volume 10, issue 35 - home improvement guide - fall 2012

HI1www.longislandpress.com | Long IsLand Press for september 20 - september 26, 2012 spec ial pullout sect ion fall home improvement part 1

HI2 Long IsLand Press for september 20 - september 26, 2012 | www.longislandpress.com spec ial pullout sect ion fall home improvement part 1

HI3www.longislandpress.com | Long IsLand Press for september 20 - september 26, 2012 spec ial pullout sect ion fall home improvement part 1B6 L o n g I s L a n d P r e s s f o r m a r c h 2 2 - m a r c h 2 8 , 2 01 2 | w w w. l o n g i s l a n d p r e s s . c o m Spring Home improvement Special pullout Sect ion

L.I. Contractor Gives Back

Thirteen years ago, Gary Zaccaro brought with him to Massapequa a six-year-old home improvement company committed to rebuilding and renovating homes, sometimes from the ground up. Since that time, Zaccaro has also dedicated himself to his community and struggling neighbors that he’s also helped lift off the ground, armed with a toolbox and a big heart.

Earlier this year, Zaccaro, founder and President of Ambas-sador Home Improvement, got a call from the White House asking him to visit. No work needed to be done, of course, President Barack Obama wanted to honor the 46-year-old Mass-apequa resident for his work in the community, and awarded him with the gold-level Presi-dential Volunteer Service Award, which hangs in his office.

The presidential recogni-tion doesn’t just stem from one generous offer to help a family, but from a lifetime of service to his neighbors.

“I can’t help the world, I’m one person,” says Zaccaro, also the vice president of Drug Free Massapequa. “But if it’s local within my community I try to get involved as much as a I can.”

In January, Zaccaro read about a man battling a very aggressive form of leukemia that limited his interaction with his family because of the dangers of contracting germs and other bacteria. Realizing how sad it was that the man could barely touch his kids, Zaccaro felt like he needed to step in.

“I decided to renovate an entire basement for him and make it a germ-free living space

for him so he can live within his house and be able to still see his family,” he says. “But God forbid his children - he has two little kids - if one of them was sick and he hugged them, he has no immune system, he could die.”

The renovation cost $35,000. All of it came out of his own pocket.

Three years ago, Zaccaro decided to build a new press box for the local little league team so players, coaches and fans could have a warm area to sit in during games. That cost him $25,000.

It’s a lot of money, but he’s glad to do it.

Through 19 years of running his business, Zaccaro has rolled with the punches. Business was great in the ‘90s when the economy was booming, and then he had to lead the company through the Great Recession. But he never wavered in his commitment to the community.

“My whole life has been trying to get somebody to sign a contract with me so I could renovate their home,” he says. “To be able to sit in front of somebody and say ‘look you don’t have to sign anything, I’m doing it, there’s no charge, I want to do it, I feel good about it,’ it makes me feel really good about myself.”

adVerTorial

dedICaTes LIFe, BUsInessTo HeLP oTHers

B6 L o n g I s L a n d P r e s s f o r m a r c h 2 2 - m a r c h 2 8 , 2 01 2 | w w w. l o n g i s l a n d p r e s s . c o m Spring Home improvement Special pullout Sect ion

L.I. Contractor Gives Back

Thirteen years ago, Gary Zaccaro brought with him to Massapequa a six-year-old home improvement company committed to rebuilding and renovating homes, sometimes from the ground up. Since that time, Zaccaro has also dedicated himself to his community and struggling neighbors that he’s also helped lift off the ground, armed with a toolbox and a big heart.

Earlier this year, Zaccaro, founder and President of Ambas-sador Home Improvement, got a call from the White House asking him to visit. No work needed to be done, of course, President Barack Obama wanted to honor the 46-year-old Mass-apequa resident for his work in the community, and awarded him with the gold-level Presi-dential Volunteer Service Award, which hangs in his office.

The presidential recogni-tion doesn’t just stem from one generous offer to help a family, but from a lifetime of service to his neighbors.

“I can’t help the world, I’m one person,” says Zaccaro, also the vice president of Drug Free Massapequa. “But if it’s local within my community I try to get involved as much as a I can.”

In January, Zaccaro read about a man battling a very aggressive form of leukemia that limited his interaction with his family because of the dangers of contracting germs and other bacteria. Realizing how sad it was that the man could barely touch his kids, Zaccaro felt like he needed to step in.

“I decided to renovate an entire basement for him and make it a germ-free living space

for him so he can live within his house and be able to still see his family,” he says. “But God forbid his children - he has two little kids - if one of them was sick and he hugged them, he has no immune system, he could die.”

The renovation cost $35,000. All of it came out of his own pocket.

Three years ago, Zaccaro decided to build a new press box for the local little league team so players, coaches and fans could have a warm area to sit in during games. That cost him $25,000.

