Bethe Rykaczewski of Franklin Park says she likes the heavy siding she and her husband, Dave, put on their house because it is going to need some work.

But not in the negative sense, she says.

"Vinyl siding people will tell you about how you never have to do anything with it," she says. "But that is what I like about this: You can change it."

She is talking about fiber-cement siding, a mix of sand, cement and cellulose that is used to create a heavy, wood-like siding made in panels and shingle pattens in soft colors. But those colors easily can be changed with primer and paint, different from many other sidings.

Fiber-cement siding is finding popularity with "educated" consumers -- not because of house-smarts, but because they do a great deal of research on the product.

Brian Murphy, owner of EZ Home Exteriors in North Versailles, does 95 percent of his work selling vinyl product, he says. But he finds customers looking into fiber-cement siding are "educated" because of the research they do.

That research can be a hassle, jokes Paul Valint, owner of Unique Building Solutions in Harrison City, Westmoreland County. He talks of dealing with would-be clients who spend months, sometimes years studying the product, even though they already have decided on it.

Jim Spade of Ross says he probably presented that image when he was researching fiber-cement siding for his house. One dealer was less than enthusiastic about dealing with him.

"I guess they get tired of people who think they know it all," he says. "I might think I do, but I know I don't."

Valint and Legacy Remodeling in Dormont are the only two certified Western Pennsylvania installers of fiber-cement paneling made by its largest manufacturer, James Hardie Building Products of California. That means any job they do is audited by Hardie inspectors, which then validates its 30-year warranty. Vinyl often comes with a 15-year warranty, but generally lasts longer.

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Fiber-cement siding seen as better house option

If you've been glaring at your home's outdated kitchen or bathroom for years, you may have a very clear idea of what you want from a remodeling project. You may think you have no use for an architect.

Perhaps, but architects - at their best - can do far more than produce slick drawings that eliminate what we don't like about an existing space.

MORE THAN EXPENSIVE DRAWINGS

Remodeling is often driven mainly by what a homeowner doesn't like in an existing room, rather than a whole new approach to make that space all it could be. So, all those homeowners may get is an improved version of the old room, with new surfaces and appliances and minus the mistakes and eyesores.

And if that's all you want, a qualified remodeling contractor should do just fine, as long as it's safe and legal.

But an architect, if asked, should give you some choices about what can be done beyond erasing the old design's flaws, said architect Bob Lanning . "Sometimes I prefer to give multiple approaches, drawings. There are always multiple ways to approach a problem," said Lanning.

That's where an architect's vision, the ability to imagine what can be done to reconfigure or optimize that space comes in.

THE VISION THING

A good example of the benefit of veteran Tucson architect Leo Katz's ability to imagine what could be was his approach to a recent kitchen remodeling in a Midtown home. Asked to overhaul the 1940s-era home's narrow galley-style kitchen, he went far beyond new appliances, upgraded cabinets, countertops and better lighting - but not far beyond the budget. He recommended taking out the wall between the old kitchen and living room, something the homeowners hadn't considered. The result: An open, modern kitchen that, for the roughly $2,000 additional cost to take out the wall, not only opened up the kitchen as a welcoming space, but had the effect of creating an entirely new living room as well. The new continuous space seemed far larger than the combined square footage of the two formerly separate areas.

Architect Chris Evans calls this the "holistic approach" to design work, and said an architect should ask questions, as well as pose solutions to problems with the client's space. "Sometimes I don't think the clients see the whole picture. You're doing a renovation on part of a house, or an addition, but how does it work with the rest of the house? What are you after?"

Read more from the original source:
Preventing remodel remorse

By Jacob Barker

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Three years after abandoning their former office at 3500 Buttonwood Drive, Putnam's Interiors owners Herman "Ed" Rohlfing and Thomas Detert have sued the building's contractors for faulty construction that they say made them and some of their employees sick.

E&N Holdings, Putnam's Interiors Inc., Rohlfing and Detert filed suit in December against Little Dixie Construction, Timberlake Engineering and Star Heating and Air Conditioning Co., seeking $1.078 million in losses plus damages for personal injuries.

The suit alleges "numerous defects and deficiencies in construction as well as substandard workmanship." As a result, Putnam's was forced to sell its inventory in a "fire sale," lost the building to foreclosure and had to pay deficiencies on loans from Boone County National Bank and the Small Business Administration, its suit says.

The defendants, all local companies, have denied the allegations in court filings. Little Dixie's attorney, Glen Ehrhardt, said in an interview that the building is occupied and the new owners have not reported any issues. "We don't believe there's any merit to the lawsuit. ... We look forward to the opportunity to present this case to a jury going forward," he said.

