Download - Fall Home Improvement 2010
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BY MELISSA RAYWORTH
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ask William Carter aboutexpanding your home andhe’s going to be blunt: It willbe expensive. It will bemessy. And it will take time.
“This is a very taxingprocess,” says Carter, whohas renovated homes inCalifornia for three decadesand is now board chairmanof the National Associationof the Remodeling Industry.“You’re probably going tomake 1,500 to 2,000 decisionsbefore this project is com-pleted.”
But, he says, if you plancarefully and trust yourinstincts, you can “end upwith a quality project andeveryone will be friendsafterwards.”
RESEARCH
Like all remodeling proj-ects, adding on to your homestarts with planning andresearch. In surveys of Con-sumer Reports readers whohave remodeled their homes,“the thing they wish theyhad done is spent more timeupfront,” says Celia Kuper-szmid-Lehrman, deputyhome editor at the maga-zine.
Make detailed notes aboutthe basics you want, and aseparate list of special things— maybe skylights or a fire-place — that you’d love toinclude but can live without.
“There is almost always aconflict between what youcan afford and what youwant,” says Bill Harbrecht, aretired contractor from Flor-ida who shares his knowl-edg e on the websiteRemodeling4Dumbells.com.
Basics such as “founda-tion, framing, basic electricand heating are built-in costsand there is no way aroundthem. Many are governed bybuilding codes and cannot bechanged to make them less
expensive,” Harbrecht says.But “you do have controlover everything else, andeverything else encompasseshundreds of choices, eachone more or less expensivethan the other.”
Be sure to plan a largeenough addition, he says,because scrimping on spacemay leave you unsatisfiedwith the finished product.
But also consider how thevalue and size of your homecompares with others in theneighborhood. “You don’twant to go crazy beyondwhat’s common in yourneighborhood,” says Kuper-szmid-Lehrman, becausebuilding too big can make itharder to recoup the moneywhen you eventually sell.
Do research at local storesto decide what you like —particular appliances, typesof flooring, etc. — and whatit costs. This legwork makesyou more informed wheninterviewing contractors,and helps create a budget.Knowing exactly what youwant will help you avoidexpensive changes once thejob is underway.
Work up a realistic budget,Kuperszmid-Lehrman says,leaving room for cost over-runs of 5 percent to 10 per-cent. When budgeting, con-sider whether you’ll need tolive elsewhere while work isbeing done.
Look into financing inadvance, says Mark Dono-van, founder of the DIY web-
site HomeAdditionPlus.com.Don’t wait until you’vesigned a contract to confirmhow you’ll pay for it.
Once you know what youwant, ask friends and neigh-bors to recommend contrac-tors.
EXTENSIVE
INTERVIEWS
You can commission plansfrom an architect beforeinterviewing contractors orwork with “design/build”contractors who create plansfor their work. If the addi-tion isn’t elaborate, you alsocan buy software to designyour own plans. Softwarecan cost up to several hun-dred dollars, Donovan says,but “that’s what an architectwould charge you for onehour.”
When interviewing con-tractors, make sure all deci-sion-makers are present.Come prepared with ques-tions, and ask for clarifica-tion of details.
Once you have severalbids, be sure you’re compar-ing apples to apples. Lowbids may not offer the sameservices or quality items ashigher ones, so ask for spe-cifics.
“If someone offers a muchlower bid than others, he’sprobably not going to be onthe job all the time,” Cartersays. “It’s going to start, then
Be prepared when putting an addition on your home
AP PHOTO/AMY SANCETTA, FILE
This May 6, 2010, file photo shows builder John Cowles as he works on an addition toa home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Putting an addition on your home is no quick and easyjob, but doing some research in advance will better prepare you for the project.
“There is almost always aconflict between what you can
afford and what you want.”
— Bill Harbrecht, retired contractor
Please see ADDITION, Page 3
T2 Sunday, September 19, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA
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AP PHOTO/DAMIAN DOVARGANES, FILE
This June 17, 2008, file photo shows construction worker Sergio Samperio as heworks on the roof of a home addition in Los Angeles.
languish awhile.”Carter’s proposals are
carefully organized, andinclude numerous docu-ments detailing every aspectof the job. “Look at how thebid was presented,” he says,because the effort put intothe proposal may give a senseof the effort that will go intothe finished job.
Look for someone who isexperienced in the specif-ic type of work you’replanning, and perhaps iscertified in that area. Doesthe contractor point outpotential difficulties upfront or promise that thejob will be totally smoothsailing? Ask about thingslike downtime while theywait for supplies.
