5D
REAL ESTATEASae Caarlotte $otft
Thursday, March 3Qy2006
Prepare a moving day list
Continued from page4D
before moving, finish packing
all yoTjr personal belor^ings.
Complete aU financial mat
ters relating to your home
purchase and/or sale. Clean
and defiiDst the refiigerator
and/or fi^zer.
Pinally movir^ day arrives.
Remember to confirm the
dehvery address, directions
and the delivery date with the
movers and/or moving help.
Make sure all boxes are clear
ly marked identifying the
rooms you want items and
boxes placed.
After packing, thoroughly
clean the house or apartment
before leaving. Set aside aU
keys, remotes and pertinent
home documents and war
ranties for the new owners, if
you are a seller. If you are a
buyer however, remember to
request that these items are
left for you. Don’t assume that
these items and information
wOl be left. Lastly make sure
your Real Estate Agent knows
how to contact you.
Moving can be one of the
most stressful events in a per
son’s life and is ranked up
there with dealing with the
death of a love one and
divorce. When it’s your time to
move, make it as least stress
ful as possible with timely
preparation.
ROLAND K. HAWKINS is a
Real Estate Aigent with Caldwell
Banker United Realtors. He can be
reached at (704) 840-5762 or via
the internet; ' www.roland-
hawldnseom
Continued from page4D
tinction; they really set the
home apart. Giving your
home that elegant appeal of
handcrafted beauty with dec
orative accents like: shutters,
gables, cedar soffits or dentil
mouldings, these upgrades
aU provide an affordable, yet
beautiful complement to your
home’s design and individual
ity
‘Exterior decorative accents
offer homeowners a choice in
their home’s appearance so
they feel hke their home is
not only unique to them on
the inside, but on the outside
as well,” says Peter Lang,
general manager of the West
ern Red Cedar Lumber Asso
ciation. “They customize the
home so when you drive thor
ough the community the
house doesn’t look Hke eveiy-
one else’s on the block.”
• Protect your investment.
VWth centuries of proven
performance, materials hke
Real Cedar are well known
for their ability to stand up to
the elements. It’s often over
looked however, that what’s
installed underneath your
new siding is equally impor
tant to providing your home
long-term durabihty and pro
tection. Specifically you need
to make sure the siding is
backed by a high-quality
weather barrier to help block
moisture and air fi'om enter
ing the home.
In recent years, a number of
excellent weather resistant
barriers have been designed
to provide superior water
drainage, combat moisture
and help prevent air infiltra
tion - creatir^ a more com
fortable, energy-efficient
home. One such weather
resistant barrier is Dupont
lyvdc DrainWrap. It offers
the unique combination of a
drainage system and a
weather resistant barrier in a
single product. Even better.
it does not support the
growtii of mold or mildew and
helps keep heatii^ and cool
ing costs down by stopping
outside air infiltration.
Teaming such a weather
resistant barrier with a low-
density material hke Western
Red Cedar improves the over
all insxfiation of the home,
keeping interiors warmer in
cold weather and cooler dur
ing summer.
• Remember the environ
ment.
Homes of distinction
increasir^ly have a similar
attribute in common - they
utilize materials that are
environmentally responsible
and sustainable. Whether
interior features hke hard
wood flooiing or exterior ele
ments such as siding or stone,
today’s dream homes are
beir^ constructed with long
term consideration of the
environment in mind.
When examining siding
materials for example, it’s
interesting to note why all
natural Western Red Cedar
remains so popular. As the
world’s only renewable budd
ing material, wood can not
only be recycled, but regener
ated as well. In fact. North
America has more forestland
now than it did one hundred
years ago. Western Red
Cedar is entirely biodegrad
able, and at the end of its life
cycle, can be absorbed by the
earth without negative
impact. Some alternative
products can sit in landfills
for years and years without
breaking down - making
buddir^ materials hke Cedar
rdtimately more earth fiiend-
ly
For more ideas about how
to increase your home’s curb
appeal, or to learn more
about the virtues of Western
Red Cedar, call (866) 788-
9096 or visit www.real-
cedar.org.
