Spring Home Improvement, May 2, 2010

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT MAY 2, 2010

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You finally made theplunge to spruce up youroutdoor space with thebeauty and durability ofhardscape pavers. You'renot alone. Homeimprovement trends showthat outdoor spaces, suchas patios, paths, decks,and driveways continue tobe just as important tomarket appeal and valueas gourmet kitchens andluxury bathrooms.

In fact, Smart Moneymagazine estimates thatlandscaping and "hard-scaping" can increasehome values by as muchas 15 percent.

Hardscape materialssuch as concrete, naturalstone, clay brick andother choices are rapidlygrowing in popularity toform the foundation forinviting new outdoorspaces. Many of thesetime-tested options arebeing used in new wayswith the rise of decorativepaving and ongoing inno-vations in veneer prod-ucts.

While many oftoday's hardscape materi-als are excellent optionsfor their environmentalqualities, flexibility ofdesign and their ease ofinstallation, it is their aes-thetic beauty that remainstheir main attraction.

However, onceinstalled, these decorativematerials are exposed toweather and staining fromuse, which over time canlead to fading, discol-oration and deterioration.

Pavements are especiallysusceptible to the abuse ofnature and traffic. This iswhy hardscape expertshighly recommend theapplication of a sealant toprotect and enhance theaesthetic qualities of yourpaving projects.

Selecting the rightsealant for your particularproject is often an exer-cise in confusion, withplenty of options. Whilesealant technology con-tinues to evolve, sealantscan be broken down into afew key categories:* Film-forming versusnon film-forming* Color enhancing (wetlook) versus non colorenhancing (dry look)* Solvent-based versuswater-based* All are stain resistant

According to Rick

DeMarchi, Director ofMarketing for Techniseal,the leading manufacturerof polymeric sand andtreatment products for theconcrete paver industry,it's important to under-stand this frameworkwhen choosing a productbecause each categorybrings its own featuresand benefits with regardto aesthetics, protectivequalities and applicationprocedures.

"For example, differ-ent sealants may beapplied to a pool deck anda driveway at the samehouse," he explained."The pool deck is a candi-date for a non film-form-ing sealant that has noimpact on slip and skidresistance. Also, today'spopular salt water poolscan be corrosive to deck-

ing, creating the need fora water repellent sealantto protect the surfaceintegrity of the pavers. Onthe driveway, you maywant to use an oil resist-ant protective sealantmaking clean up of messyengine oil drippings easy.And in both cases, thesealant can be colorenhancing, enriching thecolors of your pavers, or

invisible."Whatever the appli-

cation, an appropriatesealant can help decora-tive hardscape materialslook their best and keepthem looking great foryears," DeMarchi added.More information onsealant technology can befound at www.tech-niseal.com.

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How to protect the beauty ofyour hardscape investment

Many times the arrivalof warmer weather makeshomeowners reconsiderthe decor of their home.After a long winter spentindoors, homeownersoften yearn for somechanges around the house.

One cost-effectiveway homeowners can givetheir homes a new lookfor feel without breakingthe bank is to addresslighting throughout thehouse. With some easychanges to a home's light-ing scheme, homeownerscan notice a stark differ-ence in their home'sappearance.* Assess lighting needs.First and foremost, evalu-ate your lighting situationby looking at how much

light is currently around

the house, including thehome's exterior. Is thereadequate light availablefor activities such as read-ing? Is there sufficientlight outside the home tosafely see the stairs orwalkway? How muchsunlight enters yourhome, and are youunknowingly blockingthat light from getting in?Let the sun shine in byopening curtains, pullingup shades and keepingwindows clean. This canadd life to a room whilesimultaneously benefit-ting the environment andlowering your energy bill.* Consider new fixtures.For older homeownerswith an empty nest, con-sider lamps with rockerswitches. These are large

enough to be turned oneven if hands are full or ifyou're suffering fromarthritis that can make ithard to maneuver handsand fingers.

Busy homeownersmight benefit from fixturestyles that clean easily anddon't require much main-tenance. Seniors mightalso want lights that makechanging the bulbs easier.Ceiling lights with bulbcovers may look pretty,but they are often hard tochange and clean. And, ifone of the bulbs burns outor if the fixture is dirty, itwon't emit the rightamount of light.* Get outdoors. Lightingoutside the home is asimportant as lightinginside. In addition to mak-

ing it easier to get around,external lighting can alsokeep prospective thievesat bay. External stairwaysshould be completely illu-minated and on motionsensors if not already on anighttime timer.* Add extra lighting towork areas. Add extralight fixtures in workareas or areas of heavytraffic, such as the kitchenor living room. Thosewith a home office shouldkeep the areas well lit, asyou likely spend extendedperiods of time in thehome office.