Get references fromformer customers, and“don’t just say, ‘Did youlike the guy?”’ says Kuper-szmid-Lehrman. Ask howthe job went and whetherthere were any surprises.Ideally, visit former custom-ers’ homes to see the work.
Most important: Listen toyour instincts in choosing
the right contractor.“Find the builder you have
the right chemistry with,”Carter says, because this per-son will be in your home formonths to come.
EVERYTHING INWRITING
“A lot of people get bids,and by then they’re alreadyso tired of the process” thatthey just jump in and getstarted, Carter says. But it’svital to move slowly and care-
fully when signing contracts.Don’t assume details are
implied. Outline everythingon paper, from which materi-als will be used to how cleanthe worksite will be at theend of each day.
Agree in writing on anestimated time frame andoverall estimate of costs. Butaccept that contractors can’tpredict the weather, andthings like frayed wiring ortermites may be discoveredwhen walls are opened.“Even the best contractordoesn’t have X-ray vision,”says Kuperszmid-Lehrman,“and the older your home isthe more likely it is you’regoing to find something likethat.”
Once the project is under-way, stay in writtencommunication.Phone messagescan cause confu-sion, says Carter, sohe prefers e-mailupdates,withevery-one copied in. Writ-ten communicationwith a date andtime stamp is thebest way to prevent“he said, she said”conflict, and pre-serve a good rela-
tionship until the end.• Online:http://www.homeaddi-
tionplus.comhttp://www.
remodeling4dumbbells.com/http://www.nari.org/
ADDITIONContinued from Page 2
“Find the builder youhave the right
chemistry with.”
— William Carter, NARI board chair
BY SUSAN ZEVON
FOR THE ASSOCIATED
PRESS
Kids may want to dotheir homework at thekitchen table with a sea ofactivity surroundingthem. Many experts saythey shouldn’t.
“Build a space dedicatedto homework and elimi-nate distractions,” advisesDouglas C. Merril, a for-mer Google spokesmanand author of the new“Getting Organized in theGoogle Era” (BroadwayBooks).
According to Merril,everyone thinks they canmulti-task, but our brainsjust aren’t cut out for it.
In her new book, “Right-Sizing Your Home” (North-west Arm Press, 2010), con-
sultant Gale Steves agrees.
She writes, “Although kids
gravitate to the kitchen or
family room — where par-
ents can keep a watchful
eye on them — ultimately
having a workspace of their
own is important.”
And Maxwell Gilling-
ham-Ryan, founder of the
design blog Apartmentther-apy.com, taught school inNew York City before hebecame an interior design-er. Each year he would visitstudents’ homes, and here’swhat he observed: “Invari-ably, the children who didbest in school came from
Creating a nice space todo homework matters
“Build a space dedicated tohomework and eliminate
distractions.”
— Douglas C. Merril, author
Please see SPACE, Page 4
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homes that were calm, well-organized and attractive,”he says.
“A child’s homeworkspace should be as simpleand practical as possible,”he believes. “Children needa private, separate environ-ment where they can con-centrate and get throughtheir work.”
While homework spacemust be functional and wellorganized, it also should besomewhere the child wantsto spend time.
“Get your child involvedin the design,” advisesSusanna Salk, interiordesigner and contributor tothe “Today” show. “Havethem look at pictures andsay what they like.”
Salk’s book, “Room forChildren: Stylish Spaces forSleep and Play” (Rizzoli,2010), compiles pictures ofchildren’s rooms decoratedby well-known designers.She believes that a child’sworkspace should have aninspirational element, andsuggests checking out thewall art available on Art.com, where you can findmurals that are easy tomove, are stain-resistant,and can transform even atiny homework space with abeautiful landscape or worldmap.
M o s t c h i l d r e n a r einspired by having some-thing like what their par-
ents use, Gillingham-Ryansuggests. “My daughterlikes to have somethingthat my wife or I have onour own desks. Considergiving your child a pen,lamp stapler or mouse padlike your own.”
When selecting furnish-ings for homework space,keep in mind that your littlegirl or boy is going to getbigger and older.
“Don’t just look at kids’stuff,” Salk says.
Consider good adult tasklighting, and keep in mindthat a nice wooden table canserve as a good desk. Gill-ingham-Ryan favors desksmade from wood.
“Natural materials help achild to feel grounded,” hesays. He believes there is ahealthier energy from natu-ral materials and fewer pro-pensities for a child to writeon them. He recommendsthe adjustable wood desksavailable from North-woodsin Ontario, Canada.
He also suggests avoidingfluorescent lighting, select-ing instead halogen orincandescent light.
Stock up on containers,trays and baskets. “If theirhomework space is wellorganized, children aremore likely to keep it thatway,” Salk says.
