http://www.thecharlottepost.com
Wf)e Charlotte ^ostt
THURSDAY, JUNE 1,2006
4D REAL ESTATE
How to
fight off
mold
The issue of mold in homes
is a hot topic with the Envi
ronmental Protection Agency
How much do you know
about this significant and
potentially ha2ard?
Mold is part of the fungus
kingdom (like mushrooms
and
Roland
Hawkins
These tiny spores are invisi
ble to the naked eye and float
through the air. Mold gener
ates indoors when mold
spores land on moisture sur
faces
While most spores lie dor
mant for years, given the
right circumstances (exces
sive moisture) spores germi
nate and causes mold to grow.
Mold is everywhere finm vis
ible to hidden, provided mois
ture is present. These fungi
can be seen on trees outside
your home or in your refiiger-
ator on old food.
Molds are part of our natur
al environment. Outdoors,
molds impact nature by
breaking down dead organic
matter but indoors mold
growth should be avoided.
Molds are ^^sually not a
problem, unless spores land
on a wet or damp spot and
begin growing. Molds have
the potential to cause health
problems. Indoor molds pro
duce allergens that can cause
allergic reactions, irritants,
and in some cases, potential
ly toxic substances.
Some people are very sensi
tive to mold. For these people,
exposure causes symptoms
such as nasal stufBness, eye
irritation, wheezing, or skin
irritation. However, people
with serious allergies may
have more severe reactions
which may include fever and
shortness of breath.
You may suspect hidden
mold if your home smells
musty or moldy, but you can
not see the source and you
know there has been water
damage. Undetected mold
can be hidden in places such
as the back side of dry walls,
wallpaper, or paneling. Most
hidden mold problems can
fiequently be found in duct
work, damp crawl spaces, the
imderside of carpets and
pads.
If you discover a mold prob
lem, you also have a moisture
problem. There is no practical
way to eliminate; all molds
and mold spores in the indoor
environment however, the
way to control indoor mold
growth is to control moisture.
If you have a mold problem
the first thing you need to do
is eliminate the water source
creating the problem. Next,
you must evaluate the severi
ty of the affected area prior to
applying solution.
It is impossible to get rid of
aU mold and mold spores
indooi-s; some mold spores
will be found floating through
Please see TACKLE/5D
PHOTOS/ARA CONTENT
A room of his very own
It’s the ultimate Father’s Day gift: A retreat where he can unwind
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
It used to be a man’s home
was his castle.
But then the Decorating
Divas swept in and insisted
that a house just isn’t a
home imtil the duvet covers
and pillows match the
valance, the walls are paint
ed Marigold Sunset’ with
cream accents, and the TV
is tucked into an armoire.
After his comfy old rediner
has been banished, where’s
a guy supposed to sit?
If the king in your home is
feeling dethroned, perhaps
the ultimate Father’s Day
gift is his own room, a place
where his treasures — and
his rechner — don’t have to
be hidden, a retreat where
dad can hang his favorite
hockey jersey or put togeth
er' the WWn Flying Fortress
model he got for Father’s
Day three years ago. A place
where he and his fiiends
can play poker to their
heart’s content or watch the
big game and loudly protest
the refs calls.
Sounds good, but where?
Chances are the space is
ri^t imder your nose — or
your house - because the
basement is the perfect
place to create Dad’s special
room.
If your basement looks
more like a dungeon than a
place to honor the man of
the house, it’s probably time
Please see GET DAD/5D
Know the real deal behind curb appeal
ARHCLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
Most architects and real
estate experts agree curb
appeal is the most important
first impression of a home.
The outside — from the
home’s landscaping to the
exterior, to the windows.
fix)nt door and outdoor fight
ing — all impact whether a
prospective buyer gets out of
the car to take a look or keeps
driving.
‘When you look at a house,
whether it’s a cabin or a cas
tle, you can’t help but ask,
PHOTO/ARA CONTENT
Doors and windows should be at their very best
‘Could I see myself living
there?”’ says Denver, Colo.,
architect Doug Walter, AIA.
“That is the basis of curb
appeal - tapping into peoples’
inherent sense of good
design.”
So if your home seems to be
giving off distress signals to
prospective buyers, it’s time
to take control and update its
curb appeal, an asped; that
can tiTily impact the resale
potential. And you won’t be
alone. The renovation wave
is upon us, with about 20 mil
lion American households
undertaking an annual raio-
vation project, according to a ,
2005 report on home remod-
efii^ fiom Harvard Universi
ty’s Joint Center for Housing
Studies. According to pub
lished reports in the Wilm-
ir^ton News Journal, home-
owners who are part of the
renovation trend tend to fall
into three distinct groups;
• Those who remodel for
economic investment rea
sons.
• Those who midertake pro
jects strictly as an aesthetic
or fifestyle choice.
• Those who attempt to bal
ance money with emotional
needs.
No matter what your reno
vation rationalization, there
is quantifiable evidence that
reinvestment in your home
can pay significant dividends.
Accordii^ to research con
ducted by Speepan, an Indi-
anapofis-based market
research firm, on behalf of
Remodefing magazine, a win
dow replacement project can
result in an average of 88 to
90 percent of the cost being
recouped. That’s typically
more return on investment
than an upscale kitchen
remodel or replacing the roof
According to Walter,
improving curb appeal
should be every homeowner’s
top priority “Not only will
you enhance yom* enjoyment
of the home, but when it
comes time to sell, good curb
appeal is like money in the
bank. Buyers have choices -
inevitably they opt for the
more attractive home.”
