Home Improvement Guide 2012

The St. Joseph Area

Home Improvement Guide Fall | 2012

Inside find tips and information about:

Accessibility Bathroom renovation Bedrooms Exterior appearances Financing Flooring Heating Kitchens Lawn care Safety

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what’s inside

4 7 9 12 14 16

accessibilty

bathrooms

bedrooms

exterior appearances

fall checklist

financing

18 20 22 25 flooring

heating

kitchens

lawn care

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Make your home barrier-free Older residents may need guard rails, ramps to improve home mobility

By JENNIFER GORDON St. Joseph News-Press

Accessibility starts outside of the home.

If someone encounters trouble with the driveway, any improvements to help that person get around the home won’t matter, says Ken McWilliams, owner of Modern Medical Mobility in St. Joseph.

Dr. Maureen Raffensperger, a physical therapist and associate professor at Missouri Western State University, agrees. She says to look at the path to get into the home first.

“The steps outside of the house are probably the biggest thing,” she says. “The stairs need not to be crumbling, uneven or too high.”

Raffensperger works with older clients and assists with the Show

Me Falls Free Missouri program.

She often advises her patients to look out for the little things that will literally trip them up.

First, purchase a ramp if steps prove too difficult. Modern Medical Mobility sells a range of options, some that can travel with you if friends’ homes also prove inaccessible.

If a ramp isn’t needed to get into a home, make sure the handrail is sturdy. A handrail on either side of the staircase works best, Raffensperger says.

She also has had low-vision patients put tape on the edge of the steps to help them see where to step.

Inside the home, accessibility can be broken down by room.

4 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE | October 2012

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Older residents may need guard rails, ramps to improve home mobility CONTINUED FROM page 4

LIVING ROOM AND OTHER COMMON LIVING AREAS

For stairs within the home, McWilliams recommends residents consider a chair lift if they have limited mobility.

“Sometimes it’s not a matter of not being able to, it’s just so hard that once you’ve done a flight of stairs, you can’t do anything else for the rest of the day,” he says.

Make sure cords are off the floors in the home and the furniture spaced far enough apart for someone who needs an assistive device to get through. Keeping the floor clutter-free will help prevent falls for older residents or those who have trouble moving around.

Narrow hallways and doorways can be an issue for residents with power chairs or wheelchairs. The typical hallway measures 34 to 36 inches wide, but ideally the hallway would be 42 inches for someone in a chair, says McWilliams. You need to account not only for the width of the power chair or wheelchair but also for its turning radius.

Contractors should address any structure adjustments that need to take place. Keep in mind that any change to the width of either a door frame or a hallway can get pricey because it also might disrupt the way electrical wires are set up, McWilliams cautions.

Kitchens also tend to have accessibility issues. Homes designed for wheelchairs often come with counters that can be raised and lowered and sinks that wheelchairs can roll up to. These types of cabinets also can be installed.

For residents who do not want to make that drastic of a change to their kitchen, McWilliams recommends a grab bar to help them reach high-shelf items.

BATHROOMS

FITTING THE NEED

For aging residents, bathrooms number among the most dangerous rooms in the home, Raffensperger says. Keep the floors as dry as possible and watch out for rugs that can snag a foot.

Install a guardrail in the bathtub and put down appliqué strips to help prevent slipping. She doesn’t recommend using shower mats because they can slide too easily.

Consider placing a guardrail by the toilet or adding a raised toilet to the home to assist those who struggle to sit and stand.

KITCHEN

McWilliams says Modern Medical Mobility uses a checklist to help its clients with their particular needs in the home. He says in rare cases, grants are available to help people make the adjustments they need.

Jennifer Gordon can be reached at jennifer.gordon@newspressnow.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @jjgordon.

6 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE | October 2012

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Basics of bathroom remodeling

By ERIN WISDOM St. Joseph News-Press

It may be the smallest room in the house, but remodeling a bathroom can be a big job.

