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p 6C REAL ESTATE/CI)c CharlottE J3ost Thursday, March 4,2004 Get your home inspected to save headaches Continued frorryjage 5C they performed the home appraisal. Since the VA and FHA appraisers are not licensed home inspectors, their home inspection will be limited in scope. Once again there may be a need to have the purchasing ' property inspected buy a professional. Buying a home is usually our biggest financial invest ment. That’s why you should consider hiring a licensed and insured professional to make sure that that the property being purchase is a good investment. A home inspection is not considered a closing require ment. It is a strongly encour aged optional expense of the buyer. Therefore, the buyer will incur the expense of the home inspection. However, if included in the contract, the seller can reimburse the buyer’s home inspection expense at closing. Don’t squander your rights to have the property inspect ed prior to closing. Just because the seller’s property disclosures do not reveal any deficiencies it does not mean there aren’t any. If there is a hidden defect, the seller may not be aware of the problem. Remember: once you close on your new home, any and aU defects that exist or surface get a professional home inspection. are now yours. Make sure that your dream home is a good investment; ROLAND K. HAWKINS is a Real Estate Agent with Caldwell Banker United Realtors. He can be reached at (704) 840-5762 or via the internet at www.roland- hawkins.com. Low-flow toilets work and save water f^Iie Cliarlotte PHOTO/ARA CONTENT ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION Water is one of our most vital and precious resources, yet it’s being used up at an alarming rate. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Americans consume more than 450 billion gallons of water each day. The majority of water is used for either irrigation or generating power, but an alarming 4 billion gallons are flushed down toilets in the United States every day. And that water usage figure used to be a lot higher. In 1992 Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conserva tion Act, which mandated that by 1994, new residen tial toilets use 1.6 gallons of water per flush, dramatical ly less than the old standard of 3.5 gallons per flush. When the first batch of new toilets came off the assembly line, consumers had numerous complaints. They were upset that their new toilets had to be flushed two, sometimes three times to get rid of waste, which defeated the purpose of sav ing water. “Tbday’s toilet is nothing short of an engineering mar vel when you consider that you stUl need to effectively flush the same amount of waste with less than half the water,” says Kathryn Stree- by, product manager of toi lets at Kohler Co. With water conservation top of mind, Kohler just introduced a new toilet and flushing sys tem that uses even less water than 1.6 gallons, and still provides an answer to consumers who have expressed the need for a gravity-fed toilet that effec tively removes extra bulk waste without ever plugging. Streeby says the Cimarron Comfort Height toilet with Class Five technology - inspired by the raw power of class 5 Whitewater rapids — can save a family of four over 2,000 gallons of water per year over standard 1.6-gal- lon toilets. The water sav ings are derived from the new toilet’s 1.4-gallon flush setting. ■“Even though a smaller amount of water is used, the Cimarron toilet will still flush effectively, due to the excellent design of its inter nal working components, including an industry-lead ing 3 1/4-inch flush valve and direct-fed jet technolo gy,” says Streeby. When they first came out, low-flow toilets looked alike, but now that technology to make them work effectively has been perfected, engi neers are focusing more on design, easy installation and ergonomic factors. With a patented DiyLock system, the Cimarron toilet installs much faster and easier with out the fear of breaking the vitreous china tank or leak ing water onto the bathroom floor. And, as a Comfort Height model, the toilet offers comfortable, chair- height seating for people of aU ages and statures. In fact the Cimarron toilet complies with the height require ments of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new toilet has only been available since January 2004, but is already being requested by numerous plumbers, builders and do-it- yourself homeowners. For more information on Kohler’s Cimarron toilet, log onto www.kohler.com/class- five or call (800) 4-KOHLER. Concrete let homeowners’ creativity surface ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION Concrete: it’s practical, sturdy and has been used in the construction of buildings since the early Roman times. However, let’s face it: few of • us would argue that most concrete patios, driveways, walkways and garage floors are attractive. In fact, more than likely, they’re drab, dull, even boring. But, as many homeowners and do- it-yourselfers are discover ing, through the use of deco rative finishing concrete treatments, those gray, cold outdoor slabs can take on a unique, stylish look that reflects homeowners’ partic ular tastes. Why decorative concrete treatments? Decorative concrete treat ments, such as