Team Two Times

Tune into Garden Gossip over at Big Blend Radio tomorrow, Saturday, January 9 at 9:30 am PST when we return for our monthly radio show!

Tune in live here and if you miss it, return for the archive.

Labels: diy tips, garden gossip, home storage tips, marcus hunt, russ hemmis, southwest big blend, team 2 times

We can't wait for Saturday because we'll be on Garden Gossip with our pals Nancy & Lisa giving you DIY tips and discussing what projects you should do yourself and when you should swallow your pride and call a professional. You can also call in with your own DIY questions, or to say hi, at 914.338.1788. Tune in this Sat., June 6th from 10am to 11am PT.

Labels: diy tips, garden gossip, hgtv, marcus hunt, russ hemmis, team two times

I'll be on Rick's House Radio show tomorrow morning - Saturday, April 11 at 9am PDT - hope you can tune in. We had a good time on the show last time...should be fun!

Thanks, Russ

Labels: ricks house radio, russ hemmis

This Saturday 4/4 we will be on House Studs Radio Show at 9:30 am CDT and 7:30 am PDT. Since it is early and it is Saturday we will make it very worth your while. We will be covering issues that are important to you around your home, talking about our shows and what makes us "Team Two Times". So join us and our hosts, Mike and Dale, at www.101wyde.com. You can also call in to say hi, or ask us a question at 866.551.9933.

Labels: eam two times, home improvement, House Studs Radio Show, marcus hunt, mike and dale, russ hemmis

We will be discussing Winter-proofing your home on this week's edition of "Garden Gossip" over at Blend Radio. We are expected to come on at 3:30 pm so set your alarm and tune in.

Labels: blend radio, garden gossip, marcus hunt, russ hemmis, team 2 times, winter proofing your home.

The possibilities are endless if you have a tired old living room and $1,000. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Add chair rails for instant charm. If you want to take it a step further, try painting a dark color below the rail and a lighter shade above. For a little work and about $200, this is an easy project that offers dramatic results.

Change your flooring. If you think you can’t afford hardwood floors, you’re wrong. There are many great looking laminate floors on the market for $1-1.50/sq ft. This puts the cost of wood flooring for the average living room at about $400, and with the new “click lock” or “snap together” flooring systems, anyone can install them. There’s no glue or mess and you can change them in a few years just as easily.

Don’t forget to accessorize. An area rug is a simple way to ground the space and add color. A new media center will also change the feel of your room. If you don’t have money in the budget to buy a new one, try looking in the online classifieds for one that will work with your design. If you can’t find one that matches your current furniture, think about painting or refinishing one that will fit in your space. You’ll not only get the look you love but imagine the bragging rights!

Save money for beer and pizza, so you can sit back, relax and enjoy your new living room. I should also note that if you invite friends to assist you ALWAYS serve the beer after the job is done. Trust me on this.

Labels: $1000 living room makeover, 24 hour design, budget, design on a dime, do it yourself, fun home projects, hgtv, home improvement, russ hemmis, team two times

Labels: bedroom makeover under $500, drapes, hgtv, new linens, platform bed, russ hemmis

Labels: design on a dime, habitat restore, hgtv, how to update bathroom under $100, marshalls, ross, russ hemmis

Labels: design on a dime, hammer heads, hgtv, marcus hunt, russ hemmis

This Friday the Team2Times duo will be a the Los Angeles Alternative Building Materials and Design Expo. They will spend the Day with ReUse Network helping to inform people about de-construction and why it is so important on a job-site! If you would like more information about the Alt-Build please go to the site.

Russ and Marcus will be there from 2 to 4pm Friday at booth 103.

Labels: 24 hour design, construction, hammer heads, help the environment, hgtv, home renovation, home repair, los angeles, marcus hunt, russ hemmis

Here are some good basic tips for painting from my friend Carmen De La Paz:

1. Prepping your Paint job right will save you time in the end and your paint job will look a lot better. Don’t just grab a roller and start, take the time to evaluate and prep the project. Do you need to spackle holes, sand, caulk, etc?
   