It’s a lot of money, but he’s glad to do it.

Through 19 years of running his business, Zaccaro has rolled with the punches. Business was great in the ‘90s when the economy was booming, and then he had to lead the company through the Great Recession. But he never wavered in his commitment to the community.

“My whole life has been trying to get somebody to sign a contract with me so I could renovate their home,” he says. “To be able to sit in front of somebody and say ‘look you don’t have to sign anything, I’m doing it, there’s no charge, I want to do it, I feel good about it,’ it makes me feel really good about myself.”

adVerTorial

dedICaTes LIFe, BUsInessTo HeLP oTHers


by Laura Cerrone

this year the dream of owning a house with or without a white picket fence out front is coming true for many more long islanders. and if you already own a home, giving it the long overdue tlc makeover it deserves may now be more affordable than ever before.

the housing market is gradually finding its footing and right in line with that, home renovations have also been on the rise. smarter and more efficient ways to update your home have come on the market recently. Here we’ve compiled some of the best trends that will help make your home improvement economical, efficient and easy.

Upcycling Materialgary Zaccaro, president of ambassador

Home improvement in massapequa, notes a shift in buyers becoming more energy and environmentally conscious in their home building and renovation plans. Upcycling—converting otherwise useless products or waste materials into better-quality products for better environmental value—fits this bill. Zaccaro is now using leftover window scraps to make vinyl siding, for example.

“people are smarter, energy conscious and economically correct, and are buying

more natural products,” he says.

Fake Decking“Fake decking is

impervious to rot and warping,” says dee daly, a prodesk contractor sales

associate at the Home depot in westbury. “it has composites in it, but is layered with a thick coat of vinyl to mimic exotic woods.”

sure, fake decks cost more than a real one, but daly explains that the quality will outlast the conventional wooden planks. the most popular brands? armorguard, trex and Veranda, he says.

Neutral and Natural Lights

propelled by the ever-constant need to be green, more and more homeowners are designing and redesigning their homes to be outfitted with natural light, says northport-based Hammer Magazine founder John rigrod. skylights have been on the rise in the market once again and homeowners are seeing the benefit of what natural light can do to a room, he explains. neutral paint colors are always popular because they channel earth tones, as well as aid people with poor eyesight to see better, adds rigrod.

Hardie Sidingwhile the fiber-cement blend of siding

has been around for a long time, consumers are forgoing the traditional vinyl siding for Hardie siding, says daly. the siding is bug, rot and mold resistant, and the only

maintenance it requires is power-washing. Hardie siding has a higher price tag than vinyl, but comes in an array of colors and styles. good guys contracting in deer park is also a Hardie siding “preferred remodeler.”

“you don’t have to do any mainte-nance, and that’s why people are buying [Hardie] more than vinyl,” adds daly.

Less Is More“people are asking for sleeker

materials that are easy to clean and care for,” says gina bonura, kitchen and bath sales representative at alure Home improvements in east meadow. “they are not looking for a lot of detail on cabinets and fixtures. slab doors and smooth glass tile are replacing intricately detailed ‘fur-niture’-type doors and tumbled marble. perhaps our busy lives are so cluttered that simplicity in the home is a breath of fresh air.”

3D Designingdeer park-based basics landscap-

ing uses 3d computer design software programs Vizterra and poolstudio by structure studios to help customers envision their finished project before a shovel is even put into the ground. when browsing for a contractor, landscaper or designer, ask if they have a 3d design program, suggests basics’ designer and sale representative Farah levy parker.

“sometimes people can’t envision what the plan is going to look like,” she says. “people can come in and look at their house with the design on the computer.”

2012 Home ImProvement

Trends


LIP


Décor a la Maison“Fall in love with your kitchen”

TableTop ToysOwl Salt & Pepper Shakers

Precious owls that will take your table décor right through

Thanksgiving. ($9, The Potting Shed, Huntington,

PottingShedLI.com)

Furn

iTure

Chalkboard Paint Benjamin Moore’s new

line of chalkboard paint features 3,400 colors

and helps keep you organized! ($17.98 per quart, Aboff’s, Multiple Locations, Aboffs.com)

Wall

For The CounTer

WindoWs

on The Table

Sunflower Serve Bowl Sculpted from glazed stoneware, it will brighten up your kitchen. ($39.50, Pottery Barn, PotteryBarn.com)

Antique Long Island Glass Tray Handcrafted in Oyster Bay by BenTray includes a card explaining the decoupage process. ($78, Ben’s Garden, Multiple Locations, BensGarden.com)

Alustra Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades A beautiful shade from an exclusive line by Hunter Douglas. (Pricing varies, Homestead Window Treatments, Huntington Station, HomesteadWin-dowTreatments.com)

Fall MusT-haveTwig Flatware 5-Piece Set

A woodsy theme from the Twig Flatware collection that will make your table look

“Tree-Mendous.” ($39, West Elm, WestElm.com).

