DISCOVER Spring 2014
Daniel Kutscher climbs up in a windmill rescued from West Texas — See page 4
Home improvement needn’t break the bank; but it can boost the value of your home to potential buyers. (Photo by Ryan Thomason) DESIGN
— Kaitlin Schmidt
— Anita Miller, Dalton Sweat, Kaitlin Schmidt, Candice Brusuelas and Richard Parrish PHOTOS — Don Anders, David Short, Anita Miller, Kaitlin Schmidt COVER PHOTO — Daniel Kutscher atop the windmill Carl Deal imported from West Texas. Photo by Carl Deal. CONTRIBUTORS
San Marcos Daily Record sanmarcosrecord.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Urban Windmill — 4 Flipping Houses — 6 Birding in State Parks— 8 Companion Gardening — 10
Xeriscaping— 11 Turf Grass— 12 Green Living— 15
Getting the windmill to Carl Deal’s yard on Burleson Street was just the icing on the cake; first, it had to be deconstructed, put on trailers and moved.( Photos by Carl Deal)
M iller
There’s a windmill on Burleson Street in San Marcos, its blades turning in the breeze evocative of an earlier, simpler, slower time. It’s grace in action, with a purpose to boot. But getting it all the way from West Texas to the yard of photographer Carl Deal was a labor of love with more than a little back-breaking labor thrown in. “It’s beautiful. Everybody loves it,” Deal said of the windmill he rescued from a ranch where it had been in use for close to a century. “The patent dates stamped on the case are all late 1800s and very early 1900s,” he said. “The self oiling motor, as this one is, was first offered in 1915. Pencil inscriptions on the tower from ranch hands or someone servicing the mill start in 1921.” With tools and a couple of friends, Deal headed for the ranch and spent the next couple of days taking the mill apart. “This was not without the occasional blood-spewing injury, run-in with cactus or stinging or sticker laden life forms,” he said. “And after a few nights of fun, we headed for home — all 309 miles at 40 mph.” The project didn’t get any easier. Arriving home, Deal discovered the trailer wouldn’t fit in his driveway so everything had to be unloaded on the street. Once on his property, he turned to securing the necessary permits from the city — something it took four meetings of the Historical Commission to get approved. When that was finally accomplished, Deal turned to the task of reassembling the mill’s components, something thwarted by the fact some of the parts were no longer available. “So I had to make them myself,” he said.
See Windmill, Page 5
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Windmill...
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That led him to Kutscher Drilling and Well Service, a familyowned business that stretches back for generations. “Once a week I’d grab a cup of coffee and drive out to the office” he said, until his visits became so regular he feared he was being a pain. Long story short, Deal expressed his concern to Daniel Kutscher, who in turn put him to work. “I started working on windmills for him. I did a few other things too but most helped out with windmills in Hays, Comal and Blanco counties. Dirty hard work but it was fun — and I earned my keep.” Once the tower was raised, he still faced the daunting task of rebuilding the motor, again having to make parts that were no longer available. “I very nearly had to build a shop to make it all come true,” he said, “certainly to improvise tools or contraptions to perform special requirements. And no part of this thing weights less than a hundred pounds. Lots of people helped me carry things from place to place.” Deal assembled a team to help on a day that wasn’t windy and by 10 a.m. it had been “stabbed” which Deal says is “a colloquial term that describe the insertion of the lubricated standpipe into the windmill motor standpipe receptacle.” Then, “a little oil, a little cleanup and we had a windmill.” Next it was time for those who had worked on the project to sign the tower, joining “AD” whose initials were left there in 1921, and “Juan,” who signed in 1946. Deal says none of it could have been accomplished without a lot of help, and that the result has been greeted positively by others in the neighborhood. One neighbor, whose relationship with Deal had been rocky, even came by to say how much she loved it. “She said she watches it outside her window at night and it puts her to sleep.” The mill has already served as the backdrop for one wedding, on New Year’s Eve, and Deal says he won’t be through with the project until he configures it to produce electricity instead of pulling water. And, it serves as a testament to the ranching way of life. Deal said since he installed the mill, the owner of the ranch where it had stood died. “It’s sort of a legacy for him,” he said.
