September 17, 2013 • Page 19 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Prep Things To Consider Before Shopping Work For A New Insurance Policy Important Before Painting Painting a home’s interior can give it a completely new look and feel. A fresh coat of paint can make a room feel more vibrant and up-to-date, creating a whole new attitude within the room without breaking the bank. Whether creating an accent wall or painting each wall within a room, painting is a relatively easy and inexpensive home improvement project. But that doesn’t mean painting does not require a little prep work before the project can begin. •Address any holes or bumps on the wall. Holes or cracks in the wall will need to be patched with spackle, which then must dry before the wall can be given a new coat of paint. In addition, sand down any bumps until the walls are smooth and free of any unsightly abnormalities. •Wash the walls. Walls can get dirty, and that dirt may or may not be masked by paint. Before adding a new coat of paint, wash the walls and inspect them for dust. Dust can collect on molding, especially in rooms that get little natural air. When dust has collected on the molding and around doorways and trim, use a damp cloth to wipe it away before adding any new paint. •Apply primer. Primer can serve many functions, not the least of which is its role as a bonding agent between the wall and the top coat of paint. Primer can also help conceal dark colors, prevent stains and increase the life expectancy of the paint job you are about to undertake. •Prepare your paint. Preparing the paint is a simple task, but one novice painters may not be aware of. When opening a new can of paint, stir the paint before using it. In addition, even if you don’t plan to use a roller when painting, do not paint straight from the can, which can be heavier to hold than a small bowl, and a light bowl is less likely to be spilled than a potentially heavy can of paint. In addition, once paint has been removed from the can, replace the lid so dust and other impurities do not settle in the can. •Purchase painter’s tape. Painter’s tape can be especially valuable to novice painters. Painter’s tape makes it easier to paint smooth and clean paint lines, giving a room a more professional looking coat of paint without the cost of hiring a professional painter. Painting can be an inexpensive and fun way to upgrade a home’s interior. But even though painting does not require the technical know-how of more large-scale home improvement projects, it still requires some prep work and attention to detail to ensure the job is done right. n Metro Creative Connection Call Classi?eds 665-5884 Many motorists consider auto insurance a necessary evil. While drivers don’t want to be out on the road without insurance, many lament paying such a high price for security. But automotive insurance need not be so expensive. In fact, many drivers on the road today could save a considerable amount of money if they took some time to explore their options. While it might be easier to simply stick with an existing policy, some simple comparison shopping might result in a much more affordable auto insurance bill. But before you begin shopping for a new policy, it may help to consider a few factors that might decipher just how affordable your next policy will be. •Driving record: Drivers who recently received a ticket or another citation likely won’t find a more affordable auto insurance policy awaiting them. But if points on your license from a past speeding ticket or citation are about to disappear, then wait until they’re officially off your record before shopping for a new policy. The fewer points you have, the less you’re likely to pay for auto insurance. So be patient if points are about to vanish or be proactive and find yourself a better deal if points recently came off your record. •Personal finances: Your individual credit score will influence how much you pay to insure your vehicle. If your credit rating is strong, then this should help you find a more affordable policy. But if your credit rating has recently faltered or you currently have a significant amount of debt, then work to improve your credit score and reduce your debt before shopping for a new policy. •Ownership status: Many drivers lease or finance their vehicles. In such situations, the lending institution typically mandates drivers carry full coverage. Drivers who lease have no wiggle room on their policies, but those who are financing and are close to paying their vehicle off can likely lower their coverage considerably once they have paid for their vehicle in full. Once you are no longer making payments on the vehicle, you can, if you so choose, adjust your policy so you aren’t paying for full coverage. This should save you a considerable amount of money. But before adjusting the policy, shop around among insurance providers and see who gives you the best deal. You might find the most affordable policy is offered by a different com- pany from the one you are currently using. •Location: Where you live also influences the cost of your auto insurance. If a move is in your not-toodistant future, you might find insurance is more affordable at your new location than your current one. Rural areas and the suburbs tend to have fewer drivers on the road than more densely populated urban locales, so insuring a vehicle in such areas is often more