And as with any task, preparation can go a long way toward a successful outcome. “Sometimes people have no idea what they’re getting into,� notes Jerry Conway, master plumber at The Home Depot in St. Joseph. “A project can easily become a big project once you get started.�

For those thinking of making changes to a bathroom, he recommends keeping in mind basic facts such as the locations of windows and outlets — which can’t be changed without a major remodel — as well as some simple plumbing principles, including that plumbing can’t be moved Please see BATHROOM/Page 8

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Bathroom remodeling basics CONTINUED FROM page 7

looking at photos in magazines or on websites can help define what style in a slab home, shouldn’t be placed you want to create. Staff at a home on an outside wall of any home and improvement store may then be able should be easily accessible. to point out fixtures similar to the Also important to know before ones in the photos and also can progetting started is how old a home’s vide instructions on installing them. plumbing is and what ramifications “If they’re going to change a faucet this may have on the remodel process. or something simple, I can coach anyAnd if the remodel is going to involve one to do that, even if they have no relocating fixtures, it might be necesmechanical skills,” says Kurt Brooke, sary to obtain a building permit, espe- the department manager over plumbcially if the remodel is taking place in ing at Lowe’s in St. Joseph. a rental property, Conway says.

He adds that someone with an avHe adds that another important erage skill level in this area should preliminary step is setting a budget. be able to install not only a faucet A good bathroom remodel can be but also a toilet or medicine cabinet. done for as little as $1,500, he says, Of the bigger items in a bathroom, but it’s not unheard of for an overthe only one he notes might be too haul to cost as much as $20,000. complicated is replacing a bathtub, “If you tile the floor and shower since this involves examining the area, put in new faucets, vanity, mir- subfloor. ror, medicine cabinet and more — it Finally, in order to make the most adds up real quick,” he says. of an initial trip to a home improveWhen it comes to details like these, ment store, Mr. Brooke advises com-

ing prepared with measurements of the room you’re planning to remodel.

“A lot of people assume they have a standard-sized room,” he says, “but there really is no such thing as standard when it comes to a bathroom.”

Erin Wisdom can be reached at erin.wisdom@newspressnow.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPWisdom.

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Creating a better bedroom

By BROOKE VANCLEAVE St. Joseph News-Press

Whether it’s a lazy Saturday morning with breakfast in bed or the end of a long, tiring workday, a bedroom often can do wonders to lift your mood, making it so much more than a place to sleep. If your room doesn’t feel like the relaxing oasis it should be, here are some cheap and easy fixes.

COLOR

The most noticeable way to set the tone of the room is through its colors. Color can help tie the walls, fabrics, furniture and accent pieces together. When picking out paint, it’s good to remember that many paint stores offer gallons of mistints at a low price.

“Paint’s not expensive if you’re willing to paint the room yourself,”

says Mary Carol Garrity, interior designer and owner of Nell Hill’s in Atchison, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. Although the process can be tedious, a color change can give a room a dramatic facelift, and the results last

for years.

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Creating a better bedroom

CONTINUED FROM page 9 peaceful environment. For walls, she recommends keeping the colors a bit more neutral and decorating with other colors according to your mood and the time of year.

“Mute your pieces that you’re going to keep for a long time and change colors out throughout the seasons with accent pieces,” Ms. Trout says.

ence. Heavy drapery panels made with thick, dark fabric can darken a room completely for a restful night’s sleep, while gauzy sheers dress windows with elegance.

“Many people choose lush bedding, like big comfy duvets,” Ms. Trout says.

ACCENT PIECES

While large furniture pieces provide the bulk of a bedroom’s style, it’s the small accents that give the room FABRIC flair.

“It used to be when people would “I like to put a bench or church buy their bedspread or duvet everypew at end of the bed,” Ms. Trout thing would match,” Mrs. Garrity says.

“You can squeeze in a rocking says. “Now it’s about mixing and chair or armless chair to one side. blending fabrics and combining It makes it more cozy and more of a prints without it being too busy.” sitting area than just a bedroom.”

