tips for making your own haunted house

It's a cold October night. You're heading around a corner in a dark house. The flashlight grows fainter with every step you take.

Then, when you least expect it, a maniac wearing a butcher's apron and wielding -- GASP! -- a chain saw springs forth. Thankfully, he pulls it back just in time.

You find it hard to keep your legs from giving way.

Many people find themselves in such a state in the middle of October when the region is full of haunted houses, corn mazes and other spooky attractions.

But wouldn't it be frightfully fun to scare the daylights out of people at home this Halloween?

Experts around town offer some tips and tricks to turn your home from a nice slice of Americana to a scene that is typically reserved for nightmares.

"One of the simplest tricks is to tell someone to look one way and you have 'Boo!' come from the other way," said Guy Lombardozzi, chief of the Wesleyville Hose Co. and the man behind the Halls of Fear. "Distraction and your atmosphere are key to scaring people.

"Find a good, dark room, put on some creepy Halloween music, line the wall with black trash bags, confuse their senses with a strobe light and unleash whatever you may have planned. Simple tricks that play on people's psyches and senses are what really scare them."

Dion Blasco, firefighter and director of Belle Valley's ever-growing Valley of the Ghouls, looks to some classic horror movies for inspiration.

"We mix it up every year," Blasco said. "The theme this year is 'Friday the 13th.'" The Valley of the Ghouls display includes a small-scale version of Crystal Lake. There's also a covered bridge, a maze and trailers set up with spooky scenes.

Blasco said it's important to keep things fresh by changing the layouts every year and trying new themes.

Some of Blasco's suggestions for making your own haunted house include having a little maze with someone waiting to jump out of the corner. He said you could build a coffin, and have a person waiting to pop out of it the moment someone walks by.

Blasco also suggests taking the chain off a chain saw and revving it up. Just be sure to have plenty of ventilation to scatter the fumes.

Parts of the Valley of the Ghouls are controlled by crews of volunteers, which encourages them to put their own fiendish spin on things.

"The guys down here are divided up into crews and each one is responsible for their own area," Blasco said. "If they want something a little different, they have to build it. We have props they go through as they see what they need. If they want a cage, we have wood and plastic piping to build a cage. "

Don't be frightened at the potential cost -- it's easier and less expensive than you might think. In these tight economic times, Lombardozzi said a dollar store is a great resource for people who want to assemble a haunted house on a budget.

"You can put a great one together for less than $50," Lombardozzi said. "Places like Dollar Tree have great deals on all the essentials, like strobe lights, spider webs and masks and costumes you can incorporate into your theme."

If cash is not a concern, Blasco said the local Spirit Halloween stores are a great option. "But if you have the imagination, putting everything together yourself is a great way to go."

If you plan to open your haunted house to the public and charge a fee, Lombardozzi and Blasco said there are rules and guidelines that must be met to ensure the safety of the patrons.