Trompe L’oeil Rock Wall Floor Mat A clever mat that features a photo reproduction of a rock wall! ($169, Urban Outfitters, UrbanOutfitters.com)

Floor

in The draWer

Tea-And-Crumpets Apron Protect your clothes from spills and look adorable at the same time! ($32, Anthropologie, Multiple Locations, Anthropologie.com)

Lunchbox Notes Keep these handy and wish your kids

luck on a test, or pen them a note simply to say “I love you.” ($26 for 150 loose sheets in an acrylic

holder, Hampton Paper Designs, HamptonPaper

Designs.com)

Vintage Louis Back

High Bar Stool

Beautiful hand-carved

weathered oak frame with

hand-turned legs and eco-styled

linen. ($505, 406 West, Huntington,

406West.com)

QuiCk FixNespresso U Espresso Maker A compact single-cup machine that features a movable water tank and one-touch operation. ($199.95, Williams Sonoma, Multiple Locations, Williams-Sonoma.com)

in The CabineTs

Patch NYC for Target A new, cute creature collection from

the company’s collaboration with Target. (Coasters - set of four,

$9.99; Glass drinkware - set of four, $19.99; Ceramic

pitcher, $19.99; Target, Multiple

Locations, Target.com)

For The CheF

FeaTured in The neWesT issue oF Milieu Magazinewww.milieuli.com


by dan o’regan

Home improvements and renovations can be a smart way to increase the property value of one’s home, but trusting the wrong person with the job can result in just the opposite.

according to both nassau and suffolk counties’ department of consumer affairs (dca), long islanders lose close to $10 million annually in home improvement costs to crooked and fraudulent contractors. the nassau dca receives close to 700 complaints dealing with home improvement issues each year, while the suffolk dca receives close to 1,200. the better business bureau also receives more than 2,500 complaints regarding home improvement issues annually for the entire metropolitan area.

robert meguin, the commissioner of the suffolk dca, tells the press one of the biggest red flags signaling that a contrac-tor might not be legitimate is the lack of a proper license to perform the type of work they’re offering to do. both the suffolk and

nassau county dca issue separate licenses for home improvement as well as plumbing and electrical work, and it is required that a contractor hold a license to perform any type of home improvement work.

“there is no practical test,” says meguin. “a license is not a minimum-level guarantee of a certain competency level. what we check out is character, financial responsibility and knowledge with respect to

CHOOsInG A COnTrACTOr

what the local suffolk county code requires in terms of contracts.”

a group that takes the standards of contractors across long island a step further is the long island builders institute. comprised of approximately 450 members across nassau and suffolk counties, libi adhere their members to a code of ethics that aims to keep contractors honest and provide a standard for their work.

“every member of libi signs a code of ethics, for which there is a warranty issued for their work by libi, and an arbitration panel is created in case there are any problems,” said libi ceo mitch pelly. “we have our own group that goes through if there are any questions or concerns expressed by consumers.”

once a homeowner has selected a contractor, it is important not to pay for all of the work at once. meguin recommends using the “rule of thirds.”

“typically, you shouldn’t be giving a lot of money upfront,” he says. “one handy rule is the rule of thirds, where you pay one-third of the start of the project, one-third when it is approximately halfway done and the final third upon completion.”

as with purchasing any other type of good or service, homeowners should shop around before selecting a contractor to work

on their home. the first offer is not always the best offer.

“you should interview several contrac-tors before signing on to a home improve-ment contract,” says nassau dca com-missioner madalyn Farley. “get a couple of different estimates and talk to the contractor you’re hiring.”

getting everything in writing can also be an easy way to save a headache on a home improvement project. a breakdown in

terms of labor cost, material cost, what exact work is to be done, as well as the start and comple-tion dates, should be set in writing and signed by both the contractor and the homeowner, says meguin. disputes raised during or after the project can be settled much easier if the agreement is written down ahead of time.

both the nassau and suffolk dca urge homeown-ers to call their offices before choosing a contractor to see if they are licensed and to make sure there are no open complaints against them.

when selecting a contractor, meguin says it’s okay to be picky.

don’t forget to ask as many questions as possible, either, as it’s always worth it in the long run to make sure you have the right person for the right job.

“Typically, you shouldn’t be

giving a lot of money upfront. One handy rule

is the Rule of Thirds...”

selecting tHe rigHt contractor For yoUr Home improVements can mean tHe

diFFerence between excellence and disaster.

volume 10, issue 35 - home improvement guide - fall 2012

Documents

o n g i s

sador home improvement

gary zaccaro

n d p r e s s f o r

spec ial pullout sect

1hi2 long island press

president of ambas

new press box