Homeowners can now get to
cooking with outdoor kitchens
Continued from page 4D
“With a modest investment
and a Httle sweat equity,
homeowners can transform
an rmusable backyard space
into a stylish entertainment
area,” says Christensen.
“Pairir^ an attractive paver
patio with fi'eestanding wads
aroimd the perimeter creates
a cozy atmosphere for a
firepit. I like Versa-Lok
retaining wad systems
because they’re avadable in a
range of stjies, colors and
textures that complement the
variety of paving stones on
the market, giving you an
array of design options.
“And they’re easdy inst aded
by do-it-yourselfers and land
scape contractors alike ”
Solid construction
Richard Ventola of Green
Acres Inc. in Palisades Park,
N.J., used the Versa-Lok
Mosaic retaining wad sj^tem
to construct an outdoor
kitchen, complemented with
concrete pavers in a match
ing color and texture.
“It’s the most popular part
of the back yard,” says Vento
la. ‘We budt it completely out
of Versa-Lok. The entire cook
ing island is made of sohd
retaining wad units.”
Some of the blocks had to be
cut to create spaces for the
grid and food storage areas.
The solid construction of the.
units made those modifica
tions much easier than using
hodow blocks, he notes.
The segmental retaining
wad system is versatile as
wed as attractive.
‘We do a tremendous
amount of natural stone in
our landscaping,” says Vento
la, ‘but when I need the con
sistent size and shape of con
crete blocks, the block closest-
looking to natural stone is
Versa-Lok.”
Kitchen-wall combo
Robert Daniels of Clearwa
ter Swimming Pool Co. in
Centre Had, Penn., recently
was faced with the chadenge
of installing «n outdoor
kitchen in a back yard with a
steep slope and deep, three-
tiered retaining wads. The
yard was adjacent to woods,
so Daniels selected Versa-Lok
Mosaic for the tiered walls
‘You get more of the natur
al look with Mosaic, and set
back in the woods, that com
plemented the environment.”
Serpentine curves and
stepped wad ends soften the
appearance, and large beds of
plantings separate the three
tiers.
A paver patio was instaded
across the top of the first
retaining wad tier to create a
cooking and eating area.
Budt-in stairs connect this
upper patio with the pool on
the lower ground level.
Then, in a creative use of
limited space, Daniels carved
a kitchen area right into the
middle retaining wad that
includes a large gas grid,
refiigerator and food prepa
ration counter. The entire
structure also was budt with
Versa-Lok Mosaic, so it’s
indistinguishable from the
wad itself
‘We had to make a couple of
modifications to some blocks
to get power and gas into the
grid area, but with V^a-
Lok, it was easy because
they’re solid rather than hol
low hke some wad systems,”
says Daniels.
Design tips
Other things to consider
wh^ designing an outdoor-
kitchen include:
• Position the grid so pre
vailing breezes carry smoke
away finm where people con
gregate and eat.
• Use a sodd segmental
retaining wad system to
achieve a natural look that’s
also ‘bvidetproof’ fi^Dm the
elements, easily modified and
virtuady maintenance-fi:^.
• Slope coimtertops and
patios sdghtly so rainwater
doesn’t pool on them.
• Make sure drainage
issues are properly
addressed, particularly
where tiered spaces are used.
• Check with local utiliti^,
budding codes and manufac
turers’ specifications before
installing outdoor appdances.
For more information on
how you can use segmental
retaining wads to create out
door cooking areas, contact
, Versa-Lok Retaining Wad
Systems at (800) 770-4525, or
visit www.versa-lok.com.
Now’s the time to plan redwood deck
Continued from page 4D
include an awning or a red
wood tredis in the deck
design.
Do you have outdoor furni
ture that needs to fit on the
deck, or do you prefer to have
budt-in redwood benches?
Wid there be room for potted
plants or redwood planters?
What about a grid? Or pen-
haps the focal point of your
deck wid be a spa or hot tub.