staining and stenciling, have gained in popularity during the past few years, although the idea of decorative concrete is not new. Concrete stamping tools have been aroimd since the early 1950s and concrete coloring has been in exis tence even longer. However, the selection of finishes, col ors and textures have grown, offering homeowners more options when choosing to add a little oomph to their outdoor ddcor. According to Pete Donati, product manag er for H&C Stain, a leading manufacturer of concrete care products, the desire for concrete ddcor among home- owners is an extension of their interior design-sense. “Consumers want the abil ity to express their own style, not just inside their homes, but on the exterior, as well. Concrete decor is emerging as a newly discov ered form of easy-to-com- plete landscape design that allows homeowners to ‘dress- up’ something as mundane as a bare concrete driveway.” Donati goes on to say that in addition to adding beauty to a home’s exterior, decora tive concrete allows home- owners to create vibrant col ors and intricate designs at half the cost of installing real stone or other natural mate rials. “Rather than spending thousands of dollars on replacing concrete walk ways, patios or driveways, at a cost of approximately $6 a square foot, the same beauti ful effect can easily be accomplished by using deco rative techniques on existing concrete.” DIY friendly decorative concrete treatments The majority of decorative techniques involve changing either the color or pattern of a concrete surface, or both. The most common treat ments make concrete appear more like expensive material ■ such as tile, cobblestone, brick and keystone. These illusions can be accom- phshed through a number of applications. The following are two of the easiest and most popular DIY treat ments: • Staining If you’re looking to add some pizzazz to your dreary driveway, patio or garage floor, or cover up some unsightly oil stains, staining will serve to change the color or look of your con crete, as weU as add lasting protection against the out door elements. In several simple steps, you can trans form an outdoor concrete surface into a colorful cre ation. In most cases, youll begin by cleaning the area with a concrete de-greaser to help alleviate oil and grease spots. After rinsing off the de-greaser, you should apply an etch cleaner. This step should make the surface feel like 120 grit sandpaper and allow the stain to easily soak into the concrete. After wait ing for 24 hours, you can apply the first coat of stain with a brush or roUer. A sec ond coat can usually be added after the first coat of stain dries for at least anoth er 12 hours. Tbday, concrete stains span the color spectrum. They’re offered in colors ranging from traditional browns and grays to racy reds, greens and even hues of purple. • Stenciling If you want to take staining one step fur ther, stenciling is the sim plest way to place brick or stone patterns on a concrete surface. Stencil templates can be purchased in rolls of water-resistant plastic. The “stone” pattern is cre ated by rolling the template out on the concrete and applying a spray base color through the stencil, much like the staining procedure. Stencils come in a variety of patterns, including cobble stone, herringbone, hexagon tile and natural stone. Cost varies by pattern, but Donati adds that in addition to the staining costs, most stencil systems cost between approximately 20 to 25 cents per square foot. • Helpful decorative con crete treatment tips Although decorative con crete projects are very DIY fnendly, if you’re thinking about incorporating color or patterns into an upcoming concrete project, there are some tips that will help you successfully accomplish your goal. First, know that no colored slab will perfectly match any color chart. Expect some shght variations in coloring, even when working with newly poured concrete. If you are working with new concrete, be sure to let it cure for 30-45 days before attempting to stencil or stain the surface. Once completed, your new concrete creation wQl require some mainte nance to keep it looking its very best. Your yiext Home... Stewart Stream Apartments 2 Bedrooms/1 Bath “TOWNHOMES” Easy access to 1-85 & 1-77, near schools, churches and shopping. Only *$351 to $525 Call Today; 704-395-1226, * Income Limits Apply SSSSSf WE BUY HOUSES $ CASH $ Stop Foreclosure! - Close Within 24 Hours - Call Anytime: 704-400-6786 Legacy Mortgage Service, LLC AFTER-HOLIDAYS BILLS GOT YOU “WORRIED”?! Refinancing your mortgage loan and paying off those annoying bills may give you the “PEACE” that you need. Call LMS and let our experienced loan officers help you!! “Specializing in all your mortgage loan needs” ~ REFINANCE HOME PURCHASE - DEBT CONSOLIDATION ~ HOME REPAIRS/RENOVATIONS 4919 Albermarle Rd. - Suite 204 Charlotte, NC 28205 OFFICE: (704)568-1650 FAX: (704)568-1640 EMAIL: sIegacy@carolina.rr.com PHOTO/ARA CONTENT Greetings, Civic Minded Businesses Join Cljarlotte Newspaper As We Salute tKIje Cljarlotte ^osst “2004” Top Seniors” Thursday, May 20, 2004 In Our Special Magazine Supplement Deadline for copy is Friday, April 23, 2004 a
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 4, 2004, edition 1
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