Daniel Kutscher signals an all OK as the windmill is carefully reassembled in Carl Deal’s front yard.
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A kitchen remodel can do wonders for a home’s value and overall appeal. At left, an example of a remodel by local home builder Ryan Thomason. (Photo by Ryan Thomason)
F l i pp i n g H o u s e s
Brusuelas
Scott Carson, owner and president of Austin Rebuild Team, gives some advice to homeowners looking to raise the value of their homes for resale. Carson went to school for Architectural Environmental Design and has done multi-billion dollar projects in the area. Carson works with real-estate investors and helps them with purchases to evaluate a home in terms of profit potential. Where to start: “What a homeowner needs to focus on when selling the home, first of all, is choosing a good real estate agent,” said Carson. A realtor will advise the homeowner how to price their home properly, where they should make repairs and if you’re going to spend money on cosmetic repairs, that you’re spending your money in the right way. Carson says to be aware, however, that real estate agents work on commission, so if they can encourage you to spend money on your home to make their jobs easier, they will. “The longer (a house) sits, people get the feeling there’s something wrong with it. That it’s not selling for a reason,” he said. “A good agent knows what the market is, how to price your house properly to keep it from sitting on the market for a long time.” Pre-home inspection: Talk to your realtor about a prehome inspection, to have them look at your home before it goes on the market. They will find safety issues, energy efficient issues and other places you will need work done for your home to be ready to sell. Repairing these issues will raise the value of your home.
See Flipping, Page 7
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Flipping...
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Carson says home inspectors charge somewhere around $300 for an inspection, but that it is well-spent money. Some of the things you may want to spend money on are window replacements, weather stripping around the doors (make sure they’re intact and seal correctly), caulking the windows, new windows that are energy-efficient and making repairs if there is air leakage in your air conditioning ducts. Yard work: Spending money on your yard will create what is called a “negative return.” It will only create what Carson called “drive-up appeal.” “It’s good to clean up your yard and have it presentable, but unless the house is in perfect condition, you have more important things to spend your money on,“ he said. Paint: Exterior painting should be evaluated because it has to do with energy efficiency. The exterior paint seals the outside of the house. Also, if you have older paint, if it starts peeling or chips off and there are any truly exposed surfaces, the home inspector is going to write it up. Interior paint is something that increases marketability. “It’s not a waste of money, but just because the realtor thinks it’ll look better in a different color won’t matter,” says Carson. Appliances: Replacing appliances won’t raise the value of your home. Appliances are something that can be replaced easily. Replacement may increase the marketability of your home, but won’t raise its value. When I think of value of a home it’s what I think of an appraiser. The true value of what you have is based on the
McCoys Building Supply assists local homeowners. (Photo by David Short)
amount of land you have, the square footage of your house, one car or two-car garage, the age of the house, condition of the house. Flooring: Replacing your flooring won’t necessarily raise the value of your home. This is a possibility if you go from old carpet to new wood or tile floors, but Carson recommends if your carpet, or whatever flooring you have, is in good shape, its best to leave it as is. The best spent money on your home: “If (homeowners) are going to spend money, bathrooms and kitchens are the areas where you get the highest returns per dollar,” Carson says. “If you’re doing a kitchen remodel, you get upwards of 90 to 110 percent.” As a general rule, start with necessary repairs, then look at the kitchen and master bath.
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m h w th ec
P h
Migrate to a Texas State Park this April and go Birding
Grab your family and friends this April and go birding as spring migration begins throughout your favorite Texas State Parks. From the beaches of the Gulf Coast to the mountains of Big Bend, each region of the state offers a unique birding experience with more than 630 bird species statewide.