affordable than insuring a vehicle within city limits. If you will soon be leaving city life behind, then you might want to wait until you have moved to buy a new policy or to renegotiate an existing policy. •Employment situation: While your employment situation won’t have too big an impact on the cost of your insurance, finding a new job that’s closer to home, which remains a goal for many professionals, may just lower the cost of your auto insurance. Insurance companies consider a host of factors when determining the cost of each auto insurance policy, and the distance between a driver’s home and his or her office is one of those factors. If you’re in the midst of a job hunt that you hope will end with a new job and a shorter daily commute, then you might want to wait before signing the dotted line on a new auto insurance policy. An adequate insurance policy gives motorists peace of mind as they traverse the nation’s roadways. Finding a more affordable policy is a goal for many motorists, who must consider several variables before they begin the search for a new policy. n Metro Creative Connection How to make a home handicap accessible Many homeowners have found themselves scrambling to make their homes handicap accessible after a sudden injury or illness. In addition, some homeowners have found themselves looking to make adjustments to their homes in anticipation of welcoming elderly, less mobile relatives into their homes. Converting a home into a handicap-accessible space can seem like a daunting task that requires adjustments to nearly every part of the house. While the extent of those adjustments depends on the individual who needs to be accommodated, some of the areas homeowners must address when making their homes handicap accessible are universal regardless of the individual’s condition. requires he or she spend some time in a wheelchair. When the adjustments will just be temporary, a folding wheelchair might be necessary, as the doorways might not be able to fit a standard wheelchair that doesn’t fold. When adjustments figure to be permanent, homeowners might need to expand the doorways in their homes. Contractors typically recommend expanding doorways to at least 32 inches, which provides some maneuverability when wheelchairs, which are typically between 24 and 27 inches wide, are entering the home. Doorways at the most commonly used entryways, including front doors and doors to the bathrooms as well as the individual’s bedroom, will likely need to be widened. Entryways A home’s entryways often must be addressed when making the home more handicap accessible. Portable ramps can be an affordable option and are often an ideal for those who only need to make temporary adjustments, such as when a resident suffers an injury that Bathroom The bathroom might be the area of the home that needs the most attention. Slippery conditions common to bathrooms can make things especially difficult for people in wheelchairs or with disabilities. Grab bars should be installed in bath tubs and shower stalls and next to toilets. But grab bars aren’t the only adjustment homeowners should make in the bathroom as they attempt to make a home more handicap accessible. Safety treads, which can provide a secure, slip-free surface on the floors of showers and tubs, can be installed. Add a hand-held shower head to the shower stall to make it easier for those with a disability to shower. Portable transfer seats, which enable wheelchair-bound men and women to transition from their chairs to showers and bathtubs, can be purchased and kept in or near the bathroom. Water fixtures An often overlooked adjustment homeowners must make when transforming their homes into handicap-accessible spaces concerns the sinks throughout the home. Disabled persons may find it difficult to access faucets on sinks throughout the home, especially when there are vanity cabinets beneath the sinks. Replacing such sinks with pedestal sinks can improve maneuverability, but make sure such sinks are lower to the ground than standard pedestal sinks. A sink that’s just a few inches lower than a standard sink is considerably more accessible to people in wheelchairs. Closets Closets are rarely handicap accessible. Homeowners can address this issue by creating multilevel closet spaces so individuals can place their clothes at accessible heights. Closet shelves can be lowered and doors can be widened so disabled persons can easily manage their wardrobes. In addition, consider installing a light inside the closet and make sure the light switch can be easily reached from a wheelchair. Making a home more handicap accessible can be a significant undertaking, but many of the adjustments homeowners must make are small in scale and won’t take long to complete. n Metro Creative Connection 24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE J&H CLEANING SERVICES Herb Danner, Owner/Operator CARPET SERVICES: • Carpet Cleaning • Upholstery Cleaning • Stain Removal • Water Damage Restoration • Equipment Rentals COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL JANITORIAL SERVICES: • Nightly - Weekly - Monthly • Tile Floors - Stripping & Wax • Total Office Cleaning • References Available INSURED & BONDED SERVING YANKTON AND SURROUNDING AREA SINCE 1994 CALL TODAY FOR FREE ESTIMATE! 665-2571 OR 661-9211 Your Rainbird Sprinkler & Concrete Edging Experts! 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