Kitchen remodeling to pest control: how to help your home withstand the test of time

This time of year brings more than just fall foliage and cooler temperatures. With family-gathering occasions like Thanksgiving on the horizon, you may be considering projects to improve the appearance and livability of your home, and three local businesses are here to help.  

Tiling your kitchen and bathroom

Homeowners looking for ways to improve their home’s longevity should consider installing tiling in their bathrooms, kitchens and other spaces, according to Kelly Strawbridge-Dixon, who opened Red Bird Tile in Ithaca in April. 

Strawbridge-Dixon, who has more than 20 years of experience in the stone and tile industry, noted that tiles are more durable and water resistant than other flooring materials. Her showroom, located at 211 Elmira Road, offers thousands of tiling options from around the world, including marble and granite to handcrafted ceramic and porcelain.  

“There’s so much diversity to tile,” she said. “We can use tile in a very small area like a kitchen backsplash or a powder room and make a really big impact and statement. Tile will also last the longest, as opposed to a wood or a carpet or a laminate.” 

Strawbridge-Dixon said quality tiles, if installed properly, should last for decades and up to a lifetime. She also sells tile cleaners, sealers and degreasers and recommends cleaning your tiles every two weeks. 

Homeowners and designers can visit the showroom to discuss their desired designs, with colorful patterned and large format tiles being especially popular recently, Strawbridge-Dixon said. Red Bird Tile also works with contractors including Laticrete, Schluter Systems and Ardex to provide materials such as mortars, waterproofers and shower bases to bring every design to life.  

While Red Bird Tile has done tiling work for several area businesses, she said most of her clients are homeowners. 

“This can be a really overwhelming experience for people,” she said. “Sometimes people don’t pull the trigger because they don’t know where to start. We see people on HGTV who have somebody who’s taking care of them behind the scenes, so I’d like to be that person that you can meet to help with your wish list.”

More information about Red Bird Tile and its offerings can be found on its website, https://www.redbirdtile.com.

Keeping rodents and insects out

The start of the fall season is a time when many homeowners find unwelcomed insects and rodents around their homes, inducing fears about personal safety and property damage. 

Since 2014, Wildlife Resolutions, located at 757 Warren Road, Unit 4465 in Ithaca, has provided animal removal, pest control and wildlife repair services to homeowners and businesses in Tompkins County. The company’s president and founder, John Hatfield, said the county has one of the highest levels of nuisance wildlife complaints in the state, noting that they typically receive more than 150 calls a week during the end of the summer.  

Hatfield, a former wildlife specialist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services who went on to work at Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center, said yellow jackets are among the most common pests locally around this time of year.    

“September is the month of breaching,” he said, noting that “fall invaders” such as lady bugs, boxelder bugs and stink bugs will enter homes seeking warmth and shelter.

The same is true for wildlife including mice, squirrels and bats, which often enter homes through weaknesses in a house’s foundation or roof. The company also specializes in removing beavers, birds, skunks and other common critters.  

Wildlife Resolutions’ technicians will inspect your home, put in preventative maintenance plans – such as installing one-way doors and vent covers – before capturing and removing animals. Hatfield said that Wildlife Resolutions prides itself on prioritizing humane capturing and removal practices, such as removing female animals with their offspring.   

“The animal deserves respect in every aspect. Just because it found a vulnerability in your house doesn’t mean it needs to meet a bad ending,” he said.

In New York, it is illegal to move or relocate animals off your property because doing so can cause problems for neighbors, spread diseases like rabies and Lyme and cause unnecessary stress to the animal, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Although Wildlife Resolutions’ technicians must release captured animals onto the same property, Hatfield said their home repairs prevent them from re-entering the home.

Hatfield added that there are many ways people can reduce the risk of finding pests in their home, including not setting up bird feeders – which can attract rats and squirrels – regularly mowing your lawn and weeding your flower beds, cleaning gutters to avoid leaf buildup and moisture retention and routinely checking your home for structural issues.       

“As a child you’re like, ‘I’m going to buy a house and then never have to do anything ever again.’ That’s not true,” he said. “From the day that house is complete to the day it’s no longer a home, it’s a moving, living organism.” 

More information about Wildlife Resolutions and the animals it works with can be found on its website, https://www.wildliferesolutions.com. 

Reimagining your living space

Many people think about remodeling their kitchen, living room or other spaces right before the holidays, without giving much time to turn their dream home into a reality. 

“Whenever fall comes people ask if we can get their project done before Thanksgiving before their family comes over, which isn’t realistic,” said Christie Dixon, a senior designer at Upscale Remodeling, which has helped county residents transform their homes for more than 30 years. 

Upscale Remodeling’s design studio, located at 1410 Dryden Rd. in Freeville, specializes in kitchen, bathroom and basement renovations as well as remodels for mudrooms, outdoor spaces, attics, accessory dwelling units and more. 

Abby Anderson, the company’s head of operations, said she recommends homeowners start thinking about their remodeling projects during the winter, or sooner, so that the project timeline can go smoother.  

“The trend is that people start thinking about the holidays and they want that kitchen,” she said. “The process is they can come here and we do the design together and when that’s solidified and the client falls in love with it, then the construction and the building can be done when the weather is more accommodating because good weather makes faster projects.”   

The company’s ties to Ithaca run deep as the ancestors of its founder, Steve Nash, settled in the area in the early 1800s and built some of the region’s first homes.

Anderson said one specialty they focus on is helping people “live in place” by making homes more accessible for people with disabilities.

Dixon said this includes installing countertops at lower heights to accommodate those in wheelchairs, replacing door knobs with lever handles for those with arthritis in their hands and using matte finish, a non-reflective, dull surface, to remove harsh glares on countertops for those with sensitive eyesight.

”We focus on the question: how do we keep this person in their home?” Anderson said. “When you’ve got a 120-year-old home, you don’t want to take away what made it unique but you do need to update it to make sure it still suits your needs.”   

Dixon said they contract with a variety of regional businesses, including Red Bird Tile, for materials including tiles, cabinetry and bathtubs to give customers a wide variety of options during every step of the remodeling process.

“I think of this like dating because we’re going to change your life for the better,” Anderson said. 

More information about Upscale Remodeling’s services and past projects can be found on its website, https://upscaleremodeling.com.