2012 Home Improvement Trends

Modaa Inc. strives for the ability to provide our clients with latest residential and commercial remodeling trends, tips, and general home improvement ideas. Here are a few remodeling strategies that will be becoming more popular this year.

Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

In addition to traditional remodels, we are also big advocates of energy efficient remodeling and sustainability. In California, experts are predicting a larger shift towards energy efficiency and sustainable living this year. Some of the things a lot of consumers will consider are items such as Energy Star rated appliances and energy efficient lighting. Energy Upgrade California is also a good place to start if you are thinking of upgrading your home. You can get great rebates for simple and quick home improvement upgrades. Ask Us How! we can get you on the right path to a more sustainable and energy efficient year. Please note, rebate funds are running out!

Home Storage Solutions

By using creative design and storage you can make more use of space in your home. A lot of home designs will favor larger communal areas that will  maximize the space where occupants spend most of their time. 

Technology

Remote home access monitoring is really going to start to pick up this year. Having the ability to remotely access your home is safe and it also saves you money by enabling you to manage your energy usage even when you aren’t at home. Let us know how we can help.

Happy Holidays!

South of the Boulevard Luxury Bathroom

Featured Bathroom

of The Month

South of the Boulevard Luxury Master Bathroom

- Demo

- Disposal

- Electrical & Cable

- Plumbing

- New Valves

- Trim

- His & Her Sinks

- Recessed Lighting 

- Caesar Stone Countertops

- Re-Finished Cabinetry 

- Stand Up Shower

- Tile Flooring

- Jacuzzi Tub

- Frame-less Shower Door 

- Finish Fixtures

- Patching & Priming 

- Painting Two Coat Finish 

- Baseboards

- (1) Panasonic Exhaust Fan

- Plasma TV Installation

Earth Day "Green It, Mean It"

Modaa Inc. took part in this years Fox, Green It Mean It Earth day event.  

We commend Fox for such a great Earth Day Event. Here are some highlights...

Definitely big fans of the "Green It Mean It" Campaign.

Big Thanks to our long time personal, Modaa and Fix It Dude friend Arin for stopping by!

Even bigger thanks to Wil for getting us involved in the Fox Earth Day event. We were so happy to have patrons of the event join our raffle for one hour of free Handyman service. Our lucky Winner Gina Perreti will be getting a visit from us next week!

Cool Green Finds

Our new favorite connection, Naturally Savvy. These guys will guide you to a more natural and sustainably lifestyle. And sweet Yrneh kept spoiling us with goodies. Let them help you make the simple transition to a greener lifestyle.

Spud, loved their catch phrases and I am sure you will love their service. Get food from close to home at it's freshest and tastiest!

For my forward thinking friends check out the latest Eaton Electric Vehicle charger. These guys will get your car charged in 20-30 minutes, that's FAST!

Aliso Electric, our favorite Solar Experts! If you want to go Solar then these are the guys you need to call. Go Karla, Go Aliso!

Whether you want to exercise or just want to get around town check out Southbay Trikke. These guys will show you the way.



Saved the best for last! Bites of Bliss had the BEST Carob nibbles, they rocked!

  
That's it for now. Stay cool and remember us when you think fun and eco-friendly fix it dudes!

Coming Soon!!! Fox' Earth Day event details, fun finds, cool photos and our RAFFLE WINNER

Our First Ever "I need a Fix IT Dude" Contest!

This year Modaa Inc. and Fix IT Dudes are  having their very first "I need a Fix IT Dude" contest on YouTube. 

Our proud viewers know we have a series of Do It Yourself (DIY) videos on YouTube that have been quite helpful to a lot of our viewers. If you have not had the chance to watch our videos please visit our YouTube page for a sneak peek.

The winning video will get 2 hours of Handyman repair done and a DIY shoot of the entire thing. Viewers and clients can now shine in the spotlight as they tell us why they need a Fix IT Dude in there life.

To participate in this contest please create a video letting us know why we should send a Dude to your rescue. Please be clear on which "Fix IT Dude" you need. (Hint: www.fixitdudes.com )

So get your cameras ready and let the contest begin!

Don't forget to upload your video to Youtube!

Send the link to info@fixitdudes.com when you're done!







*Please note: Any material needed must be provided by the winner. This is for handyman labor for TWO hours with the agreement that the winner will allow Modaa Inc. to film the work being done to their home.

Let's have a GREENER holiday!

Here are some tips that can help make this holiday the greenest one ever!

• Gift Cards are one of the greenest presents you can give. There’s no wrapping paper, no shipping costs, and no gas wasted driving all over town for the gift. It’s a quick, easy and convenient way to do your holiday shopping.
• ‘Tis the season to take out those reusable bags.  If you’re headed out to the mall for some holiday shopping don’t forget to take along a reusable shopping bag and you’ll help reduce the number of single-use, disposable bags distributed by retailers.
• Put old holiday cards to use. Used cards, especially those with large pictures to cut out, can also be used as decorations. Just put a hole at the top of the card and knot a piece of string or lace through the hole to hang on next year’s Christmas tree, or door handles another example would be making a holiday wreath out of old greetings cards.
• For those of you getting a tree this year- Remember to recycle trees locally or reuse branches to make colorful holiday wreaths and separate the pine needles from tree branches to create tree-scented sachet bags.
• Want a more festive looking tree? Did you know that the sprayed-on artificial snow (also known as flocking) can be made from environmentally harmful components and take away the ability to recycle a Christmas tree. For more Earth-friendly artificial snow, sprinkle on some baking powder.
• The end of the year is the perfect time to get rid of unwanted cell phones, outgrown toys, clothes and furniture. Try to donate to charitable groups like Goodwill Industries and The Salvation Army. A lot of local charities have there own thrift stores and are always looking for donated items. Why throw away something useful when you can give it to someone who needs it?
• Recycle old holiday lights, broken or burned-out holiday lights by mailing them to Christmas Light Source Recycling Program. The bulbs will be recycled, and proceeds will be used to purchase books for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. You’ll also get a coupon to save 10 percent on a future order of replacement bulbs.
• Buy Reusable Batteries. About 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. In 2006 alone, more than 40 billion single-use batteries were sold worldwide. Consider purchasing rechargeable batteries instead; they can be used again and again.
• Recycle Packing Peanuts. Check with local postal shipping stores to see if they will accept foam peanuts for recycling. Call “The Peanut Hot-line” at 800-828-2214 to find the nearest location.