Fabric is an integral part of a bedExtra seating also provides a place room’s design. Drapes, sheets and bedspreads come in a wide variety of to sit while getting dressed in the textures and prints. Smooth satin or morning.

Area rugs near the bed help high-thread count Egyptian cotton bring the room together with pops makes bedtime a luxurious experiof color and make a floor cozier, 10 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE | October 2012

even if it’s already carpeted. Pillows add both comfort and style, and refinished tables or shelves can be an eclectic twist on the traditional nightstand.

“Lighting is really important. You need a lamp that’s large enough and tall enough that when you’re sitting up in bed it’s conducive to read,” Mrs. Garrity says.

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USING WHAT YOU HAVE

Don’t assume that a bedroom makeover requires several trips to home interior stores. Sometimes all it takes to refresh a bedroom is to look at what you already have. “You can really refresh a bedroom for $100 or less if you know what you like,� Ms. Trout says. “You can repurpose different things that are in the home and switch pieces out with other pieces from different rooms.�

In this way, an antique writing desk from the hallway or office can become a new bedside table, or the tiny lamp on your dresser can be swapped out for a brass f loor lamp from the den. “Even switching the furniture around and moving your bed to a different wall can really lift your spirits,� Mrs. Garrity says.

THINK ABOUT YOUR GUESTS Homeowners often have a tendency to treat an extra bedroom like a catch-

all for odds and ends that don’t fit anywhere else in the house. Unfortunately, if actual guests need to use the space, they can feel like they’re holed up in a storage area instead of a bedroom.

To make guests feel more at home, the first thing to do is clear the room of clutter and decorate it as you would any other bedroom. Allow closet or drawer space for their clothes and supply them with clean, fresh bedding. Include extra pillows and blankets to suit their comfort levels. “The number one thing that I do ‌ is to find an old or new tray, set it on the bed and put some personal items on it, like a book, hand lotion, a bottle of water, an alarm clock and any other things that they may need for their stay,â€? Ms. Trout says.

Mrs. Garrity adds that you could include maps or lists of highlighted sites and things to do in the city, as well as locally made treats. A container of fresh flowers is the finishing touch to any room, bringing nature indoors and making the space a little brighter.

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Exterior appearances

Don’t forget about dressing up the outside of your home Houses.”

Replacing your garage door with a new upscale model may even boost the resale value of your home. According to her research, an overwhelming 71 percent of homeowners who recently replaced their garage door believe it definitely increased the value of their home. That little tidbit alone should entice people to start shopping around.

“If you have not been in the market for a garage door, then you have a surprise coming to you,” Steves says. “Today’s garage doors are better insulated and stronger as well as safer.”

Modern garage doors come in an assortment of styles, colors,

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By SHEA CONNER St. Joseph News-Press

If you could pick the most noticeable architectural element of your home, what would it be? The roof ?

The front porch? The main f loor windows?

Try the garage door. Yeah, that’s right — the garage door.

Since many modern homes are now designed with garages that are visible from the street, those that hold two cars or more have

become the most dominant feature of the house.

Replacing an aging, worn-out garage door with the latest carriage house-style door can change the look of a home completely. In fact, this one renovation can achieve more than any other improvement to dress-up the exterior – especially one with a front-facing garage — says Gale Steves, home industries consultant and author of the books “Right-Sizing Your Home” and “ Home Magazine’s Best Little

12 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE | October 2012

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window treatments and new materials from which to choose, such as wood, steel, fiberglass or even molded plastic. Take time to learn the advantages of each material, Steves says. Most architects or designers would advise that you begin your choice of garage doors by considering the style of your home.

“The new door should complement the architecture of the house, not confuse it,” Steves says. “For example, a carriage house-style garage door might look out of place on a fairly contemporary house.

Determine if you want your new door to look outstanding or simply blend in with the other exterior details.”

The color of your garage door should complement the overall house color as well as the window trim colors. Some models are available in a limited range, while other manufacturers offer custom colors as well.

Other exterior upgrades

Steves also offers some extra exterior appearance upgrades that will make any home look more appealing. Read on.

Renew the color of your home by painting or power-washing your house’s siding. If your home blends in with the neighbors, change the color slightly to make it more outstanding. If the colors are predetermined, then think about adding some decorative molding so you can introduce another complementary color. Sometimes re-painting the trim of the windows or shutters with a contrasting color will add to the visual appeal.

Redecorate your house’s front with shutters on the windows or a fresh coat of paint on the front door. For example, bright red doors stand out against white Colonial and Neoclassical-style homes. Polish or replace the door’s hardware. Even think about adding attractive house numbers or a striking new mailbox. Do not forget to clean those windows as

well as the garage windows so they are sparkling. These are smaller changes but they can make your home look inviting and eye-catching.

Revise your exterior night appearance by changing those out-ofdate light fixtures or adding lights if you do not have them. Light up your doorways and walkways as well. The idea is to have more lights at a lower wattage than a single very bright light. If your front yard seems gloomy, then consider some landscape lights as well. This can be done simply with solar-powered lights so you do not have to run wires in the yard.

Resurface your old driveway — whether it is made of gravel, tar or cement — especially if it needs repair. There are many choices of patterned concrete or even woven stone that can improve the appearance of your entrance.

Shea Conner can be reached at shea.conner@newspressnow.com.

Follow him on Twitter: @stjoelivedotcom.

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Preparing for winter Here’s a checklist of things to do this autumn ■ Change the air filter in your furnace.

■ Stock up on several air filters for the winter.

■ Test to see that furnace is working.

■ Have furnace serviced.

■ Inspect and dust off heating ducts and vents. Have professionally cleaned if needed.

■ Reverse your ceiling fans to create an upward draft that redistributes warm air from the ceiling.

■ Test and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon dioxide detectors and keep extra household batteries on hand.

■ Check your windows and doors for any leaks and fix their weather-stripping if needed.

■ Change summer screens to cool-weather storm windows and doors.

■ Inspect and repair any loose or damaged window or door frames.

■ Paint interior rooms while it’s still warm enough to leave windows open.

■ Call a professional to inspect and clean your fireplace and chimney.

■ Place firewood at least 30 feet from the house and keep covered.

■ Check foundation for any cracks and make repairs.

■ Make sure the roof is in good shape.

■ Clean and inspect the gutters.

■ Rake the leaves.

■ Pack up and store any patio furniture.

■ Disconnect garden hoses.

■ Use an indoor valve to shut

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■ Clean downspouts and make sure they are properly secured and not pointed to sidewalks where they could contribute to ice slicks.

■ Clean the siding and look for any cracks or separations.

■ Repair cracks in driveway and sidewalks.

■ Make sure home and garage are secure from animal intruders.

■ Organize your garage.

14 FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT GUIDE | October 2012

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off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets.

■■Empty out unused fuel from gas-powered equipment stored in the garage.

■■Prepare and store lawnmower.

■■Check to see that all of your snow equipment is working.

■■Test generator.

■■Take care of caulking repairs.

■■Insulate pipes to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.

■■Fertilize and reseed your lawn.

■■Prune trees and shrubs after the leaves turn.

■■Clean and store gardening tools and pots.

■■Trim any tree limbs that are close to power lines or the roof of your house.

■■Clean and store grill for winter.

■■Clean pool and prepare for winter.

■■Clean and store summer clothing and pull out cool-weather items. Be sure to inspect jackets and coats for any needed cleaning and repairs, and see whether hats, gloves, boots and scarves need to be replaced.

. . . t n At Work For You e m n r e v o G y Cit DOES YOUR HOUSE NEED REPAIRS? Did you know that help may be available?

The Community Development Office with the City of St. Joseph has HUD Funding available. The city will provide the contractors, financing, and management of your project.

If you have owned and occupied your house for at least 6 months and are low to moderate income you may qualify. If your home is within St. Joseph city limits and would like to be considered for our program, please contact us at: 816-271-4609

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How are you going to pay for it?

Financing a home improvement project

By KEVIN KRAUSKOPF St. Joseph News-Press

You’ve put a lot of thought into choosing the materials and selecting a contractor for your home improvement project. Now, you should put just as much consideration into your financing options.

Yeah, it’s that important. The wrong terms could greatly increase the project’s total cost.

As such, one payment option is the clear-cut best: cold, hard cash.

“That’s going to be the absolute best, because you’re not paying any interest,” says David Cripe, community bank president for UMB’s St.

Joseph metro locations.

From there, things get a bit murkier and must be weighed on a caseby-case basis. If you don’t have the money set aside and plan to borrow to finance your home improvement project, here are some of your options: CREDIT CARD: For smaller projects, you can avoid the hassle of applying for a loan by using an existing credit card account, either paying the contractor directly or taking a cash advance. Top considerations for this option include how much the project costs, your interest rate and

any fees associated with taking a cash advance.

HOME EQUITY LINE OF CREDIT (HELOC): This is a revolving line of credit that operates similarly to a credit card in that you pay on the amount you’ve withdrawn. It also gives you the flexibility to withdraw more to cover unexpected costs.

Another benefit is the potential to take a federal tax deduction on any interest paid (Mr. Cripe strongly suggests consulting a tax professional on that topic).

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HOME EQUITY LOAN: Like a HELOC, a home equity loan is money borrowed against your home’s equity. However, it is more of a standard loan with a fixed amortization period and allotted monthly payment. A home equity loan is more likely to come with a fixed interest rate due to the more certain terms of repayment, Mr. Cripe says. Where a HELOC offers f lexibility, this option often appeals to homeowners who prefer to adhere to a predictable monthly budget.

401(K): According to Mr. Cripe, this can be the most cost-effective financing option — but it quickly can become the least.

The advantage is that you are using money that is already yours and, in effect, paying yourself interest on the amount borrowed.

However, the potential exists for serious penalties and additional fees if the money is not repaid according to the terms. By withdrawing the money, you also may miss the opportunity for market gains.

STOCK PORTFOLIO: The website bankrate.com suggests the option of taking a margin loan against your stock holdings. In this case, you are using your securities as collateral, with a benefit being the potential for market gains to

effectively repay the borrowed amount. On the other hand, if the market tanks, thus lowering the value of your securities, you may be forced to sell the stock.

LIFE INSURANCE POLICY: Another option is borrowing against the accrued benefits of a life insurance policy. However, bankrate.com warns that you will earn a lower return on the borrowed amount and likely receive a lower death benefit until it is repaid in full.

TITLE I HOME IMPROVEMENT LOAN: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development insures private lenders against losses on home improvement loans, making this a viable option for those who have good credit but lack home equity or accumulated funds in a 401(k) or stock portfolio. For more information on applying for a HUDbacked loan, visit http://por tal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/pro gram_offices/housing/sfh/title.

CONTRACTOR LOAN: Contractors themselves often offer financing options, but “it’s typically an expensive way to finance a project,” Mr. Cripe says.

Kevin Krauskopf can be reached at kevin.krauskopf@newspressnow.com.

Follow him on Twitter: @stjoelivedotcom.

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Adding area Accent rugs can dress up your floors

By BROOKE VANCLEAVE St. Joseph News-Press

When homeowners go to the expense of installing new tile or hardwood floors or rip up carpet to restore old floors to their original beauty, the last thing on their minds is covering those floors up, right? However, the benefits to adding area rugs to large rooms extend beyond design.

Rugs date back thousands of years and originally were used to insulate walls and floors against cold weather. Weaving became an art in ancient times in regions like India and Persia (now Iran), where handmade rug designs reflected tribal patterns and were made with natural dyes. Today, rugs are made from both natural and synthetic products to fit any budget, and they come in a huge variety of colors and patterns to match a buyer’s personal style.

The most common reason to use an area rug on hard floors is to complete the look of a room.

“If you’re not putting money into your living arrangements with draperies or wall accessories, if you have wood or tile floor there’s not much color there,” says Bob Hand, owner of Home Style Furniture. “(Rugs are) an immediate way to bring color to a room … It’s a way to mix and intermingle furniture pieces.”

Steve Eckard, owner of Eckard’s, says area rugs can enhance the mood or feeling a person is trying to create in a room.

“Rugs are kind of like art,” Mr. Eckard says. “They add geometry, style and color to plain, hard surfaces … They can change the way you want your environment to feel to you.”

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Some homeowners and designers even stack rugs on carpet to create a unique visual appeal, as well as prevent carpet wear.

Besides looking nice, rugs are a great way to soften the ground under your feet, providing warmth and comfort to cold, hard flooring in places with high traffic.

“Typically when you go from a soft to a hard component under your toes, some people don’t like that,” Mr. Hand says, especially when homeowners trade stained kitchen carpet for something sleeker and easier to keep clean.

“Area rugs on hardwood put something soft underneath your toes,” he says.

Mr. Eckard adds that rugs also can act as allergen reducers in a house, helping filter dust out of the air that sits stagnant on hard surface floors and gets circulated by air conditioning. Rugs and carpet capture floating dust in the air, but rugs are easier to maintain and keep clean since they are smaller than the whole room. After vacuuming or shaking it outside, the air is cleaner and the rug looks as good as new.

Since home remodeling has consistently been trending away from wall-to-wall carpeting toward hard floors during the past decade, Mr. Eckard says the rug market has experienced a surge in popularity once more.

“They’re just so easy to main-

tain; some are nearly impossible to stain,” he says. And with rugs costing anywhere from $1 to $100 per square foot, “there’s an entire range with price points for everybody.”

Mr. Hand favors high-quality wool rugs in his store because they last longer and are plusher than cheaper synthetic rugs. Although they might cost more up front, the investment is better for the house and the consumer in the long run because it will keep well and look

beautiful for a long time.

The most important factor to consider when buying an area rug is to choose the style that will best suit your needs. Fortunately, the selection is huge so that any type of buyer can find what they’re looking for.

“Everybody has a different hairstyle, everybody has a different taste in clothing, everybody has a different car taste,” Mr. Hand says.

The same goes for area rugs.

“It’s all over the place,” he says.

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Heating alternatives Devices let you turn down the furnace and stay warm

By BROOKE VANCLEAVE St. Joseph News-Press

The cooler months might bring relief from summer heat, but switching from air conditioning to the furnace does little to alleviate utility costs.

Fortunately, home heating alternatives can help produce a cheaper, greener and more efficient way to stay warm.

The most traditional heating alternative, the wood-burning fireplace, has been around since practically the dawn of time. While wood is easy and cheap to come by, and most older houses have at least one room with a wood fireplace, they are not very effective at heating an entire house unless there is a fireplace in every room.

“Fireplaces by themselves aren’t efficient,” says Bill Ray, owner of Buck Stove and Spa. Wood inserts, however, “are real popular. … They’re like a stove designed to fit a fireplace,” he says.

Most heat from a traditional fireplace goes straight up the chimney, but inserts reuse heat from the air in the room and re-circulate it.

Another option Mr. Ray says has been a big seller in the past few years is pellet stoves. They emerged on the consumer market in the 1980s and have been growing steadily in popularity ever since. The stoves run on pellet-shaped fuel made from recycled sawdust and wood scraps.

“They have a 99- percent burning efficiency and are renewable and environmentally friendly,” Mr. Ray says.

A downfall is that they have to be closely monitored so that the hopper is always full, and they require regular cleaning so that ashes don’t clog

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up the interior or make a mess on your floor.

Eric Garrison, store manager of The Comfort Center, says his biggest sales come from direct-vent gas stoves. These machines are built into a box or converted into a fireplace insert and are vented through a wall or the roof. With an efficiency of at least 86 percent, direct-vent gas is also greener and costs less to run than a furnace. The stoves’ flames also are quite eye-catching.

“I love the direct-vent gas because you come home, kick it on and it’s beautiful … then you kick it off at night when you go to bed,” Mr.

Garrison says.

By turning heating elements down low or off at night and just dressing in warmer clothes and using blankets, people can significantly cut heating costs.

Vent-free or ventless gas stoves have a similar function with nearly 100-percent efficiency, but they sometimes are criticized for putting potentially harmful fumes into the inside air. Mr. Garrison says they are safe as long as you don’t have allergies, but you should wait a few years before putting a unit in a newly built home, as the heat can magnify the fumes of new paint and adhesives.

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“Electric has also come a long way,” Mr. Garrison says. “They can reach 5,000 to 10,000 Btu (British thermal units), which was unheard of in the past. … That’s enough to heat one or two rooms.”

The benefits of cleaner air, lower bills, cozy rooms and beautiful dancing flames all add up to a wonderful winter experience. And in a time where everyone is looking for ways to cut costs, decreasing furnace use and considering one of these home heating alternatives instead can be a great investment, whether you need to heat one room or a whole house.

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Cooking up a new look Trends have changed in kitchen remodels

By SYLVIA ANDERSON St. Joseph News-Press

There couldn’t be a better time to give your kitchen a new look.

Unlike the 1980s when oak cabinets and laminated countertops (preferably hunter green or white with gold speck) dominated the market, there is an abundance of options available today.

Cabinets

“Oak used to be about the only thing people did, but now you see a lot more cherry, maple, some glazes, whitewash finishes,” says Erich Van Cleave, owner of Van Cleave Construction, a company that offers complete interior and exterior remodeling services.

“The sky’s the limit now on cabinetry.”

Cherry and maple were the most popular woods in the past couple of years, but according to a recent National Kitchen and Bath Association survey, the love has now spread to walnut, birch, bamboo, alder and even oak.

Customers are wanting clean lines in their cabinetry, says Sheri Kull, interior designer and a kitchen and bath designer with Eckard’s in St. Joseph. They want f lat panels, darker wood or painted cabinets with a glaze.

“My biggest seller is Mission or an Arts and Crafts design,” she says.

They don’t want a wall of matching cabinet doors, either. Instead they are opting for a few cabinets with a glass panel or mullion door cabinets, which allow the contents to be visible through a grid framework. And more people are wanting cabinets to have more functionality, calling for dividers in the drawers, trash cans to be concealed, mixer storage areas and a Lazy Susan in the corner wall cabinet.

Countertops

“It used to be Formica or granite for countertops,” Mr. Van Cleave says. “but now there are so many more alternatives. And the price on granite has come down

some, too, so it’s been a lot more affordable.” Although quartz is more expensive than a laminate, it’s often the material of choice for many of Ms. Kull’s customers because of all the benefits.

Quartz has a built-in antimicrobial protection that inhibits the growth of odor-causing bacteria, mold and mildew. It’s nonporous and scratch-resistant, and it never needs to be sealed so it’s a maintenance-free product, too.

Consumers should not write off Formica and laminates, however.

Ms. Kull says the newer versions have stepped up to compete with the solid-surface market, such as Wilsonart’s High Definition, which has the “crystal-y” look of

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a quartz product, and the Formica FX180, which looks like natural stone because it has a 10-feet no-repeat in the pattern. “It’s not a forever surface like a granite or quartz would be, but it definitely lasts a long time,� she

says.

Sinks

“Stainless steel sinks are still number one,� Mr. Van Cleave says, “but I’m seeing more black composite sinks.�

They are a composite of man-

made material, almost like a Corian, easy to clean, repairable and stain resistant.

Ms. Kull also is seeing a trend toward granite sinks. They come Please see PAGE 24

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Cooking up a new look CONTINUED FROM page 23 in two varieties: solid and composite. Solid stone granite sinks are carved out of a solid piece of granite or assembled using individual blocks of granite. A granite

composite sink is put together using a combination of materials.

Flooring

Tile is the most popular f loor treatment now, Ms. Kull says. But there are many options, including

porcelain, ceramic, granite, travertine and saltillo, handmade clay tiles from Mexico, with porcelain and ceramic being the most durable and popular.

Mr. Van Cleave says he is seeing more interest in solid wood f loors, which take more maintenance but can last a lifetime. And don’t rule out vinyl. As with many of the ‘80s products, there’s been an upgrade in the look. No more funky patterns and outdated colors. Some of the new vinyl f looring is a groutable tile made from a limestone base with a vinyl top layer. There are lines for grouting or you can skip it all together.

And they come in realistic patterns that look like real stone and ceramic.

Sylvia Anderson can be reached at sylvia.anderson@newspressnow.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPAnderson.

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Why rake?

Getting your lawn in shape in the fall is important for the future

By BROOKE VANCLEAVE St. Joseph News-Press

Raking leaves: that dreaded autumn chore we all hate. Aside from jumping into crunchy leaf piles, almost nothing is worse than scouring every inch of the yard with a rake, trying to stuff the debris into plastic bags and carrying the heavy loads to the curb with the other trash. But why do we do it in the first place?

The most common reason is that letting leaves pile up in the yard during the fall can kill parts of your grass because it blocks out the sun and prevents the grass from “breathing.”

“If you have a leaf pile laying in the yard, anything under the pile that doesn’t get proper sun and water will kill the grass underneath. Once you move the leaves, you’ll have bare dirt in that area,” says Nick Tripp, owner of Triple T Lawn Care.

And once the winter snows come, the compacted leaves can cause even more problems.

“It’ll create a muddy mess come springtime,” Mr. Tripp says.

Leaves soak up water from the snow and break down into brown mush. They also cause the ground underneath to become waterlogged so the grass can’t get enough air.

Charles Anctil, a sales associate

at Moffet Nursery and Garden Shop, contends that grass is very tough and usually won’t see much harm from leaving leaf piles on the grass for the winter, especially if the grass is “nice and wet.”

However, he says the dry weather and hot temperatures we saw this summer might mean more turf loss than usual.

Mr. Tripp and Mr. Anctil agree that besides having healthy grass, people rake leaves because they want their lawns to look nice, and they don’t like the appearance of a messy, piled-up

yard. If people want to avoid raking, they can suck leaves up with a leaf vacuum.

“Most people like to see a nice, clean lawn,” Mr. Anctil says.

Unfortunately, raking and bagging sometimes can do more harm than good. Leaf disposal is bad for the environment because it either gets burned away, sending black clouds of smoke into the atmosphere, or the plastic bags are sent to a landfill where they can’t decompose. Mr. Anctil says a better alternative is mowing over leaves to mulch them into the grass and letting nature take its course.

Natural leaf mulch is an easy (and free) way to improve soil, making for a greener lawn in the spring. Homeowners with mild to moderate leaf coverage can run a lawnmower over the piles to chop the leaves up into tiny pieces. As the fall and winter progress, moisture causes the mulch to decompose into the topsoil, enriching it with extra nutrients and providing a soft bed for grass seed in the spring.

“What you’re doing is … reusing a form of organic matter to put back in the soil to help improve soil quality,” Mr. Anctil says.

Another benefit of mulching is it puts a stop to the tedious task of conducting Please see PAGE 26

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CONTINUED FROM page 25 a full-on yard cleanup. The lawn may not look as pretty, but it saves time and prevents achy muscles the next day.

If the mower has a bag attachment, you can save the mulch in a bin until spring to cover flower beds and garden plants. Mr. Tripp says mulch can hold moisture and heat, protecting the seeds underground from cool nights and providing adequate water. Mulch also acts as an effective weed barrier.

Mr. Anctil likes to put mulch on his perennials during the winter to guard the roots from the weather, then till the mulch into the soil in the spring, making the chopped-up leaves a multipurpose garden material.

For healthy grass and a green, pristine yard, Mr. Anctil says the main thing homeowners should do when preparing their lawn for colder weather is to fertilize by Thanksgiving weekend.

When the weather turns cold, he says the tops of grass shoots aren’t growing but the root systems are still very active. Thus, the roots need food while they bed down for the winter so they can continue to be active until spring.

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