Birdwatching is a fun activity that the whole family ean enjoy. (Photo courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife Department)
More than a dozen Texas State Parks have been designated as having the “best birding blinds� that offer prime perches for viewing and photographing our feathered friends. Some parks that made the list include Abilene,
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Birding...
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Blanco, Brazos, Devils Sinkhole, Falcon, Fort Parker, Franklin Mountains, Goliad, Lake Mineral Wells, Palo Duro Canyon, Pedernales Falls and San Angelo. Birding is easy for families and friends of all ages and levels of expertise. A one-of-a-kind birding experience for beginning and advanced birders alike awaits at the World Birding Center (WBC) headquarters at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission. Bentsen is one of three Rio Grande Valley state parks that double as WBC sites. At Bentsen, visitors can hike or ride bicycles to see a dazzling variety of birds, many of which visit from Mexico and points further south. Bird feeding and watering stations and photo blinds throughout the park, as well as a two-story hawk watch tower, provide excellent birdingopportunities. Beginning birders can download an Introduction to Birding (PDF) to learn what to look and listen for in their favorite state park. Even people who are new to birding can have fun spotting easily identifiable species, like northern cardinals, green jays, great kiskadees, painted buntings, roseate spoonbills and brown pelicans. This year marks the 18th annual Great Texas Birding Classic being held from April 15 to May 15. The Birding classic follows the Great Texas Wildlife Trail, a set of driving maps to wildlife viewing sites throughout the state, and these maps include the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, the nation’s first trail of its kind. For more, visit: www.texasstateparks.org/birding.
Kingfisher. (Photo courtesy of Larry Dito, Texas Parks and Wildlife)
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Keese
COMPANION PLANTING
Did you know planting the herbs Woodworm along borders keeps small animals from gardens and Yarrow planted near aromatic herbs enhances their essential oils? Also, planting a second crop of bush beans between bands of beets and carrots will shade surrounding soil in a month, leaving no place for weeds. Companion planting is the fundamental component of pesticide free, organic garden cultivation. Here are just a few of the more popular combinations: Asparagus: tomatoes, parsley, basil. Beans: potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, summer savory. Beans (pole): corn, summer savory. Beets: onions, kohirabi. Borage: tomatoes, squash, strawberry (herb attracts bee pollinators for early fruit set). Cabbage family: aromatic plants, potatoes, dill, celery, camomile, sage, mint, rosemary, beets, onions. Carrots: peas, leaf lettuce, chives, onions, leek, rosemary, sage, tomatoes. Catnip: border plant to deter flea beetle. Celery: leek, tomatoes, bush beans, cauliflower, cabbage Corn: potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash. Cucumbers: Placed between corn plants gives them light and shade. Eggplant: beans. Fennel: has no friends. Garlic: roses, raspberries Lettuce: carrots, radishes (make a strong team when grown together), strawberries, cucumbers. Marigold: No! Encourages spider mites that are difficult to Page 10
control. To effectively reduce nematodes must be planted solid and grown for 90 to 120 days. Peas: Plant with any except potatoes and onions. Squash: nasturtium, corn. Spinach: strawberries Sunflower: Plant as a trellis for cucumbers. Thyme: Deters cabbage worms. Tomato: chives, onion, parsley, asparagus, nasturtium, carrot. Aim for a three year, space location, rotation in a large garden, focusing on plant nutrition needs; year one, heavy feeders (squash, corn, tomatoes), year two, heavy givers (legumes) and year three, light feeders (root crops). For smaller gardens bypass the rotation by planting one each of the three types of crops in the same bed.