The Container Store has alarge selection of suchaccessories in many sizesand styles.
But don’t overdo storageor your child will wind uphoarding a lot of stuff thatcould be thrown out.
“Storage always wants tobe full, and anything youcan’t see has a tendency tolive there forever,” Gilling-ham-Ryan warns. Use bas-kets and open containers soyou can see what’s there andencourage your kids to keepediting things out.
Fortunately, you do notneed a large space to createa good homework area. Ifspace is limited, Steves sug-gests placing a desk underthe top bunk instead ofanother bed, and creatingstorage with a small file cad-dy on wheels.
She also suggests think-ing vertically when space islimited. A hutch or shelvesabove a desk provide stor-age as well as space to dis-play children’s work. Youcan affordably put up someshelves using a system likethe Elfa storage system,available at the ContainerStore.
No matter how appealingand private the homeworkspace may be, encourageyour child to take a break.
“The human brain canonly focus on any one thingfor about an hour. It is moreeffective to take a break andcome back to homework,”Merrill advises.
• Online:www.douglascmerrill.
comwww.apartmenttherapy.
comwww.susannasalk.comhttp://north-woods.ca/
school.htmwww.containerstore.comwww.art.com
SPACEContinued from Page 3
AP PHOTOS/NORTHWEST ARM PRESS
Top: This photo provided byNorthwest Arm Press shows theBase Camp Loft Bunk Bed withdesk in Rustic Cherry from YoungAmerica Youth Furniture as seen in‘Right-Sizing Your Home,’ by GaleStevens. In this child’s room, a deskplaced under a bunk bed in place ofanother bed creates a cozy home-work space. Left: This photo provid-ed by Northwest Arm Press shows adesk with hutch from LeaFurniture’s Freetime Collection asseen in ‘Right-Sizing Your Home,’ byGale Stevens. While homeworkspace must be functional and wellorganized, it also should be some-where the child wants to spendtime.
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T4 Sunday, September 19, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA
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BY SUSAN ZEVON
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jim Alexander, a realestate agent in Atlanta,decided this summer to sub-ject his own 11-year-oldhouse to an energy audit.
“If this was something Iwas going to recommend tomy clients I wanted to see formyself how it works,” hesays. His verdict: “Homeenergy audits are going tochange the way we buy andsell houses in America.”
Alexander hired the com-pany Retrofit America toconduct the audit, whichshowed that by spendingabout $3,000 <0x2014> $700of it covered by governmentrebates <0x2014> he couldsave several hundred dollarsa month in energy costs.
Some of the recommenda-tions were as simple as put-ting a latch on the attic doorso that it would not swingopen. “The auditors not onlybrought in all the latestequipment and computertechnology but they alsoused their eyes,” he says.
Home energy audits arelike doctors’ checkups forthe house, says Seith Leit-man, who blogs as the GreenLiving Guy and consults onMcGraw Hill’s series “GreenGuru Guides.” And just asyou need to follow a doctor’sadvice to get healthier, soyou need to follow an audit’srecommendations and ret-rofit your house if you wantto see savings, experts say.
The federal government’sEnergy Star Web site, Ener-gystar.gov, says the auditsare the first step in making ahome more efficient, com-fortable and healthy. If yourhome is too hot in summer,too cold in winter, drafty or
damp, and if you suffer fromallergies or just from highenergy bills, you should do ahome energy audit. You alsoshould do one on any houseyou are considering buying.
HOW TO PROCEED
You can perform a simplehome energy audit yourself,but you will need a profes-sional for a thorough assess-ment that includes heatingand cooling systems.
Begin with a diligentwalkthrough of your house,keeping a checklist of areasyou have inspected and prob-lems you find. The EnergyStar website offers a check-list, or for more guidelinesread “Do-It-Yourself HomeEnergy Audits” (McGraw-Hill, 2010).
To get started, Chandlervon Schrader, national man-ager of Home Performance
with Energy Star, recom-mends going online to com-plete the Energy Star HomeEnergy Yardstick, which letsyou compare your house-hold’s energy use to othersand get recommendationsfor improvement. The yard-stick is intended just to giveyou a general idea, not athorough audit.
EASY FIXES
Some simple steps to startconserving energy at homeinclude replacing incandes-cent lighting with energyefficient, fluorescent light-ing in the room you usemost.
Other quick fixes mayinclude replacing old appli-ances with Energy StarAppliances. Check the Ener-gy Star website for products
Home energy auditsDoctor’scheckupsfor a house
AP PHOTO/U.S. EPA
This computer generated image provided by the U.S.EPA shows an illustration of where air can leak in andout of a home. According to the federal government’sEnergy Star site, ‘a home energy audit is often the firststep in making your home more efficient.’
