great season to work on your house, as the weather is often at its most agreeable once the summer heat has gone and before winter weather arrives. The following are a handful of fall-friendly home improvement projects for homeowners looking to improve their homes. *Roof repair: Whether you’re repairing or replacing the roof, fall is a great time of year to dust off the ladder and get some work done on your roof for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, fall is ideal for roof work because you won’t have to be up on the roof with the summer heat bearing down on you. This can make the project move along more quickly, which is especially beneficial if you are paying laborers to work on the roof. The fewer hours workers are fixing your roof, the less you will be paying in labor costs. In addition, fixing up the roof in the fall ensures those winter storms, be it rain or snow, won’t find their way into your home via leaks. A leaky roof in winter is hard to fix, as the roof surface could be treacherous in the winter and winter winds can make it dangerous to be up on the roof at all. Addressing leaks in the fall can prevent damage to your home’s interior, which can mount up if a leaky roof is not addressed until the following spring. *Window work: When the weather outside gets frightful, poorly insulated windows can allow cold air into the home. That often has a trickle-down effect on finances, forcing you to turn up the thermostat in an attempt to offset the cold air pouring into the home. Whether you need your windows replaced or simply need to patch up any leaks, a proactive approach to leaky or older windows in the fall can save you from unnecessarily high heating bills come the winter. Addressing leaky windows also makes a home more comfortable for its inhabitants. Fall is the ideal time to address a home’s windows because the temperature outside tends to be pleasant. This means you likely won’t have to make much of an effort to offset the elements, and open windows in the fall won’t make your home’s interior very hot or cold like they might if you were to tackle the project during the summer or winter. *Fixing the floors: Wood flooring is a hot commodity for many homeowners. But not all flooring can be added to a home at any time of year. That’s because certain types of flooring employ adhesives that need temperatures inside the home to be within a certain range, and that range is often within 70 to 80 degrees F, which makes fall a great time to install such floors. Colder temperatures can make it difficult for the flooring to dry and bond, which will prove problematic down the road. What’s more, many people entertain friends and family come late fall and into the holiday season, and it can be difficult to do so if you are busy installing new flooring. *Painting projects: Painting is another home improvement project that seems tailor-made for fall. A fresh coat of paint or a new color scheme around the house can give a home an entirely new look and feel. But paint can be pungent and the aromas may last if it’s applied at a time of year when it can’t dry while the windows are wide open. Paint fumes inside a home can make the home uninhabitable, but painting at a time of year like the fall, when you can keep the windows open during and after the project, can help air the home out. But interior painting isn’t the only painting project homeowners can tackle in the fall. Many exterior paints are temperature-sensitive and need temperature outside to be above 40 degrees F. Paint that freezes won’t dry properly, and homeowners might be left with a costly and unsightly mistake on their hands. Fall temperatures tend to be amenable to both interior and exterior painting projects, just be sure to check the weather forecast before making your first brush stroke. Thursday, November 28, 2013 Music for the Mission On Sunday, Dec. 15th, the First United Methodist Church of Bowie at 1515 Jefferson will present its annual performance for the Bowie Mission. During the Sunday morning worship service, which begins at 11:00, the various music departments of the FUMC will perform its music. After the worship service, a meal will be served and donations will be taken. Also, there will be a bake sale where you can purchase some delicious goodies. All proceeds will go directly to the Bowie The Shopper Mission. We hope you will join us on the 15th. You will be blessed by beautiful music as well as helping the needy in our community. Realtors Annual Banquet The Montague Co. Board of Realtors installed the 2014 leadership officers on November 18th at Prime Cut Steakhouse. the new officers for 2014 include Doyle Seigler, Pres.; Lea Ann Mize, VP; Doris McGuffey, Sec/Treas.; Brenda Evans, Anna Hickman, Terry Jones, Samantha Barclay McNorton, Jeainene Moore, Connie O’Neal and Josh Swint. A fun night of delicious food and good fellowship was enjoyed by all. Affiliates to the Montague Co. Board of Realtors also enjoying the evening were Bowie Bank, Cross Timbers Title Co., and Premier Nationwide Lending. The highlight of 2013 has been the board’s MLS conversion to North Texas Real Estate Information Systems, Inc. (NTREIS). This provides greater exposure and service for our buyers and sellers. Auction By: Little Much Auction Company Bowie, TX • Col. J.D. Freudiger, Auctioneer TX Auction LI. #12827 (Home) 940-872-2052 • (Cell) 903-256-5011 Find us at: The Shopper and KNTX 1410 Over the river and through the woods, to everyone’s house we go. This is the last auction this year, let us turn your consignment into your Christmas cash. Let everyone have a meal. Bring one canned item to be given away to the needy. Nov. 30th at 5:30 p.m. at Little Much Auction Barn in Sunset on Fruitland Rd., next to Spot the Dot. No buyers premium Consignment Auction Bring us your consignment items. We’ll see you there! Because your HOME is more than just a HOUSE... 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