Also consider evening use of
your deck. What kind of Light
ing wdl be most suitable -
floods, spots or low voltage?
Be creative as you ask and
answer these questions. Per
haps there’s room at your
house for more than one deck
- a smad private deck off the
master bedroom, a larger
“party” deck off the living
room or a grade-level deck as
a playroom for chddren.
Think about access to the
deck. Is there already an
exterior door that can open
onto the deck, or will you
have to instad one? Railings
are required on raised decks,
but they can also control traf
fic on a grade-level deck, pro
tecting lavm and garden
areas along the deck edge. If
you’re planning a raised deck,
do you want a stairway lead
ing dovm to grade level?
Tb make the most of your
new redwood deck, integrate
it with an overall landscape
plan. New shrubs, trees, gar
den areas, walkways and
other landscaping elements
enhance the appearance and
utility of your deck. Even
raised decks require some
sort of ground-cover treat
ment beneath.
Consider the materials you
will use. Knot-textured Deck
Heart and Deck Common
grade redwcxid are perfect for
outdoor building projects,
especially decks. Redwood is
cost-effective and resists
shrinking, waiping and
checking. Redwood decks
simply last longer and age
beautifully looking good 10,
15 and 20 years after con
struction.
AH nails, screws, joist hang
ers and other fasteners
should be corrosion-resistant.
Poor quality fasteners can
react with redwood’s natural,
decay-resisting extractives
and cause unsi^tly stains.
Redwood is one of few
woods that can be left unfin
ished. As the redwood weath
ers, several natural color
changes take place. These
changes will vary fium one
climate to another.
Usually the redwood color
evens out at a gray or silvery
tan shade. If you want to
keep the brighter, new red
wood color, a good finish is
the way to go. A quality finish
enhances the beauty of your
redwood deck and protects
the wood fixim the elements.
Read labels carefully The fin
ish you choose should include
a water repellent, a nuldew-
cdde and UV (ultraviolet)
'inhibitor or blocker.
Need some inspiration to
get you started? The Califor
nia Redwood Association
offers the Redwood Design
Gallery an eight-page,
tabloid-sized booklet with
over 30 color photos of beauti
fully designed redwood decks,
fences and other projects.
For a copy send $1.50 to;
California Redwood Associa
tion, 405 Erffiente Drive,
Suite 200, Novato, CA 94949.
Four important ideals not to overlook
At home
and in the
neighborhood,
tlje CJarlotte
WORUD
=# OF
Real Estate
Realtors, Mortgage Funding, Investors,
Contractors, and More!
To join this page of ADVERTISERS
Please call
Your Personal Executive:
Pat McNeir ext. 106 •
Jeri Thompson ext. 104
Sheryl Bradford ext 107
Fran Farrer-Nash ext. 113
OWNING YOUR FUTURE
Homeownership is a nat onal priority. HUD is the
nation’s housing agency committed to increasing
homeownership and dedicated to helping first-time
buyers and minority families become' homeowners.
Each year, HUD programs and services help lens of
thousands of families accomplish the dream of a life
time: owning a home.
Most likely, you’ll need to borrow money to buy a
house. Getting a fair deal will help you to keep your
home and boost your home equity wealth. Home
equity is the part of the value of your home that
belongs to you—the value of your house minus what
you owe on the mortgage. Your goal is to get a loan
that doesn’t include high fees or a high interest rate.
With low fees and a low interest rate, you can pay
down your debt more quickly and own more of your
house.
Watch You Wealth
The wealth you accumulate in a house is no different
than money in a checking or savings account. Be as
careful and attentive to your home equity as you
would be to your bank account. Be cautious about
refinancing or borrowing against your home equity.
Remember, refinancing isn’t always a good idea.
Don’t let someone sell you a loan you don’t need or
can’t afford. Be wary of pitches like "NO CREDIT,
NO PROBLEM” or random mail promising favor
able mortgage rates. If it sounds too good to be tme,
it probably is.
For more information, call 1 (800) 569-4287 or go to
www.owningyourfuture.gov and select "Buying a
Home."