XERISCAPING FOR TEXAS WEATHER
Sweat
With the seemingly never ending drought, many people are trying to figure out how to do their part to conserve water, and some of them have found a way to do it in style. Xeriscaping is landscaping with plants that can withstand the drought. Often times in Texas, these are plants that are native plants but not always. “A lot of people think it's only native plants, but I like to think outside of the box with ‘adaptive’ native plants,� Lisa Prewitt, owner of Gardens by Lisa, said. “Most think it is cactus, yucca and grasses only, but in San Marcos, there are a lot of different plants we can plant here that do great in the drought.� Really, the plants don't need to be native to this region. “The intent is to have an aesthetically pleasing landscape that would require a low water usage, and to me, it would be able to be sustainable through our unpredictable winters and summers.,� Prewitt said. “Both
Xeriscape planting at the intersection of Wonder World Drive and Hunter. (Photo by David Short)
are intense.� Some of the suggested plants were germander, shrub junipers and Mediterranean plants like olive trees should work well in proper areas of San Marcos. Many people demonize St. Augustine grass as an extreme problem for drought conditions. It does often take a lot of water to keep St. Augustine growing and green, but
Prewitt said it can also work in drought conditions. Places in the shade, on a flat surface, with deep, rockless soil would be ideal. The issue is, that soil may be a bit more difficult to come by locally in San Marcos. She also pointed to soil preparation as the most important part about a successful xeriscape. “Get interesting plants and space
See Xeriscape, Page 13
ZZZ F W PF RU J O :RQGHU :RU O G 'U L Y H
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Bermuda grass (left) and buffalo grass (below) are both options for Texas lawns. While Bermuda grass uses a moderate amount of water, the native buffalo grass can get by with much less, making it an attractive and lowmaintenance choice. (Photos courtesy Forest and Kim Starr)
Parrish
A sure sign that Spring is upon us is seeing your neighbors (and maybe even yourself) out in their front yards trying to have the prettiest, greenest landscape in the neighborhood. Challenges within recent years regarding the weather have caused many to throw up their hands in frustration because either Mother Nature did not provide enough water for the grass through rain or else the cost of the monthly water bill, along with water restrictions, has become more than they can handle. Trying to maintain the lawn seems like it has become a losing battle. Benefits of a Healthy Lawn Fighting the battle to maintain a healthy lawn is a battle worth fighting, however. There are many benefits to maintaining a healthy lawn. Healthy turf grass helps to improve water quality. When rain falls onto our yards, our hope is for as much of that rain as possible to stay in our yard and infiltrate into the soil. The dense matrix of grass shoots, stems and leaves of an actively growing, healthy lawn significantly slows down any runoff that might occur, thereby increasing potential water infiltration. Slower moving runoff also has reduced capacity to carry sediment or other soil particles, hence reducing the potential erosion effects of faster moving water. Not only does increased water infiltration help protect surface water quality; it also helps recharge groundwater supplies. The dense, fibrous network of roots help trap and remove nutrients and other pollutants from water moving down through the soil. This filtering effect can actually improve water quality as it moves through the turfgrass root zone. Another benefit of healthy turfgrass is the amount of organic material that it returns to the soil. As turfgrass is growing in our yards, it is using nutrients found in the soil. When this grass is cut and mulched, it is an opportunity for these nutrients to return to the soil in the form of organic matter. In many cases, properly managed turfgrass yards do not need much fertilization because of this return of organic matter. In addition to providing nutrients back to the soil, this organic matter also helps to loosen some of our heavier clay soils, making them better able
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to allow the infiltration of water. Organic matter also helps to provide a healthy environment for the insects, bacteria and fungi that live in the soil. These insects, bacteria and fungi help to build the soil by breaking down this organic material. A healthy landscape, including lawns, trees and shrubs, can play an important role in moderating summer air temperatures. Trees, shrubs and lawn areas around homes can reduce air temperatures from 7° to 14° Fahrenheit through the effects of shading and evapotranspiration (ET). ET is the loss of water from the soil both by evaporation and by transpiration from the plants growing in that soil. This temperature reduction can directly result in curbing summer air conditioning costs. One estimate suggests that planting lawns and other landscape vegetation could reduce total U.S. air conditioning energy requirements by 25 percent. Lawn areas also provide cooler summer places for children to play than asphalt or concrete surfaces. In addition to their cooling influence, the cushioning effect of a lawn surface can reduce the potential for injuries. Healthy lawns and other landscape plantings contribute to improved air quality by acting as traps for dust and particulate matter. This is especially true in areas where dust generated by motorized vehicles can be trapped
Xeriscape...
