Seafood Festivals Galore

Tis the month of seafood festivals! So get ready to eat some great food and enjoy all the festivities!

Head out to Safety Harbor Marina this weekend for a three-day festival with seafood and other food vendors from around the county. Plus live entertainment, arts and crafts and children's actives. It is a weekend the whole family is sure to enjoy. Entrance to the festival is free but you'll have to pay for any food and drinks you want to try.

The Safety Harbor Seafood Festival will be open from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Friday; 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sunday. To see all the entertainment that will be preforming and the schedule check out the Safety Harbor Events page.

One weekend not enough for you? St. Petersburg is starting a new tradition and having their first Seafood and Music Festival on March 25 & 26. The event will have seafood plates from top restaurants in the St. Pete area. There will also be live entertainment and a selection of arts, crafts and fine products by artists and vendors. Come out to North Straub Park between 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. on March 25 & 26 to have a great weekend full of seafood, art and music.

Tickets can be purchased on the Seafood & Music Festival's webpage. Get your tickets in advance for $3 or $5 at the gate. There are also VIP tickets for $50 if you want to get really fancy at the festival.

This is the month to get all your seafood kicks! Make sure you check out all the live entertainment and activities at each. After you go, let Bin There Dump That Tampa Bay know what seafood creation was your favorite; we'd love to see your pictures! And remember that Bin There Dump That is here for all your rental dumpster needs including dumpster rentals in St. Petersburg and Safety Harbor.

DIY Home Renovation Trends

            This is an exciting year for home improvement do-it-yourselfers. There are more materials, products, youtube videos and websites than ever before to browse for ideas, instructions and video guides. Tile that looks like wood is gaining popularity for flooring, along with spa-like bathrooms, streams and ponds in backyards and hardscaping from which to enjoy those water features.

            The home handyman or the highly motivated not-yet handyman - or woman - can develop a plan and a budget one weekend and potentially start and finish a home project the next. The savings, increased property value and self-satisfaction are worth the effort. It may take a little blood, sweat and tears before completion, but the idea is mostly just the sweat [equity].

            Before you go hog wild on your project, arrange with Bin There Dump That to have a dumpster rental delivered the day you want it and picked up when you specify. They'll put boards under the dumpster for driveway protection, and they are friendly, professional and happy to help. Some trends making headlines are:

            Bold colors - from ceilings to accent walls and tile to little dressers and benches, daring colors enliven any space.

            Lighting - colored ginger jar bases with drum shades reminiscent of the 1950s are showing up on nightstands, end tables and desks in home offices. Pendants replace recessed lights over kitchen islands (an easy DIY switch-a-roo) and outdoor spotlights illuminate gardens, trees and Old Glory after dark.

            Open shelving - accessibility is trending for the dishes in the kitchen and towels in the bathroom. Open shelves are holding plates, pitchers, baskets and all sorts of platters and pottery.

           

            Spa bathrooms - taking cues from luxury hotels, bathrooms are moving from utilitarian to spa-like zones for relaxation. Wainscoting, wallpaper, vessel sinks, soft lighting, deep soaking tubs, plush towels rolled in a basket or open shelf, flameless candles, bubble bath, heated towel racks and TV, radio and music are part of the spa experience at home.

            Rural touches - natural wood doors, rustic benches and weathered flea market finds can add some farm feel and country cozy to every room in the house. If you find a piece that's too distressed, whitewash or streak it with your favorite color for interest.

            Water features - in a weekend, you can create a pond, a stream, a fountain or some soothing water feature with a few pond plants, maybe some fish (they are good for ecological balance, though koi eat snails) and a frog or two - real or ceramic.

            Hardscaping - retaining walls, paver patios or just a slate base for a bench in a far corner in the shade, fire pits and outdoor fireplaces encourage more time and relaxation outside.

            Browse these websites for ideas for every home improvement, including some you may have not thought of or considered. There's something for every budget and every lifestyle, and don't forget the fine folks over at Bin There Dump That before you starting tearing up your yard or house.

Ø  DIY Network

Ø  Ron Hazelton

Ø  HGTV

Ø  Better Homes and Gardens

Ø  Home Wizards

March Power Washing

The Power in the Power Wash

            Cars go to the car wash for those high pressure water streams that shoot soapy water, then rinse water and let you drive away with a sparkling clean vehicle, hubcaps and all. Well, you can't take your house to the car wash, but you can power wash it to remove dirt, grime, mildew and the last storm's residue. Be advised that using a pressure washer is serious work with safety concerns that begin with the note that a powerful burst of water can take off a finger, cause one to fall from a ladder or cause serious body harm. It's not fast like driving through the car wash, and it's not simple like waving a magic wand, but your house can sparkle too!