The other defendants' attorneys did not return calls for comment. Rohlfing and Detert declined to be interviewed, referring questions to their lawyer, Steve Ruprecht of Kansas City.

In 2006, Putnam's, formerly known as Pavilion Inc., moved into its $2.7 million building. In November 2008, the company hastily left. A December 2008 letter from the partners' former attorney Tom Rost referenced in the suit details their complaints with the structure and the damage they say it caused their business.

"The structural issues doom this building for my clients' purposes as it is simply not possible to go back and create a structurally sound building that has not had components subjected to abnormal fatigue," Rost wrote.

The letter accuses Little Dixie of discovering an underground water source below where the foundation was to be poured but not alerting the owners to the potential issue. As a result, cracks formed in columns, doors became unusable as the structure shifted and water penetrated the building, the letter says.

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Putnam’s owners sue contractors over former building

After 26 happy years in the Bartlett home where they'd raised their family, Mary and Keith Daniel were ready to make a change.

"We didn't need more room," said Mary, a lifelong Memphian. "In fact, we thought we might go to a smaller home."

The couple bought 9 acres in Rosemark and prepared to build their ideal home.

Christopher Blank/Special to The Commercial Appeal

"I took one look at it and said, 'I like this house,'" Mary Daniel said of their new home in Bartlett's Hampton Grove subdivision.

Christopher Blank/Special to The Commercial Appeal

In the kitchen, the Daniels replaced the countertops with granite. They also installed plantation shutters.

Christopher Blank/Special to The Commercial Appeal

A fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves serves as the focal point of the family room in Keith and Mary Daniel's 3,100-square-foot home. After a six-week search, they bought the four-bedroom, three-bath house in August for $226,000.

Christopher Blank/Special to The Commercial Appeal

Continue reading here:
My New Home: After finding a just-right house, Bartlett couple is thankful they never compromised

A West Vancouver homeowner has less than a month to remove a fence and retaining wall that extend from their property onto the municipal boulevard and make the street unsafe.

City staff say the encroachments at 3390 Radcliffe Ave. are located too close to the road surface, meaning cars parked along the side of the property jut out into the traffic space, and they also have the effect of privatizing municipal property.

Council agreed, and on Jan. 24 gave the homeowners 30 days to clear up the problem or have city crews do the work for them and send them the bill with the property tax notice.

However, the homeowners say they should have been informed of the problem when they were approved for a development variance permit to build their home in 2004.

As part of that process, a hedge and wooden fence that also extended off the property were removed, yet Brandon J. Smith, the family lawyer, said they weren't told of any problem with the retaining wall and shouldn't be forced to remove it now.

"I think it's defended by law that if there was an obligation on them to excavate or remove that encroachment, then that should have been made clear," he said. "It was not."

The decision for enforcement was made after a neighbour complained about the property.

Copyright (c) North Shore News

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A fence too far, says district

By Nancy McCleary Staff writer

By Nancy McCleary

The Fayetteville Cumberland County Crimestoppers, in an effort to solve cold-case homicides, has a few cards up its sleeve

Make that 260,000 cards, to be exact.

That's the number of playing cards in the 5,000 decks that Crimestoppers hopes will crack the unsolved cases.

Each card contains information and, when possible, photos about unsolved homicides in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

"I had this goal about five years ago to do this as a project," said Duncan Hubbard, a past Crimestoppers president and current board member.

The cards were developed by Effective Playing Cards & Publications, a Florida-based company that began producing the cards in 2007, according to the company's website.

Part of the challenge of solving crimes is the transient nature of Fayetteville's population, Hubbard said. That's why he says the cards will be successful.

The decks will be given to inmates at the Cumberland County Detention Center, Hubbard said.

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Crimestopper program to put cold-case cards on the table

In March, New Englanders open their windows, eager for fresh air. But when they see swirling dust glistening in the sun, they know its time to get to work. We chatted with area cleaning professionals to get the down and dirty on 10 different aspects of spring cleaning. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but should get you off to a clean start.

Jonathan Glazer, owner of PowerBees, a mold removal and remediation company, recommends controlling basement humidity with self-draining dehumidifiers. If it smells musty, have the air tested. Check for visual cues, too. Look up at floor joists: anything white and cottony is probably mold, Glacer says. And check cardboard boxes and Sheetrock for gray or black spots. Mold can grow in attics too, resulting from condensation caused by poor ventilation. Glacer says that soffit vents covered by insulation are the most common culprit. The solution: Pull insulation away from eaves and vents to help get air moving.