and washed down into the soil. Nutrients or other contaminants carried as dust particles may then be used by the plant or broken down and used by soil microorganisms. Because a lawn completely covers a soil surface, soil particles are prevented from blowing around and being carried into the atmosphere where they can be transported and deposited in another area or region. Green plants are capable of making their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Trees, shrubs, and the individual grass plants that collectively make up a lawn take in carbon dioxide (CO2) that when combined with water is converted into simple sugars. These sugars can then be further combined into a large array of other needed plant chemical products. As a result of photosynthesis and uptake of CO2, oxygen (O2) is produced back into the atmosphere. One estimate indicates that during the active growing season, a healthy lawn area of 25 square feet will provide enough O2 for one adult person for one day. Therefore, our green plants, including lawns, through the process of photosynthesis, contribute to a reduction in atmospheric CO2 while giving back O2. Lawn areas alone and in combination with other landscape plants contribute to reductions in noise levels by absorbing, deflecting, reflecting, and refracting the various sounds.
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them far part, so youre roots aren't fighting for water,” Prewitt said. “Adding more garden arts is going to be popular. Adding water features when you can use the water, statues or big pottery to fill in gaps. It makes a more sustainable xeriscape garden.” With the right preparations, planting and advice, xeriscaping can limit watering to once a month, which certainly saves a lot of water compared to multiple times a week. Many people do love the green grass of a front lawn. In some situations, those in San Marcos can have drought conditions and maintain a grassy lawn in a responsible manor if they follow certain procedures.
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Likewise, reductions in discomforting glare and light reflection have been noted as a positive benefit of lawn and landscape plantings. Landscape plantings, including lawn areas around the home and workplace, have been shown to affect people positively. A healthy, maintained lawn area creates an inviting view for those passing by and provides an aesthetically pleasing, natural backdrop for other landscape elements. Uniformity of the lawn surface helps confer a sense of coherence and harmony to the entire landscape scene. It is this peaceful setting that is believed to contribute to a person's feeling of well-being and a decrease in emotional tension. It has also been noted that patient recovery rate is faster where they have a view to a landscaped setting versus a view of adjacent buildings only. Types of Grass for the Landscape In central Texas, there are generally four types of grass that is used in the lawn. Probably the most common is St. Augustine. This grass has the highest water use requirement of all of the grasses we use in our lawns. With such a high water requirement, it is difficult and expensive to keep green during our hot Texas summers. However, it is the most shade tolerant of the grass varieties used in central Texas. It also is a very labor intensive grass. It is recommended that it be mowed
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Turf… (From Page 13) once a week to a 2 1/2 inch height in the sun and 3 inches in the shade. St. Augustine is also the most disease prone of the turf grasses. Zoysiagrass has a moderate water usage. It can tolerate full sun or shade conditions. It is an extremely dense turf that chokes out weeds but can make mowing difficult. Cutting it short at the first spring mowing generally makes it easier to mow. Make sure when mowing zoysiagrass that you have well sharpened mower blades. Mow the narrow leaf varieties of zoysiagrass to a height of 1 inch to 1 _ inches. The wider leaf varieties should be mowed to a height of 2 inches to 2 _ inches. Bermudagrass is another moderate water using grass. It tolerates full sun, not doing well in shaded areas. Bermudagrass can be a very aggressive grass, invading nearby flowerbeds and gardens. Mow bermudagrass to a height of about 2 inches. If you are planting a bermudagrass yard, make sure that you use bermudagrass hybrids that do not produce viable seeds. Common bermudagrass is a very invasive plant that can cause many problems later on. Buffalograss is a native Texas grass that has a very low water requirement. It can tolerate full sun but does not do as well in shaded areas. While it is extremely drought tolerant, it will turn brown without moisture. It does not have a dense canopy so it is more susceptible to weed invasions than other turfgrasses. Fewer weeds will invade and the lawn will have a more natural look by mowing 2 to 4 times per year on the highest mowing height adjustment. Several commercial native seed mixes combine buffalograss with other native grass species to create a denser turf that provides a short-grass meadow. Regardless of the type of grass you have, never remove more than one-third of the leaf blade at any single mowing.