            That said and warnings aside, every house should be power washed at least once a year to keep the exterior free from dirt and mildew, especially. This applies to brick and stucco as well as aluminum and vinyl siding. Wood should probably only be power washed before re-priming and painting, allowing it to fully dry in between. There are three ways to approach power washing:

§  Hire an expert power washer contractor List of power washers companies

§  Buy a small electric power washer Small Electric Power Washer Reviews

§  Invest in a gas engine-powered power washer Gas Engine Power Washer Reviews

(1)       Experts. These contractors are not only experienced, but also have the best equipment and training. To avoid getting hurt with a power washer, which operates at a high psi (pounds per square inch) flow or seriously damage your house, an expert is a good idea. The professionals are trained in handling power washing equipment, angling it away from windows and crevices, using appropriate cleaning solutions, setting up scaffolding for stability and preserving your exterior material. Many contractors also use low pressure washers and specially formulated cleaning products so there is minimal risk in property damage or worker accidents.

(2)       Electric power washer. These little machines are great for a small house, boat, deck furniture or car. They will work well for light jobs, just spraying off dirt and mildew that's accumulated over a short period of time. You may still need to scrub sections first to release the gunk, and always exercise caution when electricity and water are near one other -- they're not good friends.

(3)       Gas engine power washer. This can give the best results, but you'll still need to do some cleaning by hand. One suggestion is to pre-treat mildew stains caused by nearby tree coverings or from not having washed the house in a while. Be cautious around doors and windows and especially vigilant with vinyl siding where slats meet. You don't want to power wash the house and accidentally injected moisture under the siding to breed something worse than what you are cleaning.

            There is an array of pressure nozzles for different spray ranges and uses. Practice with each one in a small section to be sure you are getting the desired results. Some models have different colors for various spray ranges. Others offer something like a rotary nozzle which adds some scrubbing power to the spray. If you buy your own equipment, read all the directions and use only the recommended cleaning solutions. Lastly, clean or have the gutters and downspouts washed at the same time and rent a Bin There Dump That dumpster for raking up leaves, fronds, nests, twigs and whatever else you manage to power wash to the ground. Like driving your car away, knowing the outside is all freshly cleaned, you can enjoy your coffee or afternoon beverage in your house, happily knowing your house looks great and is well-maintained, thereby preserving your investment.

Home rennovation is worth the dust

Homeownership comes with benefits, fun, challenges and expenses.  Remodeling is one of the big expense considerations you might be facing.  Should you update the kitchen, add a room or second story, expand the deck, change the siding, remodel or add a bathroom, renovate the first floor?

At remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2015/, several remodeling job costs are listed with their projected resale value.  Ones that top 80% for return include wood deck addition, steel entry door replacement, new garage doors, manufactured stone veneer and siding replacement.  Others recouping more than 60% are kitchen remodels, window replacement (vinyl or wood), attic bedroom, composite deck addition and garage or second story addition. 

While all remodeling costs may not come back to the homeowner at sale, they do improve the property and increase its overall value.  What cannot be measured and is worthy of discussion is the enjoyment of the improvements and remodels possibly for years to come.  Unless one is downsizing, it's less expensive to remodel than to move in many cases.  And, it's not generally a great idea to remodel a home to sell as opposed to remodel it to enjoy.

A couple noteworthy remodel jobs on the downward trend are home offices and sunrooms. Advancements in mobile technology and cloud storage have put the skids on many a home office anchored with a desktop computer station.  Sunrooms have always been expensive and difficult to cool or heat, and even in Florida, more homeowners are embracing open patios with a slatted or permanent roof or awning or screened porch that's not encased in the glass of a traditional sunroom. 

The hard to digest but necessary and costly remodels are unseen ones like HVAC replacement, plumbing update and a new roof.  Visible enhancements like getting rid of oh-so-outdated, cheesy wood paneling or popcorn ceilings, along with a front yard makeover, provide instant gratification to lifestyle. 

Choosing the right contractor is a huge piece of any remodel project, maybe one of the most important choices you will have to make.  Take the time to do reference checks, ensure the contractor is licensed, & has experience with the type of work you need done.  Locally there are some resources available to you, below are a few.

• National Association of The Remodeling Industry Tampa Bay (NARI)
• Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA)
• Pinellas County Contractors Licensing Board (PCCLB)
• Hillsborough County Contractor Licensing

Once you have a design, a contractor and required building permits, you need to be prepared for:

• dust, debris, & junk
• noise
• open doors with new materials and workers coming and going
• unexpected (faulty wiring, irregular framing, gerry-rigged something or other)
• delays (materials late, defective)
• decisions (where does this outlet go? how low on this chandelier?)
• cost overruns

One good way to reduce cost and save time is by choosing the right dumpster company, or requiring your contractor to use a specific company.   

Bin There Dump That is the reliable dumpster service, that works with contractors and homeowners to ensure smooth efficient waste removal from their projects.  These professionals deliver a clean green dumpster, on time, and place the dumpster on boards for driveway protection.   Here are just a few quick differences and why it will matter.

• Clean green dumpster - no one wants an unsightly rusty box staining their driveway
• On time - a late bin means waiting or moving stuff twice, don't waste time or money
• Driveway protection guarantee - why risk adding driveway repair to the remodel job

So get ready to tear things out, toss them into the dumpster rental outside your door, sweep and ready the room for a renovation you will enjoy immensely ~ once the dust settles.