Unfinished attics and basements make terrible storage places, says Christa Hagearty, president and chief executive of Dependable Cleaners. Keep clothing in dark, dry, cool environments in breathable containers to prevent mold from growing. That means no plastic. Hagearty recommends acid-free cardboard boxes, cloth bags, or just a cotton sheet. Also, be sure to clean garments before storing, as organic materials, like sweat or sugar from what Hagearty calls invisible stains attracts bugs and fungi, and can stain clothing yellow.

To revive feather pillows, says Dependables Hagearty, recommends a service that sanitizes feathers by killing dust mites with ultraviolet light, then blows them into new ticking. If you prefer a home remedy: Be sure there arent tears or holes in the ticking, wash pillows two at a time in hot water with a bit of gentle detergent, blot with towels (dont wring, youll break the feathers), and fluff in the dryer with tennis balls.

Beat rugs, pre-vacuum carpets

Trung Nguyen, owner of VioClean carpet and upholstery cleaners, recommends that area rugs get a deep cleaning at least once a year. Rugs hold a lot of dirt, says Nguyen, So its best to get them out of the house. On-site area rug cleaning only pulls up surface dirt. Nguyen uses a vibrating tool that shakes debris free. For wall-to-wall carpet, be sure to pre-vacuum before deep cleaning. Finally, dont forget about those entry mats. Youd be surprised how much debris a good wiping shakes loose from your shoes.

Dryer Vent Wizard owners Webb Dickson and Bob Dalimonte stress that dryer vents should be cleaned, or at least inspected, annually. Warning signs that a dryer is poorly vented and in need of cleaning or replacement include excessive drying time, hot but damp clothing at the end of a cycle, a dryer top that is hot to the touch, and lint accumulating on the outside of the machine. Glazer of PowerBees advises that professionals with suction hoses clear debris from long dryer vents. If the vent is less than 6 feet, a homeowner maybe be able to do it with a vacuum cleaner, or can just replace the vent altogether.

Clean in & around appliances

Vacuum refrigerator condenser coils at least twice a year, more if you have pets, says Shaban Banushi, service manager at Yale Appliance, since excessive dirt and fur can impede function. If you have a self-cleaning oven, dont run it right before the holidays, because if something goes wrong, parts can be hard to come by. Every few years have a professional recalibrate the oven. (Note: store-bought thermometers can be 50 to 100 degrees off.) Also, you can use dishwasher deodorizer tablets to banish buildup in garbage disposals. As for dishwashers themselves, use a paperclip to clear debris from holes in the spinning arms.

Keith Campbell of Acu-Bright uses his own invention, a handheld ultrasound machine to clean chandeliers. If you opt to tackle your dining-room chandelier the old-fashioned way, Campbell cautions against chemical spray cleaners sold as quick solutions, as they will corrode the protective lacquer coating of the metal components, as well as the circuitry. Instead, after cutting the power and photographing the fixture so you know how to put it back together, remove each crystal and soak in hot water with a drop of dish detergent. Place on clean towels until partially dry, then buff with a cloth diaper. Before reassembling, wipe down the fixture itself with a microfiber cloth.

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Coming clean

By Corinne Reilly The Virginian-Pilot March 24, 2012

Despite delays that Lincoln Military Housing blames on new state standards related to mold, the company has made marked progress in cleaning up hundreds of its houses across Hampton Roads, Lincoln officials said this week.

But for several families who may sue over the issue, it's too little, too late, according to their lawyer.

A private company based in Texas, Lincoln manages roughly 4,400 Navy rental homes in southeast Virginia, some of them on bases and others in neighborhoods nearby. In November, a TV station began airing reports that many of the company's properties were infested with mold. Families alleged that Lincoln repeatedly failed to fix leaks and water intrusions, allowing mold to grow. They told of collapsed ceilings and spongy walls filled with visible fungus, and some residents said they'd been made sick.

Lincoln and the Navy initially denied widespread problems, but after local congressmen got involved, the company promised independent home inspections for all residents who asked for them, remediation for all units found to have moisture problems or mold, and a change in maintenance contractors. Lincoln also fired some workers and moved dozens of concerned families into hotels.

In an interview Thursday, the company's president, Jarl Bliss, said that while Lincoln is making headway, one unexpected roadblock has slowed progress: state standards adopted last year for the licensing of mold inspectors and remediators. Bliss said that because Virginia's requirements reached further than many other states, the companies that Lincoln hired to conduct the tests have had a hard time recruiting enough certified inspectors.

"I wish we could go faster. I know there have been some frustrations," he said. "But given the circumstances, I'm pleased with where we are."