2. Tape is your best friend. Use it to mask off and you will have crisp lines, making your end result look professional. They make a completely smooth, blue painter’s tape that stops the little flecks that you get when the paint smooshes behind regular tape.
   
3. Use a good brush. Spending a little more money on a quality brush will make the job more enjoyable. Suggested brand – Purdy. A cheap brush can fall apart and leave pieces behind on your project.
   
4. Oil and water don’t mix. If you are painting over a wall that has oil-based paint you must apply a primer to neutralize the surface and allow it accept the new latex paint with out crackling of flaking off in the near future.
   
5. Is it oil or isn’t it? Do the Goof off test. If the paint melts when you rub Goof-off on it – it is latex or water based. It the Goof-off doesn’t melt it, you have an oil-based surface.
   
6. De-fuzz your roller by rolling it over tape to get rid of the loose fuzz – it’s better than leaving them on your wall during the paint process.
   
7. Paint can impact a room up to 70%.
   
8. When patching holes, instead of sand paper, use a wet rag to sand down the surface – you won’t have any dust and you will end up with a much nicer blend and feathering in your end result making the hole disappear.
   
9. When painting a darker color on your wall, consider applying a tinted primer to help achieve the full saturation of the color without 5 or six coats. Ask your paint store to help select the shade of your tinted primer.
   
10. Painting is not brain surgery. If you mess up either clean it up or paint over it and start again.
    

Labels: 24 hour design, hammer heads, hgtv, how to paint a house, marcus hunt, painting tips, russ hemmis, team two times

People are always asking me about investment property since I have been flipping homes for years. More recently, I am asked if now is the time to invest in real estate. Here are my thoughts (for what it’s worth.)

Labels: 24 hour design, buying a home, first time buyer, hgtv, house flipping, investing in real estate, russ hemmis, todays real estate market

The don't call us Team 2 Times for nothing, we have screwed up plenty of times, which of course is why we are so good now.

One great example comes to mind back when Marcus and I had spent all day walking on floor joists of a second story while installing new plumbing. We were so careful as to not misstep and crash through the ceiling, which wasn't just drywall, since this was over the front porch.

Anyway, towards the end of the day, I slipped and luckily (sort of) one foot went on each side of the joist, keeping me from falling to the porch below (ouch). Along with my feet, the busted up plaster and my bruised ego, all of the ABS (plastic drain pipe) also came crashing down onto the porch. Outside, there were about a half dozen guys installing a fence around the property, all of whom cheered....I don't think they even waited to see if I was ok first!

In the end we ripped off the remaining plaster from the ceiling of the porch and replaced it with fresh stucco. The funny thing was, it was so much easier to do the plumbing without that plaster in the way.

Never be afraid to mess up, it happens. Just get right back up (or down in my case) and do it again.

Have any similar stories? Email me.

Russ

Labels: abs plastic drain pipe, hgtv host, marcus hunt, plaster, plumbing, porch, russ hemmis, screw up home repair, stucco

Labels: ace, contractors, depot, do it yourelf, electricians, hammer heads, hardware store, hgtv, lowes, marcus hunt, orchard supply, osh, plumbers, renovation, repair, russ hemmis

Although the joke behind Team Two Times name is that it usually takes us twice to get something right, the key to starting any project is taking your time and preparation. You’ll save both time and money by not just jumping in blindly. This may mean doing some internet searching, buying a do-it-yourself book at your local hardware or book store or having someone with experience help you.

We hope you will consider us a resource too. We have made a living buying properties in the Los Angeles area and renovating them ourselves and we are so fortunate to now be on HGTV and to be able to share our experience with you.

We started this blog not only to share funny stories of our mistakes, but to actually help other people who want to tackle home renovations and could value from those mistakes. So email us, yell at us, whatever...just keep stopping by!

Labels: cable, construction, do it yourself, hgtv, home improvement, los angeles, marcus hunt, properties, renovation, russ hemmis, team two times