Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

The Passover Seder

Spring cleaning often comes with a fresh coat of paint. Painting can be a great way to change the feel of a room or give your home some great curb appeal. Painting also plays a role in home repair by protecting the wood of your home against the elements, essential here in Florida.

If you decide to try your hand at painting this spring, People’s Trust has some tips that can keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone in your family.

Try Some Eco-friendly Paint

Spring conjures up the sniffles for many people in the great outdoors, but paint may do the same thing inside of your home. Household paints have previously contained up to 300 toxic chemicals, including the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release particles into the air for years after you paint.

Try a low-VOC paint, which tends to be water-based, for any home interior painting. These have taken off in recent years and come in every shade and finish imaginable. Some brands also create no-VOC paints by replacing chemicals with more natural ingredients. These no-VOC paints are often pet-safe, but always check the label and never leave your pet unattended in a room where paint cans are open.

Home Repair Supervision

If you have children, never let them be in a room with open paint cans by themselves. If children are under the age of 10, they should never be in a room with any open painting materials. Even eco-friendly paints are extremely dangerous if ingested. If you believe your child has ingested any paint, immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Try Cloth Catchers for Indoor and Outdoor Painting

You can pick up plastic sheets to protect your floors and lawn, but these often move and tear as you walk around painting. Turn to cloth or canvas drop cloths that will stay in place easier and can be weighed down with objects without the risk of tearing.

For painting the outside of your home, try a tarp with tie-holes. These can be staked into the ground to provide a steadier surface for a ladder.

Ventilate: Make Room to Breathe

If you’re painting inside, open the doors and windows. If your room has a fan, turn it on. You want proper ventilation for any space you’re painting to help air out the room and not breathe in paint fumes. If you can’t ventilate where you’re working, get a respirator and only paint in short stints.

Ventilation is essential to most common home repair improvements.

Stick to the Shade

If painting outside, you know that you need to take a break in the shade, but what about your materials? Paint, paint thinner and lacquer all need to stay in the shade as much as possible when painting outdoors.

Not only can heat and sun alter some of these items when they’re sitting in the can, but heat can also be a big problem for these flammable items. The city of Las Vegas actually warns its citizens to be careful when painting their homes or canvases outside because paint thinner has been ignited by the sun and started home fires.

Clean Up after Home Repairs

When you finish painting for the day, clean up the entire space. This will prevent spills and any accidental exposure.

Latex paints can typically be cleaned from surfaces and your skin with soap and water. Oil-based paints will have specific cleaning instructions located on the paint can itself. Take a look at your can before you start painting and write down what it says, because paint often spills on the outside of the can during the painting process.

Gasoline was once used to clean paint off of brushes, but this should never be used. Gasoline is extremely dangerous and should never be used as a cleaner for any object.

It’s always a smart practice to clean up and watch your space clearly when doing any home repair project.

by PTI Marketing | Apr 14, 2014

Keeping Children Entertained During the Seder

Chag Sameach! We at People’s Trust wish a Happy Passover to all of you celebrating.

One interesting part of the Seder is afikomen, which comes from the Greek word meaning “that which comes after” or “dessert.” It’s a piece of matza (unleavened bread) that is broken during an early part of the Seder and provides lots of entertainment for the children in attendance.

Remember to follow normal party safety precautions for your Seder.

Preparing the Afikomen

The afikomen is prepared during Yachatz, the fourth part of the Seder. For this ritual, the Seder leader stacks the meal’s three matza and then removes the middle piece. The matza is broken into two pieces; the smaller piece is returned to the table and the larger is wrapped in a cloth or napkin. This larger piece is the afikomen.

The afikomen represents the Passover lamb and it is hidden to help keep the attention of children during the long night.

The afikomen is traditionally eaten last after it has been found and the Seder meal is over. Tradition says it should be eaten before midnight.

Hiding, Finding and Eating the Matza

The afikomen is traditionally hidden by leader of the Seder. Children are allowed to search for it. Whomever finds it brings it back to the table and receives a prize for their discovery. Typically the prize is money or candy.

If you need help explaining the afikomen to children, Sesame Street has a song and conversation that may be a big help.

Once the afikomen is found, it is returned to the table. After the Seder meal and customary desserts, the leader of the Seder will distribute a piece of the afikomen to each guest.

After the afikomen is eaten, no other foods can be consumed for the rest of the night. Seder guests and hosts may still have the final two cups of Seder wine as well as some other drinks like coffee, water, and tea.