Everyone seems to be an expert these days and the amount of advice and blog posts that are available are very overwhelming - agreed?

So how do you filter out the best information? We do it for you! Here are the best and most useful blog posts from the Home Hardware Experts Blog:

Can you believe 2015 is almost over? It's been a fantastic year at Merritt Home Hardware, thanks to our wonderful team and loyal customers. For our last blog post this year, we want to show you a few glimpses of how 2015 went down at our store 😀.

We are more than thrilled that our owner and fearless leader Peter Moyes recently received the Rick Isbister Memorial Award for Community Development, during the Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce Excellence Awards! It is awarded to "a person that has demonstrated outstanding leadership, vision, and commitment to the overall quality of life in Merritt & the Nicola Valley" - and we could not agree more!

Peter and his family have always been huge supporters of the Nicola Valley, and their support goes back over 100 years.

Fall is a fantastic time to tackle new projects - finishing up outdoors, and diving into new projects indoors. 

This month, we bring you a round up of the latest and greatest resources, projects, and promotions Home Hardware has to offer!

Heating season is coming to an end (hopefully... ), and while you might be thinking "air conditioning" already, you should be thinking "insulation"! Here's why:

The new year is here and with it often come resolutions. One of those resolutions might be to get organized - and we have some tips for you to help you accomplish that!

As the new year starts with a clean slate, many of us get the urge to organize and declutter. But where do you start? Just the thought of it can sometimes be a deterrent... There is hope, though! Here are a few tips that will guarantee your success:

We had a fantastic year at Merritt Home Hardware - thanks to our wonderful customers and the support of our community!

Today, we'd like to reflect back and show you a few of our favourite moments here at Merritt Home Hardware during this past year :) (Click on the pictures to view full size!)

Thank you so much for supporting us. We hope you have a fantastic holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year!

Are you ready for the busiest time of the year?

While many of us get stressed with just the thought of baking for the holiday season, simple ways are available to bring back the joy.

"There are enough stresses at this time of the year and baking needn't be one of them," says Anna Olson, Home Hardware's Kitchen Expert and the star of Bake with Anna Olsen on Food Network Canada. "You too can join those who get excited about baking and have a memorable and delicious holiday season by following a few simple guidelines."

Olson offers these preparation tips for stress-free baking:

We already featured a great fall project in last month's blog, and this month we have a whole bunch more!

Today, we want to feature one crafty, quick project - and one that's a little more involved... one is a fall decorating idea and the other one a kitchen island. Have a look!

Summer is almost over and fall is ready to arrive. Chilly nights and crisp mornings, sunshine and frosty winds - gotta love fall in Merritt! If you don't want to spend your whole fall just with yard work, we have a few awesome projects for you! You could even get a head start on your Christmas gifts :)

There is a variety of projects for every budget and time frame on the Home Hardware Website - have a look! One project that is easy to do and will keep the spirit of summer in your house all year long is the Indoor Herb Tote.

Did you know that we are a PaintsPlus Recycling depot?

In addition to the LightRecycle, AlarmRecycle and Call2Recycle Battery Recycling we accept paint, paint and pesticide aerosols, pesticides and flammable liquids and solvents in cooperation with the Product Care Stewardship Program.

Mark Cullen is Home Hardware's garden expert. His website will give you access to his Gardening Guide as well as information on Design, Planting, Care and Maintenance of your own oasis. It also features a Buyer's Guide with Mark's Choice Products and Mark's Blog.

If you are thinking about replacing your windows, you should consult with the experts in our Contract Sales team - summer and early fall are a great time to replace windows, and with delivery times ranging from 2-6 weeks, now is the time to start planning.

There is a window for every budget, and since this is an investment you won't repeat for a while, we want to make sure you make the right choice!

Colour is powerful, paint is affordable. Together they are invincible, the dynamic duo of decorating. Transform your paint brush into a magic wand with these simple tips!

Contrasting colours emphasize. Use them to highlight and take advantage of wonderful moldings, art, or other beautiful architectural features in your room. To the contrary, unsightly architectural
features and basic moldings will disappear if ‘painted out’ by using the same colour as the background.

Before you get all decked out, though, there are two simple secrets to a long-lasting finish – quality stain and prep work. Together they’re a dynamic duo. Without them, you might be doing your
project again next year. We understand. Prep work is a bit like homework – beneficial but who wants to do it! However, since 90% of stain failure is due to lack of prep work, it’s key. Here
are the simple, easy steps to protect your investment for a lifetime of enjoyment.

Yard Sale season is just about over for the year, but antiquing and picking are always in season; one way to add some pizazz to your home and have fun doing it is to refinish a piece of furniture.

A dresser, vanity or side table are small projects that can easily be tackled and don’t worry – it really is a simple process.

This Beauti-Tip is courtesy of Home Hardware, home of Beauti-Tone quality paint!

Colour is powerful, paint is affordable. Together they are invincible, the dynamic duo of decorating. Transform your paint brush into a magic wand with these simple tips!

Contrasting colours emphasize. Use them to highlight and take advantage of wonderful moldings, art, or other beautiful architectural features in your room. To the contrary, unsightly architectural
features and basic moldings will disappear if ‘painted out’ by using the same colour as the background.

Are you interested in home and garden design? Project ideas?

Then you should be on Pinterest!

Home Hardware is active on Pinterest and provides lots of inspiration for furnishings, outdoor living, paint and projects.

Can I paint my garage floor?

You betcha! There are different options available. The concrete floor should be cleaned thoroughly and if possible acid-etched. Even though it is possible to paint with a latex Porch & Floor paint, this will not be suitable for your garage floor if you park your car there.... the latex paint is prone to being picked up by car tires, so a better alternative is an alkyd paint or an epoxy tough acrylic paint, available from Beautitone.

Bathrooms - is that mould on my ceiling?

Not every dark stain in a bathroom has to be mould. If the stain has more of a brownish appearance rather than grey, it can be caused by the latex paint on your wall. Streaking or staining of latex paint is called 'surfactant leaching' and usually caused by high humidity in bathrooms. Surfactants are ingredients in paint, necessary for overall performance. Gently wipe with a wet cloth and mild detergent, no bleach required! Before repainting a bathroom make sure all walls are washed (and if necessary rinsed), and once painted give the paint a day to dry before using the shower.

The difference between a paint job gone wrong and a paint job turning out great is almost always the proper preparation. And the number one mistake is ..... you guessed it - not prepping at all!

Here are a few tips that will contribute to your painting success:

You might think that adhesives are not the most exciting thing to write or read about. Maybe not exciting, but important! The type of adhesive you use could make the difference between success and failure of your project.

As with the use of any product, the most important thing is to read the label - it will tell you right there in black and white what it is suitable for and what will not work. Here are some general guidelines for a few of the most common adhesives:

When we say to our customers "We've got your lumber", we are not just talking 2x4's.

We are able to deliver on all your lumber needs and can even give you a hand in planning your project. Our lumber yard is well stocked with dimensional lumber from 1x4 to 2x12, with lengths ranging from 8' to 20' (20' for assorted sizes only).

Whenever the temperature outside is significantly lower than inside - mainly in the winter - condensation on windows can occur. If you have double pane windows and condensation is sometimes an issue, this blog post will hopefully provide some helpful insights.