Please see ENERGY, Page 6
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that have earned that label.
Beware of some other
popular quick fixes. Win-
dows, for example, cost a lot,
and new ones will not pro-
vide energy savings if they
are not properly installed
with caulking, and if leaks
in rooms are not sealed.
THE COMPREHEN-
SIVE AUDIT
Von Schrader warns
against cheap energy audits
conducted by someone try-
ing to sell you something.
“Houses are complex
and require comprehen-
sive solutions,” he says.
“You should look at a
house in a holistic fashion.
If you do just one thing
you may throw others off.
For example, sealing off
drafts in an attic may cause
humidity buildup in other
parts of the house.”
A complete energy audit
requires specialized equip-
ment, says Matt Golden,
president and founder of
Recurve Inc., a San Francis-
co-are company that helps
homeowners increase ener-
gy efficiency. That equip-
ment includes blower doors
that measure the extent of
leaks in the building, infra-
red cameras that reveal
areas of air infiltration and
missing insulation, and
duct blasters that use pres-
sure testing to find leaks in
a duct system.
SELECTING AN
AUDITOR
Von Schrader suggests
hiring energy auditors
approved by the Residential
Energy Services Network
(RESNET) or the Building
Performance Institute (BPI),
which set national stan-
dards.
Companies like Retrofit
America and Recurve prom-
ise one-stop service for hom-
eowners, from the audit to
financing to completing the
home improvements and
verifying the work is done
right. Retrofits may include
air sealing and insulation;
duct work; replacing heat-
ing and cooling systems and
water heaters; substituting
windows, doors or applianc-
es; and adding renewable
energy systems, such as
solar panels.
COSTS
The average cost of retro-
fitting a house once it has
been audited is $8,000 to
$10,000, according to Von
Schrader, and it is not
always advisable to go with
the lowest estimate. “Work
done correctly often costs
more,” he says.
Fortunately, there are
programs to offset the costs.
Some state energy pro-
grams and utilities offer
rebates, which requireaccredited home-energyauditors and contractors todo the work. A federal ener-gy tax credit of $1,500 isavailable until the end ofthis year.
Providing rebates to con-sumers to encourage ener-gy-efficiency upgrades isalso part of energy legisla-tion making its way throughCongress.
• On The Net:www.energystar.govwww.greenlivingguy.comhttp://www.retrofitamer-
ica.comhttp://www.energystar.
gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=HOME<0x2014>ENERGY<0x2014>YARDSTICK .show-GetStarted
www.energysavers.govhttp://resnet.ushttp://www.recurve.com
ENERGYContinued from Page 5
AP PHOTO/PAUL SAKUMA, FILE
This March 9, 2010, file photo shows an Energy Star
label at an appliance store in Mountain View, Calif.
One way to start conserving energy in your home is to
replace old appliances with Energy Star Appliances.
AP PHOTO/ROBERT F. BUKATY, FILE
This June 10, 2009 file
photo shows a compact
fluorescent light bulb in
Freeport, Maine. There are
simple steps you may take
to start conserving energy
in your home, such as
replacing your incandes-
cent lighting in the room
you use the most with
energy efficient, fluores-
cent lighting.
Welcome fall withnew accents, colors
BY MELISSA RAYWORTH
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Don’t be fooled by all the
attention paid to “spring
cleaning,” says interior dec-
orator and professional orga-
nizer Kathryn Bechen.
The transition from sum-
mer to fall can be an even
better time to get your home
organized and in shape,
since many of us shift our
focus indoors.
The approach of fall is an
opportunity, Bechen says, to
infuse your space with
enough color and warmth to
carry you through the win-
ter ahead.
CLEAN AND CLEAR
Late summer and early
fall are the ideal times to go
through your wardrobe and
kitchen cabinets selecting
things for donation, says
Donna Smallin, an organiz-
ing and cleaning guru whose
most recent book is “A to Z
Storage Solutions” (Storey,
2008). If you wait any longer,
she says, the holidays will
arrive and you won’t get the
donation done in time for
the coming year’s tax
return.
Be tough, she says: Warm-
weather items that you
didn’t use this past spring
and summer really should
go.
Interior designer Mallory
Mathison advises putting
away the plastic and acrylic
kitchen items you relied on
all summer. Bringing out
heavier pottery pieces and
baskets will change the look
of your kitchen, especially
if you use them to display
fall vegetables and fruits.