Here are some simple, low-
cost and quick fixes fi:om
PeUa Windows & Doors that
can significantly impact your
home’s curb appeal. Begin by
stepping back and taking an
objective look at your home
fi'om the outside. Take a
black and white photo to view
your house with a new per
spective and determine what
updates are needed. Then,
consider the options:
Option one - replace the
windows. Whether you
choose quality wood, fiber
glass, or vinyl, window
replacement is not only an
excellent investment, it adds
tremendous aesthetic value.
And, the gains fi'om energy
efficiency alone make window
replacement a worthwhile
update. Look for superior
weatherstripping, special
coatings and ^ass combina-
Please see KNOW/5D
Made in the shade: Canopies add value outdoors
ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
Made in the Shade:
Canopies Add Value to Out
door Living Space
Decided to get on boai'd
with the movement towards
outdoor living spaces? While
designing your outdoor envi
ronment, keep this in mind;
Sun is not always fun. If your
patio or deck gets a lot of sun,
and you have no “shade man
agement” plan, you could be
missing out on hours of enjoy
ment.
Shade on a patio or deck not
only creates a soothing, com
fortable environment, it also
makes sense. Blocking out
the sem during the hottest
part of the day can extend the
usable hours of your outdoor
space, reduce household cool
ing bfils, protect your family’s
health, and improve your,
home’s overall value.
“Decks and patios continue
to be among the top home
improvements to add value
and enhance enjoyment of
5k)ur home,” says Dwayne
Williams, executive vice pres
ident of Columbus, Ohio-
based ShadeTree Systems.
“But having a beautiful deck
or patio that you can’t use
because it receives too much
direct sunhght can be
extremely fiustrating. More
homeowners are turning to
retractable awnings and
canopies to solve their shade
challenges.”
Retractable awnings allow
you to enjoy the sun durit^
*
the hours when it is most
mild, and block it out during
the hottest part of the day
Available in a variety of
designs and colors, canopies
and awnings can easily be
installed over existing decks
or patios. ShadelVee shade
systems can be customized to
fit any area, no matter the
size or location. Have a sun
drenched courtyard or a
grassy, sunny spot between
two buildings? Create a
shade-filled oasis with a
canopy A retractable canopy
is also a great way to turn an
imused landscape feature,
fike an arbor or pei'gola, into
a useful space.
“Many people build a pergo
la only to find it offers mini
mal - if any - shade protec
tion,” WilliamR says. “Grow
ing vines or flowers over it
may be visually appealing,
but they are not very good at
blocking out the sun. By
Please see CANOPIES/5D
Basement
investment
pays off in
the end
ARTIOM RESOURCE ASSOCIATION
Can you put a price on
peace? Family time? Extra
room in your home? What if
you could be reasonably cer
tain that the price you paid to
upgrade your home to enjoy
today would pay dividends
tomorrow? Turns out finish
ing your basement may be
just such an investment.
Remodefing Magazine’s
2005 Cost vs. Value report
puts the average percentage
of cost recouped for a base
ment remodel at 90 percent
in the first year, topping pop
ular projects such as a bath
room addition or a major
kitchen remodel.
“Homeowners want to feel
they’re maki-ng a solid invest
ment in their home — a good
financial decision, and one
that will convert a dark,
uninviting space into a quiet,
comfortable retreat fi:om the
hustle and bustle of the
upstairs world,” says Prank
Palmeri, business manner,
Owens Coming Basement
Finishing System. “Unfike,
“traditional’ investments,
basement finishing will pay
dividends immediately”
It’s no surprise that base
ment finishing is one of the
most popular remodeling pro
jects, with more than one mil
lion finished each year in Ihe
continental United States,
according to a repxirt from the
Tampa-based Home
Improvement Research Insti
tute.
The Basement Finishing
System experts at building
materials - manufacturer
Owens Coming recently siu-
veyed homeowners about
their basements and fbimd
that 60 percent of homeown
ers with unfinished base
ments say they are likely to
finish thdr basement in the
next five years, with head,'
heart and wallet coming
togedier as they weigh the
alternatives.
Wth stats fike those report
ed in the Cost versus Value
report, it’s no surprise that
two-thirds of those planning
to finish their basement say
they want to increase the
value of their home. These
homeowners see it as an
investment rather than a cost
— money in the bank for the
future, and bigger, better liv
ing space today
Among homeowners who
have already finished their
basement, more than half
reported they had received
more value than they had
expected from finishir^ their
basement, and more than 90
percent had received as much
or more value than expected.
However, even homeowners
who look forward to the bene
fits of a finished basement
are often daimted by the pro
ject, fearing a lengthy and
messy process. These home-
owners may find the compet
itive cost and convenient con
struction pi'ocess of a finish-
ir^ system to be a soimd
alternative to traditional dry-
wall construction for their
basement remodel.
The Owens Coming Base
ment Finishing System,
specifically designed for base
ment environments, consists
of insulated and mold-resis
tant wall components and a
drop ceiling. The process
takes about two weeks to
complete versus the typical
multi-month traditional
With minimal disruption
and none of the mess associ
ated with traditional drywall,
wasted space is transformed
into an additional living area
- an investment that will
reward homeowners now and
in the future.