I hope these tips come in handy this holiday season. If everyone continues to do their part this year we can truly make a difference.

Modaa Inc

Don't forget to vote tomorrow! - November 2nd

I want to encourage EVERYONE to Vote tomorrow in the 2010 November Election. There are some pretty important propositions on this ballot and every vote counts! See you all at the polls!

Please remember to Vote no on Proposition 23!!

Modaa Inc.

Hello...Arclight Hollywood

Here are some photos from a past project

Building Sq Ft.: 40,000

Project Scope: Interior Painting 

                     Art Walls

                     Departure Wall
                     Restrooms

Here is a mix of Art wall, restroom interior and the Departure room photos.

www.modaainc.com

Composting Part 4

Be Careful When Adding These Ingredients!

Sawdust – Because of it's very high carbon content, and its very small particle size, sawdust can overwhelm a compost pile. But, it can also be quite useful if you have an overload of green material. I add some from my woodworking shop when I have a lot of extra fruit in my pile at the end of the season. Avoid using sawdust that came from Black Walnut wood, as it contains a chemical that will stunt or prevent the growth of some plants, tomatoes in particular.

Wood Shavings, Chips, and Bark – Like sawdust, the carbon content can overwhelm, and shut down, an otherwise good compost mix. Set them aside, if possible, and let them decompose the old fashioned way, over time ("cold" decomposition).

What NOT to do ( Don’t add these ingredients to your compost)

Meat, Fish, animal fats – Unless you can completely bury them, you run the risk of attracting unwanted visitors to your compost. You might be able to add very small portions, but they must be completely buried, and adding them makes turning or mixing the working compost very problematic.

Shredded Newspapers or Office Paper – Recycle them instead. The paper very likely contains chemicals that are not good for your compost. Newspaper shredders were very popular years ago, but the risk of adding ink chemicals isn’t worth it. By all means, recycle your paper and save trees, but don’t put them in your compost pile.

Ashes from Your BBQ Grill – Another no-no. Wood ashes can be very useful in small quantities. And, wood ashes can be helpful for certain lawn applications. But, never put BBQ grill ashes into your compost pile.

Dog and Cat Feces – Are never good for your compost. There’s simply too much risk of adding nasty diseases, not to mention the unpleasant odor! Chicken, horse, cow, and rabbit manure is fine

These are my final tips on composting. I hope it was helpful and informative Tomorrow is the Mar Vista Fall Festival so be sure to check  it out! I will be blogging about the event next week.

www.modaainc.com

Composting- Part 3

Smaller is BETTER

Smaller particles are simply easier to mix and easier for the little microbes to digest. Of course, the micro bugs don’t eat the whole particle, but smaller particles of raw materials means that you’ll have more surface area for the millions of microbes to do their work.

Turn, TURN, turn!

You’ll maximize your composting efforts if you continuously turn, or mix, the heap. Mixing your heap will help to keep the browns and greens in balance, will distribute moisture, and add essential air (oxygen) to the mixture. The core (the inside) of the compost heap is always hotter and is the center of activity. The outside is generally less active and much cooler. To increase the efficiency of the composting process, mix the heap to bring more of the raw materials from the outside to the core. Bring more food and water to the busy little micro bugs on the inside.

While the compost is working, or “cooking,” the best tool for turning is a pitch fork or garden fork.

    When and How to Use Compost

Soil Building – Compost is the single best additive for good, even great, garden soil. It improves tilth, fertility, water retention for sandy soils, water drainage for clay soils, and improves your soil’s disease fighting characteristics. Add compost in spring and fall, and till it in.

Garden Fertilizer – Compost can be used throughout the season as a garden fertilizer. Simply side dress vegetables and flowers for a slow-release food source and improved disease prevention.

Lawn Feeding – Screened compost (compost that has been sifted to collect the smaller particles) can be applied as a lawn fertilizer throughout the season. It will provide a wonderful slow-release food as well as assist in lawn disease prevention. And, given that the nutrients aren’t as concentrated as in chemical lawn foods, you’ll avoid the stripes that can easily occur when incorrectly applying chemicals. You’ll avoid chemical run-off, and you’ll save money. Your lawn will be alive, with earthworms (natures aerators) and beneficial microbes.

Compost vs. Mulch – Mulch is any material that is applied to the garden’s surface to prevent weed germination and to reduce water evaporation. Compost will help build the soil, and it will help retain moisture; but, it won’t do a lot to prevent weeds. It’s an ideal growing medium; so, weeds are likely to be very comfortable in it. Use shredded leaves for mulch, or a combination of shredded leaves and lawn clippings. The combination of lawn clipping and shredded leaves creates an attractive mulch that won’t blow away (as leaves alone tend to do) and allows water penetration (as grass clippings alone tend to matt and repel water).

 www.modaainc.com