* Add lighting to read-ing areas. Reading inpoorly lit areas is a recipefor eye trouble. To lessenthe likelihood of develop-ing eye trouble, placereading chairs near win-dows or add lamps orother lights to areas com-monly used for reading. * Install nightlightsthroughout the home.There's no reason mid-night walks to the refrig-erator or restroom shouldbe done in the dark. Thatonly increases the likeli-hood for falls and injury.Install nightlights in hall-ways and near the bottomand tops of all staircasesto decrease the chances ofinjury.

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Billed as low-mainte-nance and attractive solu-tions for the yard, vinylor composite decks havebecome the materials ofchoice for more home-owners in recent years.They're supposed to lastlonger and require lessmaintenance than woodcounterparts -- perfectfor homeowners whowould rather enjoy theiroutdoor spaces, ratherthan spend hours eachseason maintaining them.But how do compositematerials really stack upagainst wood? Beforeyou choose your deckingmaterial, consider thepros and cons of anyavailable options.

ResistanceNo decking product iscompletely indestructi-ble. Both composite andwood decks can warp,fade or be scratched anddinged.

Wood decks mayhave the advantage overcomposite materials inthis arena simply becauseof their ability to berefinished. Therefore, ifan area is damaged orfaded it can be repaired.The same options are notavailable with compositematerials.

DurabilityComposite decks, thosemade of vinyl, plastic,polypropylene, polyeth-ylene, or a combinationof plastic and wood pulpwould seem to be more

durable than wood decks.It's true that compositeproducts resist weather-related damage better.However, a relativelyhigh rate of expansionand contraction cancause composite decks towarp and hardware toloosen. Composite decksalso are not as easy torepair as wood decks --they must be replaced.Therefore their longevitycould be compromisedby this fact.

MaintenanceComposite decks willrequire considerably lessseasonal maintenancethan wood decks.Manufacturers recom-mend certain cleaningand tightening of jointspacing to avoid sagging.However, certain build-

ing codes require com-posite decks be builtupon wood structuralsupports, so a compositedeck could have somewood material after all.

Wood decks requireroutine staining, clean-ing, sanding, etc. Thiscan be time-consuming,which is why manyhomeowners seekoptions in compositedecking.

'Green' FactorThere are supporters anddetractors to both woodand composite decks interms of environmentalimpact. Wood decksseemingly are harmful tothe environment becauseof the harvesting of woodand depletion of forests,but forests can bereplanted. Composite

decks are made fromplastics, which do notdecompose easily whendisposed of.

Both wood and com-posite decks requiremany chemicals forcleaning and other main-tenance, which can seepinto the ground and leachinto water supplies.

Heat FactorHomeowners placing adeck around a swimmingpool or in a sunny loca-

tion may be concernedwith how hot the build-ing material will beunderfoot.

Wood tends to reflectthe sunlight more readilythan composite materi-als, particularly if thewood is light in color.Therefore it could bemore comfortable towalk upon.

AppearanceMany composite materi-als come close to lookinglike wood, but they maystill appear plastic. It'shard to improve upon thetimeless and cozyappearance of woodenvironmental landscap-ing items.


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Windows are a greatway to bring light into thehome, but unfortunatelywalls and doors often stopthat light from movingthroughout the house. Tocontinue daylight's natu-ral flow in the home,designer Sherry Mitchell,IIDA, recommends incor-porating acrylic blockpanels, door inserts andpartition walls throughoutrooms in the house.

"Daylight adds ener-gy and warmth to a home,so why stop it from pene-trating the entire house?"says Mitchell. "I've speci-fied Hy-Lite/U S BlockWindow acrylic blockproducts for many proj-ects when homeownersdesire natural light inhallways and interiorrooms. These lightweightproducts add a decorativestyle to the interior of thehome while promotingthe flow of light."

In addition to bright-ening the interior of thehome, moving daylightthrough the house canalso help save on energybills. The natural lightingthat comes into the homethrough energy-efficientwindows can reduce theuse of electric lights in thehome's interior, thus sav-ing on energy costs.

Mitchell believes theaddition of "positive dif-fused daylight" into thehome can be achievedwith acrylic block prod-ucts that help reducehomeowner energy needswhile also protecting theprivacy of the home'soccupants. "You can havean acrylic block doorinsert in a home officethat keeps the room pri-vate but allows the light tosoftly diffuse into thehallway," says Mitchell."I've also seen roomdividers created out ofacrylic block panels that

provide a distinct barrierbetween the dining roomand kitchen, but stillallows natural light toflow through."