In the months that have passed since the mold problems were exposed, Lincoln has identified roughly 800 homes in need of independent testing. Of those, about 550 have been inspected, and Lincoln has received results for about 300. Bliss said roughly one-fifth have come back calling for significant mold or moisture remediation. Some of the others have recommended minimal fixes. The work has included everything from the special cleaning of hard surfaces and installation of air filters to the replacement of carpet, walls and ceilings.

About 30 Lincoln families are living in hotels, waiting for repairs to be finished.

Bliss called the cleanup a "multimillion-dollar effort" and one that Lincoln is committed to getting right.

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Military housing firm cites progress in mold abatement

Its easy to panic when youre told you have dangerous mold growth in your home. Mold can cause health risks and lower the value of your home if its not addressed.

A professional mold remediator can make the necessary repairs, which could cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the extent of the damage. Though its always important to hire reliable professionals, the health and cost implications of a mold remediation project makes your hiring research especially critical. Highly qualified and trained mold remediators will be happy to show you their credentials.

But like any industry, there are those who offer services that are not as reliable. The two biggest red flags:

Remediation companies that conduct their own testing to determine whether you have dangerous mold.

High pressure sales tactics that involve predictions of immediate health risk unless action is taken right away.

Reputable mold remediation companies send mold tests to an independent lab to determine whether the mold is dangerous. This provides a buffer between the test conductor and the remediator. Homeowners can also hire other companies that offer testing, but do not do remediation work. Some home inspection companies offer this service, for example.

Mold is most commonly found in crawl spaces, basements and attics and is usually identified by its visual presence or a musty smell.

Probably the majority of our work is mold treatment in crawlspaces, said Julie Hurst, president of American Mold Experts in Centerville. As a general rule, if a water leak is not caught or cleaned up in 48 hours, then mold is going to grow.

Testing for mold generally includes an air quality test, which consists of obtaining air samples from the interior and exterior of the home and comparing those samples to determine what airborne molds are present and at what levels. Testing should always be done after mold has been remediated to ensure its been satisfactorily removed.

Its really a good idea for the same company to do the pretesting and the post testing, said Christie Kirchmer with Guardian Inspections, a home inspection company in Mason that offers mold testing. There are a number of things you have to do identically so you can get the same results when you do the testing, from what type of equipment you use to what types of spore traps youre using. You want to keep everything as similar as possible so youre comparing apples to apples.

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Be careful when hiring a mold remediation pro

Posted: Thursday, March 22, 2012 8:04 pm | Updated: 12:50 pm, Fri Mar 23, 2012.

Drawing their inspiration from the book of Ecclesiastes, members of Nassau Bay Baptist Church believe it is time to build up and will celebrate a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new sanctuary Sunday, March 25, following the morning worship service.

The community NBBC serves is invited to join the celebration beginning at 10:45 a.m. Immediately after the worship service, the congregation will gather on the church parking lot, north of the gym building, for the groundbreaking and praise service.

On Feb. 19, church members voted to move forward with construction of the $1.55 million Phase 1 of the $2.3 million facility. The church is committed to completing the sanctuary debt free. Petra Construction is contracted to begin building this spring.

The 47-year-old Nassau Bay Baptist Church, known locally for a variety of community oriented ministries including AWANA Club, Vacation Bible School, Judgment House, and high quality fine arts productions, outgrew its existing chapel shortly after the arrival of current senior pastor Dr. David Fannin 15 years ago.

Church members are excited about meeting as one body when the 626-seat Phase 1 is complete. Phase 2 of construction will open an additional 276 seats in the balcony. The congregation currently meets for worship Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. Bible study classes meet at 9:45 a.m.

The multi-purpose gym, constructed after a memorable fire destroyed a similar structure in 1988, has served the church well but the need for a new sanctuary has become apparent in recent years. Growth in church and Sunday School attendance, a desire to better serve the community, and the need for a facility to meet the expanding production aspirations of the musical and drama departments has, in part, spurred the commitment to build.

Ultimately, church leaders say, the new sanctuary will broaden the scope of church ministries that enable the congregation to share the gospel message with their neighbors in Nassau Bay and beyond.

The sanctuary will be built in phases as the finances are available. Once the church committed to raising the funds for the sanctuary in September, members raised $800,000 by February. Some $300,000 were already on hand from a previous fund raising effort. Phase 1 of the project is expected to be complete within a year after construction begins. Amenities such as balcony seating and the finishing out of anterooms will be completed as the funds are available for Phase 2.

In order to raise funds, church members are pledging to give above and beyond their regular offering toward the building program. The church will also host a number of fundraisers open to the community.

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Nassau Bay Baptist Church groundbreaking planned Sunday