Zoysiagrass uses a moderate amount of water.
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Green Living
Brusuelas
Every year, TXI hosts the Green Home and Living Showcase in San Marcos, where likeminded individuals looking to better the world around them share their ideas and products with the public. LaVerne Williams was one of the speakers at the event and shared his knowledge of constructing environmentally friendly and energy efficient homes. Williams works for Environment Associates , based in Houston, and has done work all over the state of Texas since 1975. Several of his home designs have received five stars from the Austin Green Building program. So what can home builders do to make their homes efficient and made for clean living? If you’re not a homeowner/builder with a lot of time on your hands, you may hire someone like Williams to help design a home. Others may attend seminars like the ones at the Home and Garden Show and do their own research online, but it takes quite a bit of work. “We help with everything from helping people find the property so we can maximize the benefit they’ll have and as far as quality of life. Not just for human beings, for all living beings. Because if you just concentrate on people you’re missing the big picture,” said Williams. Once they help the homebuyer/builder locate the property, they plan how to best use that property. Williams, as well as fellow architect Stephen Colley, discourage those looking to build an efficient home from consulting a contractor. “They only know construction. They have no idea what good design is all about,” said Williams. Colley also feels today’s construction world is largely ignorant of green home building. “ It’s hard to find something to mimic because 99 percent of it is garbage, really. You need to really either find someone like LaVerne who knows what’s right for that climate or do a lot more research of your own,” said Colley “You wouldn’t want to build, for example, a mansion like you would have in Virginia.” Williams says to not mimic other housing in the area, because, more often than not, the houses are not built in response to the environment, but rather built for design and aesthetics, and therefore ignoring the climate and environmental factors. “With your newer subdivision, you wouldn’t want to mimic the architecture artesian home, because they’re foreign. They’re an invasive species, you might say,” Williams said. Both Williams and Colley also suggest, whether a new home builder or a current home owner in the Central Texas area, to get rid of the lawn. Not only do many use harmful pesticides and fertilizers to help their lawns grow, but they take a lot of water. Instead, Williams suggests planting plants that are native to the environment and work with the climate. This way the homeowner will spend much less money on water, and their plants will thrive naturally. Another common factor in green homes is rainwater collection. Williams says anyone can get a water tank and modify their downspout to harvest the rainwater. Some homes are designed for optimal rainwater collection and may collect several tanks. Sun roofs may provide natural heat from the sun. Homes designed to generate air flow will need less cooling than those without. Solar panels can generate a substantial amount of energy, especially with Texas’ sunny environment. Houses built with attention to window placement, shading and movement of the
LaVerne Williams is passionate about helping Central Texas homeowners live in harmony with the environment, and saving money in the process. (Photo by Candice Brusuelas) sun can prevent much heat from coming in during the summer. “Overall, when you look at the living costs of having (a green) home, it’s going to be less,” said Williams. “It’s possible to really save a lot of money if you want to. A lot of our clients have.” Williams says many green home builders are surprised that the cost of making their home “green” is not as much as they originally thought. Not only is it typically affordable, but also saves money every month, seen in heating/cooling and water bills. Some clients in Austin, with a smartly designed home rarely turn on their air conditioning, even in the muggy summer months. Williams says it is still warmer than an air conditioned home, but comfortable and livable for those who become acclimated. He pointed out in his presentation that houses, before air conditioning, were designed to combat the elements, and we can save money by designing our houses this way as well. “It’s so great for the planet too. It’s not just you. You’re helping your planet and you’re helping everyone by doing that,” Williams said.
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