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Whether your regionis covered in a blanket ofwhite snow or waterfrom continual rainfall,you may experiencebasement moisture prob-lems. New homeownersmay not even be safefrom the water MotherNature delivers eachyear.

The majority ofhomeowners' water seep-age problems can beattributed to seasonalconditions. Rapid runoffand the frozen ground'sinability to absorb thewater leave only oneplace for the water to go-- and unfortunately, it'sright through the walls.Typically, the spring andfall rainy seasons arepeak times to experiencewater seepage.

Homeowners com-monly associate waterproblems with expensiveexcavation and drainage.But, a waterproofingproject can be completedfor around $500.00 usinga high-quality masonrywaterproofing paint,such as DRYLOK®

Masonry Waterprooferby United GilsoniteLaboratories, a Scranton,Pennsylvania basedmanufacturer that hasbeen helping homeown-ers safeguard againstwater seepage problemssince 1957.

The first thing toremember when lookingfor a product to stopwater seepage is that you

need a waterproofer, nota watersealer. There aredifferences between thetwo. Watersealers onlyrepel water but will notstop actual water pene-tration. A product, suchas DRYLOK® MasonryWaterproofer penetratesthe surface and bondsitself to the masonry toact as an integral barrierto stop water seepage.Ordinary paint merelyadheres to the surface,and oncoming waterpressure can force it off.Here are the steps to taketo address seepage andstop basement damage.

Find the Water SourceHomeowners mustremember that a wetbasement wall might bea symptom of a largerproblem. Water may be

coming from a variety ofsources such as leakydownspouts or gutters,blocked drainage pipes,improper grading, or rutsthat direct ground runofftoward foundations.Correcting these prob-lems -- combined withthe application of a qual-ity waterproofing paint --is the best way to preventwater on masonry sur-faces.

Similarly, it is neces-sary to find out if seep-age or condensation isthe source behind wetwalls. This can be deter-mined by performing asimple test. Tape a one-foot square piece of alu-minum foil tightly to adried interior basementwall. You can dry a smallarea to test with a clothor hair dryer. Remove

the foil after severaldays. If the room side iswet, the problem is con-densation and a dehu-midifier should be used.If the wall side of the foilis wet, there is seepage.Remember that bothproblems can occur atthe same time.

Once you determineyour problem, there aretwo main parts of any

waterproofing job:Surface preparation andapplication of the water-proofer itself.

Surface PreparationAs in any painting job,surface preparation is acritical step. Loose orbroken mortar, dirt, dustand other foreign mattershould always beremoved before puttingon a new coat of paint.Before applying thewaterproofer, clean thesurface thoroughly.Waterproofing paintworks best when appliedto a clean, bare masonrysurface. It may beapplied on a slightly


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damp surface but bestresults are obtainedwhen applied over a drysurface. To determine ifthe wall is too wet topaint, try this simple test:Rub your fingertips overthe surface you want topaint. If your fingertipsare wet, do not paint thesurface. Wait 48 hoursand repeat the test. Forbest results, wait for adry spell.

Remove old paint bywire-brushing, sand-blasting or another suit-able means. The worstenemy for any masonrypaint is efflorescence, orwhite, crystal-like saltdeposits that prevent awaterproofer fromadhering to a surface.Muriatic acid or a prod-uct like DRYLOK® Etchshould be used to rid thesurface of efflorescence.

Holes should be patchedwith an hydrauliccement.

A common area thatmay be overlooked as asource of water seepageis the floor/wall joint.Normally, when concretefloors cure, they shrinkand pull away from thewall, allowing a spacefor water to enter. That'swhy it's necessary to sealall gaps between floorand walls with a fast-drying cement, such asDRYLOK® Fast Plug.

Clean the area and washwith water prior to seal-ing.

Applying theWaterproofer

Now, you're ready toapply waterproofer toyour basement walls. Forbest results, apply thefirst coat with a nylon orpolyester bristle brush.The second coat can beapplied with a brush ormasonry roller. Work thepaint thoroughly into thepores of the masonry.For optimum bonding,apply to a dry surface.

Follow directions forapplication carefully. Ifthe area you covered ismore than the recom-mendation on the label,you're spreading thepaint too thin. Two coatsare usually sufficient to

stop seepage. However,if seepage is still presentafter several days, anadditional coat may benecessary.

Open windows anduse a non-sparkingexhaust fan to provideadequate ventilationwhen applying a water-proofer in closed areas.In places, where goodcross-ventilation is not

possible, or if you aresensitive to solventodors, the experts atUGL recommend usinga latex-based product,such as Latex BaseDRYLOK® or DRYLOKExtreme®. Remember toread the label of theproduct thoroughly forapplication and ventila-tion requirements.

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"Affordable" and"luxury" never used to bewords you'd see cozied uptogether -- luxury, after all,implies a lifestyle the aver-age person can't afford!

But much has changedwith our changing econo-my. The once-contradicto-ry notion of low-cost luxu-ry is fast becoming thenew operating philosophyof the savvy homeowner:How can I capture themost extravagance for theleast money?

Well, for starters, con-sider a well-made ham-mock.

A quality hammock isone of the most economi-cal face-lifts you can giveyour back yard, confirmsWalter R. Perkins III,CEO of The HammockSource, home to suchtrendsetting brands as TheOriginal Pawleys IslandRope Hammock andHatteras Hammocks.

"With a good ham-mock, you look and feellavish without having tospend lavishly," Perkinsexplains.

Paired with an attrac-tive powder-coated steelstand or a luxuriouslycurved cypress-woodstand, a quality rope orfabric hammock quicklybecomes the sumptuouscenterpiece of any deck,patio or poolside, or alovely, functional additionto a large flower garden.

"People tend to bereally surprised how justhaving a hammock theremakes the whole area

seem that much more luxurious and comfort-able," says J.R. Pelletier,manager of TheHammockCompany.com, an interna-tional leader in hammocksales."For a couple hundred dol-lars' investment," Perkinsnotes, "not only have youjust boosted the visualappeal of your property,but you've also just createda luxury destination rightoutside your own backdoor. Plus, your neighborsare going to envy youevery time they catch sightof you across the fence,stretched out and content!"

The hammock wasn't

always so connected withluxury, however. Far fromit.

Prior to the late 19thcentury, hammocks func-tioned primarily as sailors'beds, and were neitherparticularly comfortablenor all that safe. Fabrichammocks back then werecramped, hot and prone totipping, while rope ham-mocks, equally unsturdy,were woven typically ofrough hemp or manila,and riddled with bulkyknots.

Then along camePawleys Island, S.C.,riverboat captain JoshuaWard, whose quest for a

better night's sleep led himin 1889 to reinvent therope hammock and, in theprocess, set the standardfor what's now the classicAmerican hammock style.

Ward switched toheavy cotton rope and aknotless, lattice-likeweave, placing woodenspreader bars at both endsto hold his hammock open-- and what was once aclingy, scratchy, knottysleeping-cocoon became asoft, open, airborne leisurespace.

Within no time,Ward's effortlessly com-fortable new hammockstyle was intricately asso-

ciated with the town ofPawleys Island, even thena famous seaside resort forthe well-to-do. Possiblythrough this direct connec-tion with wealth andleisure, a good hammockbecame through the yearsthe universal symbol ofrelaxed good fortune.

"You might call it aboost in luxury by associa-tion," says Perkins of TheHammockSource. "Ofcourse, once you're in yourown hammock, you'regonna feel like a millionbucks regardless of thefact you didn't have tospend a fortune to buy it!"


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Vinyl replacementwindows, entry doorsand other energy savingproducts can be good orbad. It's like buying aproduct that cost $1,000and not putting it in right.Therefore, in some cases,you are better off keep-ing what you have.

A poor installationcan make a great windowor door worthless. On theother hand a $500 itemthat is put in the properway can and will benefityour home but might notlast that long because it isof poor quality to startwith.

Somewhere in the

middle is the best way togo. You want a goodproduct that is installedthe proper way with agood manufacturer andthen you are a winner. Anexperienced installer isjust as important as theproduct you areinstalling. One mustalways determine thepayback time but also theconvenience of having anew up dated product inyour home.

With today's FederalTax Credit there seems tobe some confusion.

There is a FederalTax Credit of 30% of theMATERIAL ONLY up

to a maximum of $1500for replacement win-dows, entry doors andother energy savingproducts. It is not forlabor. This tax creditexpires as of Dec. 31,2010.

These products mustmeet the new federalstandards of a U-Factorof .30 in order to get thecredit.

Therefore you mustspend $5,000 on MATE-RIAL ONLY in order toget the full $1500 in adirect tax credit. If youspend $3,000 on materialyou will still get 30% ofthat so it will be a $900

Tax Credit and so on. Notevery product will meetthese standards so there-fore each product willhave a sticker on it orpaperwork to determinewhat the U-factor is.

The State ofConnecticut does nothave tax on most prod-ucts that have an "EnergyStar" rating as of thiswriting.

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Energy efficiency is ahot topic everywherethese days and, in homesand communities nation-wide, swimming poolsand spas are becoming afocus of that conversa-tion. That's because poolsand spas require energyfor heating and filteringwater. And everyone,from owners to local andstate government leaders,is looking for ways to sig-nificantly reduce thisenergy use. In fact, insome communities, ener-gy-efficient pool opera-tion is no longer anoption, but a requirementmandated by law.

For pool owners, theperfect solution would bea way to maintain a com-fortable water tempera-ture, while conservingenergy and savingmoney. Fortunately,research and develop-ment by the pool industryover the past few yearshas led to new products

and options that makethat ideal entirely possi-ble.

The Northeast Spaand Pool Association(NESPA), an organiza-tion representing the pooland spa industry in theMid-Atlantic andSouthern New Englandregions, is leading a com-prehensive energy initia-tive to educate builders,pool owners and govern-ment organizations aboutthese options."Conserving energy inpool operations is a realwin-win for everyoneinvolved," notesLawrence Caniglia,NESPA's executive direc-tor. "Pool owners savemoney, fewer carbonemissions are created,and communities canconserve resources, whilereducing their costs forenergy delivery infra-structure."

According toNESPA, whether you

have an existing pool, orare building a new one,energy conservation canbe accomplished with acombination of covers,pumps and piping.

Keep the Heat with a Solar Cover

One way that heat lossfrom a pool occurs is dueto water evaporation. Byusing a solar cover onyour pool, you can pre-vent evaporation, andkeep the heat. In fact asolar cover can reducewater loss by 30 to 50percent, and reduce heat-ing costs by 50 to 70 per-cent. An added benefit isthat reducing water lossalso reduces the amountof chemical water treat-ment required. Solar cov-ers are fairly inexpensive,and new devices areavailable from poolretailers that make takingthe cover on and off easi-er than ever.

Another option for

reducing evaporation is aproduct known as a liquidsolar blanket. This taste-less, odorless, colorlesschemical is simply addedto the pool once a monthto prevent evaporation.The product is complete-ly safe, and about half aseffective as a solar blan-ket.

Reduce Power withPumps and Piping

A swimming pool is real-ly just an oversized tub,with a pump that pullswater from the skimmerand pushes it through afilter, sending the cleanedwater back into the pool

through a system ofpipes. Design engineershave found that by usinglarger pipes and changing90-degree pipe joints to awider, curved design, lesshorse power (HP) isneeded by the pump topush the water throughthe system. That opensthe door for smaller,high-efficiency pumps.For new pools, this newpump and piping designoffers a 40 to 50 percentreduction in energy usecompared to traditionaldesigns.

While it would beimpractical to replacepiping in an existing

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Heating your pool?How to save energy & money

pool, it is possible to cap-ture energy and cost sav-ings by upgrading to anew two-speed, or vari-able-speed, pump. Bothsave energy by offeringthe capability to run atlower speeds when lesspressure is needed.

A two-speed pumpoffers a low- and high-speed setting, and a timeclock or automated con-trol system that allowsyou to set the hours ofoperation to off-peaktime periods, or to coin-cide with your use of the

pool. A variable speedpump can have as manyas eight speed settings,and can be programmedto run at different powerlevels in response topower needs for theheater, cleaner or waterfeatures.

While the new pumpsare more expensive thanthe traditional one-speedpumps, they usually payfor themselves in one ortwo seasons. And, manyutility companies offerrebates for upgrading tothe newer pump designs.

Safety UpgradesWhile thinking aboutimproving your pool'senergy efficiency,remember to also consid-er safety improvements.NESPA stresses that a funpool is a safe pool.Among the layers of pro-tection, NESPA recom-

mends the installation ofanti-entrapment systemsto prevent swimmersfrom becomingentrapped by drains orsection outlets. If you'realready thinking aboutpipes, filtration andpumps, it's the perfecttime to also protectagainst this danger.

To learn more aboutincreasing your pool'senergy efficiency andsafety, start with the

NESPA Web site,www.nespapool .org .You'll find a list ofNESPA members, photosof award-winning pools,and a wealth of informa-tion on pool designs,maintenance and more.For educational pam-phlets on how to build,operate and maintain asafe pool, write toNESPA at 6B South GoldDrive, Hamilton, NJ08691.

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