Approach of fallis opportunityto infuse yourspace with colorand warmth
Please see COLORS, Page 7
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Sort through the remain-ing clutter that’s accumu-lated all summer and getthings put away. Then, Smal-lin says, clean everythingthat normally gets ignored:from light switches andlight fixtures to doorframesand kitchen cabinets. For anadded facelift, touch up thepaint around doors and win-dows. And use a smudge-remover to banish finger-prints and evidence of abusy summer.
Rugs and floors should becleaned if you’ve had a lotof indoor/outdoor trafficduring the summer. Also besure to clean summer bed-ding and linens before pack-ing them away, Bechen says.She advises storing summeritems in large plastic stor-age bins. If you chooseopaque ones, rather thanclear, label them to identifythe contents.
Last, you can clean yourhome with products that arescented, and bring inwoodsy fragrances withsprays and candles.
Does all of this sounddaunting? “The thought ofdoing a whole big cleaningcan be overwhelming,”
Smallin says, so “each daypick one thing that inspiresyou” and tackle that task.
COLORS ANDTEXTURES
There are many creativeways to bring in the warm,deep colors and cozy tex-tures of fall, Mathison says.Some are obvious: bed andbath linens, accent pillows,place mats, cloth napkins.But there are plenty of oth-er opportunities for inject-ing fall colors.
“People think of slipcov-ers for summer, but you canslipcover a chair with choc-olate brown velvet,” Mathi-son says, and bring a cozyfall look into the room. She
also loves “a pair of reallyworn-in, dark brown espres-so leather pillows.”
More tips:Mathison advises clients
to swap out white lamp-shades for warmer coloredones when summer ends.“Say you have a black ironlamp,” she says. “Using atoffee-colored linen shadelooks so different than awhite silk shade. And itcasts a warmer glow.”
She also brings a goldenglow to picture frames andfurniture using a productcalled “Rub n Buff,” whichgives a warm, burnishedlook.
And Mathison loves lay-ering rugs at this time ofyear. “If you have some-
thing like a 9-by-12 seagrassrug,” she says, “layer aslightly smaller rug on top”that has deeper colors and acozy texture.
You can also add warmthrow blankets over a sofaor chair.
COLORSContinued from Page 6
AP PHOTO/JCPENNEY
Above: This product image provided by JCPenney
shows the Cindy Crawford Style Mocha Damask
Comforter Set. Left: This product image provided by
Pier 1 Imports shows dinnerware from their Round
Beaded Reactive collection and Luster glasses. Warm
toned decor inside your home helps welcome in the fall
and winter seasons.
AP PHOTO/JCPENNEY
This product image pro-
vided by JCPenney shows
a Cindy Crawford Style
Ceramic Vase in warm
tones.
AP PHOTO/PIER 1 IMPORTS
This product image provided by Pier 1 Imports shows
their Caramel Pumpkin Pillar candles.
AP PHOTO/PIER 1 IMPORTS
Please see COLORS, Page 8
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“Look to what’s happen-
ing in fashion” this time of
year, Mathison says. “You’re
layering your house in the
same way to feel cozy ... pull-
ing out a cable-knit cash-
mere throw the same way
you’ll pull out your sweat-
ers.”
SMALL MOVES, BIGPAYOFF
Most of us don’t have
time to redecorate heavily
each season, Bechen says.
And we probably don’t
have room to store a lot of
seasonal items.
For maximum impact
without too much work,
she suggests focusing sea-
sonal decorating on your
front entryway and your
dining table.
At the entryway, hang a
fall wreath and add a sea-
sonal welcome-mat, Bech-
en says. Both are available
in many styles, from sim-
ple to elaborate, and can
help put your personal
stamp on the space.
To go a step further,
Mathison says, swap out
the fading summer plants
and flowers in outdoor
planters with fresh plants
in fall colors.
For your dining table,
add a tablecloth and cen-
terpiece in warm reds,
golds and browns. But keep
the centerpiece relatively
simple, warns Bechen — a
basket of pumpkins and
gourds, for instance. That
way, you can keep it in
place while the family
eats.
Seasonal decorating, she
says, doesn’ t have to
involve redecorating in
every room. Better a hand-
ful of small but bold moves.
“If you scatter it all
throughout the space, it
doesn’t have the impact.
You want it to pop.”
COLORSContinued from Page 7
AP PHOTOS/PIER 1 IMPORTS
Top: This product image provided by Pier 1 Imports shows their Vibrant Leaves WallDecor. Warm toned decor inside your home helps welcome in the fall and winterseasons. Right: This product image provided by Pier 1 Imports shows their ArtificialPomegranate Wreath.
T8 Sunday, September 19, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA