At Home Living 031117

Saturday, March 11, 2017 An advertising feature of The Topeka Capital-Journal

home.cjonline.com home improvement

Tudor-style upgrade Remodeling project creates open floor plan page 6 n Jamie Kidd on edible landscapes, page 2 n Ivan Weichert on the Topeka Home Show, page 3 n Avoid attic insulation mistake, page 7

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

2 | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

Edible landscapes demand creativity Okay, so what’s the difference between a vegetable garden and an edible landscape?

Vegetable gardens are generally thought of as a square or rectangular plot set aside solely for growing food. Edible landscapes are an exciting way to offer an alternative to conventional landscapes, which use strictly ornamental plants.

Edible landscapes require creativity and can be just as attractive, if not more so, than conventional designs. Yet, they produce fruits and vegetables for home use. They also can be an aesthetic way to relieve your worries about contaminated foods, as well as help with your grocery budget.

JAMIE KIDD

jamiehan@ksu.edu

You can incorporate simple edible elements into your existing yard or garden, or you can install an entirely edible landscape. Consider color, texture, height and form when choosing which edible plants to use. The possibilities are endless.

You can use edible plants just about anywhere ornamental plants are used. Most, but not all, fruits and vegetables do

mark your calendars

n A pressed flowers workshop, taught by Anita Dreiling, will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. March 22 at the Shawnee County Extension Office, 1740 S.W. Western Ave. Participants will build and keep a project using a variety of pressed flowers. Register and pay $10 materials fee by March 17. Information: (785) 232-0062. n “Spring Lawn Care” will be presented by Shawnee County Master Gardener Steve Paige at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. March 30 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave. Paige will provide handouts on springtime lawn care and answer questions. n The Master Gardener Plant Sale will be from 9 a.m. to noon May 6 in the Shawnee County Extension Office parking lot. best when receiving at least six hours of direct sunlight each day and growing in well-drained soils. If you must plant in partial shade, try fastgrowing, cool-season crops, such as lettuce and spinach.

Borders and edges Start thinking about

strawberry-lined borders.

The alpine varieties of strawberries form runnerless clumps and flower and fruit all year long.

They have white or pink blossoms. Just imagine nibbling on luscious red berries while weeding.

You might prefer a border of white-flowering garlic chives or the more

common purple-flowering variety. Both are good in soups, herbal breads, salads or atop a baked potato.

For a fuller border, add some parsley, creeping thyme, oregano or cilantro. The latter three also make great ground covers.

A pretty contrasting border combines parsley and/ or lettuce (red and green) with alyssum. Don’t forget the hot peppers. Their colorful fruit can make things exciting.

Small spaces

Edible gardens can be planted in small areas, containers or window boxes. Grow a colorful salad in a small plot or container using pansies, violas, lettuce, calendula and nasturtiums, which

are all edible.

Use determinate or bush-type tomatoes. They are less likely to get rangy.

Cherry or grape tomatoes add a nice visual spark.

Shrubs and hedges Sweet corn can make a good backdrop for flower gardens. Ornamental corn and some popcorn varieties are beautifully colored.

They tend to be shorter than sweet corn.

Rhubarb can be a focal point of any garden, especially set among smallleaved plants. Fennel and asparagus both have feather-like leaves that mingle well with cosmos flowers and make a nice backdrop for flower beds.

KIDD continues on 5

homes.cjonline.com | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | 3

Topeka Home Show continues this weekend

By Liz Montano

Special to The Capital-Journal

After nearly an entire year’s preparation, the 55th annual Topeka Home Show continues this weekend.

About 225 ex hibitors have their wares on display through Weichert Sunday afternoon at the Kansas Expocentre, 1 Expocentre Drive.

Hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is $7, with no charge for children 12 and younger.

Topeka Home Builders Association president and CEO Ivan Weichert recently talked about this year’s show, what’s different in home improvement ideas and what proven favorites are back for people to enjoy.

Q: The home show is a yearly staple for Topeka.

How many years has it been at the Kansas Expocentre?

Weichert: This is the 55th annual show and the 30th year it will be held at

TOPEKA HOME SHOW

What: An exposition featuring the latest in home trends; more than 120 vendors; displays on home building, remodeling and interiors; presentations on home financing and insurance; and give-aways. Concessions will be available.

When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 11; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 12 Where: Kansas Expocentre, 1 Expocentre Drive Cost: $7; free for children 12 and younger Information: www.thba.com the Expocentre. An interesting fact: This was the very first event held in the newly constructed Exhibition Hall in 1987, and we’ve been there every year since.

Q: It’s obviously a popular event in the capital city.

What do you think has led

to the show’s longevity?

Weichert: It’s pertinent for nearly everyone, since everyone lives in a home of some kind. We bring the local remodeling and building industry and consumers together in one place, where homeowners can see the latest

innovations in products for building or remodeling, whatever their budgets may be.

Q: What tends to be the most popular products?

Weichert: Windows are always a huge attraction. We’ll have 10 window companies at this

year‘s show. You know, when homes were built 50, 60 or 70 years ago, windows weren’t given much thought. They were installed for the purpose of letting in light. Unfortunately, older windows let many other things in as well. One of the biggest markets is window replacement for older homes.

Heating bills in the winter and air-conditioning bills in the summer are some of the highest costs for homeowners. Window SHOW continues on 4

4 | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

Show: Security apps among products consumers can find Continued from 3

replacements and products for insulation, which people will also find at the show, are directly related to lowering those expenses, not to mention soundproofing their homes. And that ties in with our goal in promoting greener building codes: sustainable, efficient comfort and affordable products.

Q: Can you give us a sample of some of the other products consumers can find this weekend?

Weichert: We’ll have the latest in home security applica-

TOPEKA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION

Address: 1505 S.W. Fairlawn Road Information about membership or upcoming events: Visit www.thba.com; email thba@thba.com; or call (785) 273-1260. tions — where even if you’re at work, if someone rings your doorbell, you can answer as though you’re simply in the kitchen. With hardware lock access apps, you could literally be in another country and lock your doors.

There will be new roofing materials on display, including a new product that looks

like wood shake shingles but will last much longer and won’t catch fire, so it gets a better insurance rating. There are flooring products you once saw only in high-end hotels that you can now have installed in your home.

We’ll have safety shelter companies there with pre-fabricated options that cause no incon-

venience for homeowners. One day, it’s not there; the next day, it’s in place.

There will also be a number of products geared to help handicapped and elderly people stay in their homes, such as home elevator systems.

Q: That’s awesome! And I would imagine you’ll have all the popular interior remodeling ideas for people to see.

Weichert: Definitely. We’ll have all the other popular home improvement options, from lighting ideas and home siding to kitchen and bathroom dis-

plays. We’ll also have improved mud jacking products for foundation issues — the list goes on and on.

Another thing we are doing this year is giving people the opportunity to register to win a Caribbean cruise.

With their registrations, we can find out what areas people are coming from and, in turn, someone will win a very nice vacation.

Liz Montano is a freelance writer from Topeka. She can be reached at (785) 2303907 or newsbizliz@gmail.com.

homes.cjonline.com | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | 5

Kidd: Possibilities are limitless when adding an edible landscape Continued from 2

Blueberries, gooseberries, currants, elderberries, blackberries, raspberries or pest- and disease-resistant Rugosa roses are all good choices in place of ornamental shrubs. Rugosa rose hips are loaded with 60 times more vitamin C than oranges and can be made into teas or jams or eaten raw.

However, this species can be somewhat invasive and shouldn’t be planted

in agricultural or meadow areas.

Vines

Grapes and purplepodded beans are good for growing on trellises along with or in place of morning glories or other flowering vines.

Trees

You don’t have to create an orchard to have fruit trees in your yard. Many varieties require very little care. Use disease-resistant hybrids of apple, crabap-

ple, peach, pear, plum and cherry. Most are available in dwarf or semi-dwarf sizes for easy care and picking.

If you are adventurous, you might try growing pawpaw, the “banana of the north.” The pyramidal shape of this tree and the custard-like fruit, which matures in mid- to late summer, will be the talk of the neighborhood.

Another interesting choice would be the American persimmon, with its spectacular autumn

foliage and sweet goldenyellow and orange fruits.

Serviceberry, also known as Juneberry (Amelanchier), is gaining in popularity. Some varieties resemble trees and others tall, showy shrubs.

They all feature sweet blueberry-sized fruits equally loved by birds and other wildlife.

Edible plants can be featured anywhere ornamental plants might have been used and can prove equally attractive. Treat edible landscapes more

like a hobby than a chore.

If you’re concerned about being overwhelmed, just start small. Groom them just as you would an ornamental landscape.

Edible plants need pruning, weeding and deadheading/harvesting. The upside is you get to snack while laboring.

Take special care to select pesticides and fertilizers that are appropriate and safe on plants to be consumed. Your county Extension office can provide recommendations on

pest management.

The possibilities are limitless. Dare to be different and add an incredible edible landscape to your property. A good reference book for edible landscapes is “The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping: Home Landscaping with Food-Bearing Plants and Resource Saving Techniques,” by Rosalind Creasy.

Jamie Kidd is a horticulturist with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County.

6 | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

Bringing a ’80s Tudor into 21st century Three-month remodeling project created open floor plan

By Linda A. Ditch

Special to The Capital-Journal

When most people consider buying a new home, the first thing they do is contact a Realtor, or look up listings online or in The Topeka Capital-Journal’s At Home Living section.

Not Tammy and Brett Thiessen.

With the birth of their fourth son, the couple knew they needed a larger home. They wanted a house with some land, but they didn’t want to be too far outside of To-

peka. Then they discovered Marlboro Road, just a few blocks from the culde-sac where they lived.

They loved the homes on the quiet street on the southwest edge of the city.

That’s when they took an unusual step.

“We dropped off letters and homemade cookies to every house on the street, asking if the owners would be interested in selling their home,” Tammy Thiessen explained.

“We got two responses.”

The house they chose was a Tudor-style structure, originally built in

the early 1980s on five acres of land. The property’s five bedrooms, stable and swimming pool made it the perfect fit for the family, but the main floor was divided into separate formal spaces, which was a far cry from the open floor plan they wanted.

Minor inconveniences

After the Thiessen family moved into the home, they signed up with Golden Rule Remodeling to redesign the first floor into the style they wanted.

Walls were opened up between seven rooms to get the final open-con-

cept space that encompassed a formal dining room, large kitchen with a huge island, an eating area, and a family room.

A 600-pound beam was installed to carry the load of the upper floor, and two pillars were also placed to balance the look. Dark engineered hardwood floors were installed throughout the space.

The project took a little less than three months to complete. During that time, the family lived in the only main-floor room that wasn’t under construction. The space would become the formal living room when all was said and done,

but during the remodel it was a family room/dining room/kitchen combo.

The refrigerator sat next to the television set, and the family of six had dinner on the coffee table.

Meals consisted mostly of smoked meats and microwave veggies.

“It’s hard to eat out all the time when you have four kids,” Thiessen said.

The family had access to their bedrooms, but which of the four bathrooms were available for use depended on the day.

With the majority of the main-floor walls missing, the plumber had a major challenge running pipes down from the second floor. Thiessen said the plumber commented it was his most challenging

job ever.

All of the inconvenience paid off with the new bright, open space, which included a beautiful family-room fireplace that Thiessen whitewashed herself. A unique feature of the family room is a set of barn doors that hang high on the wall.

However, they slide open to reveal Brett’s home office, giving him a view to the main floor that can be closed off whenever he needs privacy for work.

The kitchen has white shaker-style cabinets, a backsplash of subway tiles in a herringbone pattern, and quartz countertops made to look like marble.

The island fits eight stools TUDOR continues on 7

submitted

Above: Before the remodeling project, the kitchen of the Tudorstyle home was crowded and had little natural light.

Right: The fireplace, shown here before the remodeling, was white-washed

by Tammy Thiessen to give the family room a brighter feel.

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

After purchasing a Tudor-style home in southwest Topeka, Tammy and Brett Thiessen signed up with Golden Rule Remodeling to redesign the first floor into the style they wanted. The walls were opened up between seven rooms to create an open-concept space that encompassed a formal dining room, large kitchen with a huge island, an eating area and a family room. The white-washed fireplace in the family room can be seen in the background.

homes.cjonline.com | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | 7

Insulate floors over unheated areas

By C. Dwight Barnett Tribune News Service

Q: The room over the garage is cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

The attic insulation was checked and OK’d by an insulation company. The roof was replaced last summer, installing ridge vents and removing two turbines.

As the house is reasonably new, 2007, would it profit to spray foam in the garage ceiling to reduce some of the heat leaching

into the above-room floor?

Also, the attic now is Hades hot. I would appreciate any input from a knowledgeable neutral party.

A: The mistake a lot of contractors make when insulating is they fail to insulate the floors over an unheated area, such as a garage, or the insulation is not properly installed.

The conditioned air inside the room travels in all directions, meaning through the walls, ceilings and floors. The walls

and attic area may be insulated, but many times the floors aren’t.

Even when the floors are insulated, the insulation is applied from the room below and instead of touching the floor of the room above, they simply hang the insulation between the floor joists.

This leaves a cavity where conditioned air can escape and be replaced with unconditioned air.

The space between the floor and the ceiling below

can be filled and compacted with a loose-fill insulation. The most important part of the insulation in the walls and floors is the air sealing via air barriers at the insulation.

If you have good insulation but incomplete air barriers, the insulation’s effectiveness can be greatly diminished.

In the attic, the roofers installed a ridge vent, which is ideal for venting as long as the building has soffit vents at

the overhang of the roof.

Soffit vents allow air to enter the attic, travel up through the rafter spaces and exit through the ridge vent.

If the attic has gable vents, they will need to be covered from inside the attic to be sure the ridge vent is working in combination with the soffit vents as intended.

If you want to use spray foam, it’s an ideal product for reducing heat loss or gain. It also stops air

flow, something conventional insulations don’t do. Spray foam may cost up to 10 times more than conventional insulation, so most contractors use it only when requested by the homeowner.

C. Dwight Barnett is a certified master inspector with the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him with home improvement questions at C. Dwight Barnett, Evansville Courier & Press, P.O. Box 268, Evansville, Ind. 47702 or d.Barnett@insightbb.com.

Tudor: Before remodeling, talk to architect or contractor Continued from 6

and has a built-in microwave drawer. A beverage station was added next to the kitchen entrance, complete with coffee maker, beverage refrigerator and a charging station inside a drawer for all the family’s cell phones and tablets.

Avoid decision overload

Thiessen says anyone thinking about a remodeling project should talk to an architect or contractor first to see what the limitations might be and if their image for the space can become a reality. She also warned against decision overload, especially with a large project like this one.

“There are so many questions to answer,” she said. “Ones like how far apart the windows should be. That’s where a designer and contractor can help. They know what questions are most important to answer and when.”

Thiessen, who has a degree in design and marketing, was so impressed with the way Golden Rule owner Matt Vincent ran his business and handled this project that she began to brainstorm ideas with him. The result was a new job with the company as a designer to help clients go through what her family survived.

“The beauty of remodeling is your personal style can really come through,” Thiessen said. “There is something about your home representing who you are that makes you feel comfort.”

keith horinek/THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The kitchen island fits eight stools and has a built-in microwave drawer.

8 | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

Ditch the dirt, disarray How to save water with a custom doormat

By Ed Del Grande Tribune News Service

By Cindy Dampier Chicago Tribune

The roughly 4-foot-square area just inside our entry teeters on the brink, a minefield of dirty footprints, stray leaves and stuff the dog dragged in. Judging strictly on visual evidence, you might have a hard time determining if a family or a herd of goats has been passing through the door.

The age-old, supremely practical answer to all that dirt is a two-doormat system — one outside, one inside, to catch wet footprints and whatever else makes it across the threshold, stopping it at the door before it wrecks your floor and your sanity.

The indoor doormat is key to that system. Trouble is, it’s a household essential that can be tough to get right. It should hang on to dirt but not look dirty. It needs to be the right size for your entry, should stay put and should fit under your door (our door, for instance, shoves most mats aside). It should make a cool design statement or blend sleekly into its surroundings, depending on your space and your preference.

In other words, what you need is a custom doormat.

Luckily, in the ever-more-custom world of home design, there’s a ready-made solution: carpet. Not the kind that blanketed your Nana’s house in wall-to-wall weirdness. We’re talking Flor, those sturdy, inexpensive carpet tiles that come in a wide selection of trendy patterns — camo, geometrics, deconstructed Persian rugs — and the full rainbow of solid colors.

There are floor-hugging felts that slip easily under any door — and trap dirt and lint like crazy — or full-on chunky tex-

Flor’s Oasis Retreat Crimson tiles can add a colorful pop to a home’s entryway. flor

tures. You choose the size by choosing the number of tiles you need for your space — our small entry now gets generous coverage from a mere four tiles — and the nonskid backing means they stay where you need them, which means our doorway is now a lot cleaner than your average barnyard.

Flor starts at $8 per tile. More information is available at flor.com.

Q: Dear Ed, we are first-time homeowners.

Our home was built in the 1980s and has the original plumbing. While our budget is limited, we really want to save some water. Where do we start and how do you recommend we keep costs down?

— Fred and Jill, Ohio A: Home water conservation not only protects a valuable resource, but it also can lower your water and sewerage costs. I always say that saving water can be as easy as 1, 2, 3.

First, start with your faucets. This can be the easiest and the least expensive upgrade.

At the end of the faucet spout is a control called the aerator. In most cases, existing aerators can be replaced with new watersaving aerators.

Next, change out the older showerhead(s) with a high-efficiency model. Look for replacement shower heads that use under 2 gallons per minute.

Finally, replacing older toilets with new efficient toilets that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush can really add to your water savings.

homes.cjonline.com | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | 9

Tip of the week: Cleaning up after pets

Ever come home to discover that your lovable cat or dog has left a “surprise” for you on the carpet or sofa cushion?

Here are some suggestions on how to clean up the mess and eliminate the odor. n Carpeting. Soak up urine with paper towels by blotting (don’t rub). Mix 1 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon dish soap. Use a dishcloth to blot the spot with the soap solution, working toward the center.

To remove soap, mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar in 1 cup water; dab with the vinegar-water and blot with paper towels. n Ceramic tile. Wipe up with your normal tile cleanser. If the tile is glazed, do no more. If the tile isn’t glazed or the liquid has spread to the grout, use a grout cleanser. Then, to remove the odor, make a thick paste with water and baking soda, rub in, let set until dry and wipe up. n Wood. If the wood flooring has a sealant, use paper towels to absorb urine and then clean with normal floor cleanser. If the urine has soaked in and the odor lingers, use an enzyme-based pet-odor remover (sold at pet stores). n Upholstery. If the cushion covers are washable, remove and launder or take them to be dry-cleaned. If the urine has leaked into the sofa cushion, try an enzyme-based pet-odor remover that you can pour on. Let it set, and then soak and blot. If this doesn’t help, find a dry cleaner who deals with fire or smoke damage and uses an ozone machine. If nothing else works, consider replacing the cushion.

Source: Heloise via goodhousekeeping.com

Service Directory

10 | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com

homes.cjonline.com | The Topeka Capital-Journal | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | 11

12 | Saturday, March 11, 2017 | The Topeka Capital-Journal | homes.cjonline.com