Renew • Colorado's Remodeling Magazine

Find yourself in ‘the zone’ during your next high-end kitchen remodel

The first concern of today’s homeowner who is looking for a high-end kitchen, whether it’s new construction or a remodel, is to find a designer consultant who is knowledgeable and experienced, has a hand on the pulse of the industry and is a good fit for them and their project. What the homeowner wants is someone who can create an individualized space featuring one-of-a-kind luxury items and the newest and hottest products. The room must reflect their lifestyle and life preference. The “wow” factor is being replaced with the “me” expression in this highly used room as homeowners’ needs evolve.

Spatial planning
Kitchen design is now based on activity zones rather than the working triangle or work centers of the past. Activities include a consumable zone that contains both dry and refrigerated food items; a non-consumable zone that is used to store items accessed daily, such as dishes, glasses, plastic containers and silverware; a cleaning zone where the sink, dishwasher and recycling center are located, as well as trash bins. Cleaning supplies are also kept in this zone. The preparation zone is the main work area of the kitchen. Utensils, mixing bowls, small electrical items, plus all items needed for food preparation are found here. Finally, the cooking zone includes the cooktop, ovens, microwave, pots and pans, cooking utensils, baking items, spices and all items commonly used while cooking.

Bigger vs. smaller
A smaller kitchen within the full kitchen works well for today’s lifestyle. During the week, we use a smaller portion of the room to prepare meals and snacks.

Gathering areas
During the weekend we spend more time there with our family members and friends. Having enough space for this social interaction is a must, and should include plenty of seating. Seating can be at table height, countertop height or even higher.

Storage and organization
These options are big factors when it comes to individualizing a kitchen for the homeowner. It could include a silvercloth-lined drawer for the silverware, customized storage for several sets of dishes, special serving pieces, specialty appliances and refrigeration for handy storage of wines.

Appliances
The appearance of appliances is emerging as an important design element in the kitchen. Having the same style handle on every appliance is important to some homeowners. The brands of the appliances need to fit into the design based on the “me” factor.

Personal mementos
Well-traveled people like to incorporate styles they’ve discovered in foreign countries in their new kitchens. They also bring home goods to use in the kitchen or to simply enjoy as a reminder of their trip. The inclusion of these mementos is tantamount to creating that “me” expression in their kitchen. Foreign travel is also influencing color. Many cultures of the world use a more saturated color pallet, which is needed to help create the feeling of the design expression.

Penny Morrow, CKD, is based in Arvada.
pennym.ckd@gmail.com
303-795-6060, office
303-931-7070, cell

Posted on 11 September 2009

The topsy-turvy nature of the financial markets has many people wondering if they will qualify for a home improvement loan. Although lenders are more conservative about how freely money is distributed, many of the same conventions remain in place.

Lenders look at three financial fundamentals in order to make a lending decision, reports Wells Fargo:
• Your credit history
• Your home’s available equity
• Your monthly income and debt payments

Your credit rating is the first stop for lenders. A credit score below 500 might be a red flag to a lender who is trying to avoid risky business. However, those with credit scores above 700 are likely to get favorable attention.

A credit report includes information such as types of accounts (credit cards, auto loans and mortgages), credit limits on original loan amounts, account balances on current financial statements and payment history, going back seven years.

The amount of equity in our homes also weighs heavy in the decision to acquire funding. Lenders will want to know the fair market value of your home, which might require an appraisal. To get a quick idea, websites such as Realtor.com and zillow.com have information that will help you compare prices of homes in your neighborhood.

Additionally, the remaining portion of your mortgage must be considered, as well as other outstanding debt that is secured by your home.

“The amount of equity in your home is calculated by subtracting the outstanding balance owed on home-secured loans from your home’s current value,” Wells Fargo reports.

If the outstanding balance on your $800,000 home is $500,000, that means you have $300,000 in equity, providing there are no other debts that are secured by your home.

From there, lenders will consider your neighborhood and other factors before deciding how much they will loan you based on a percentage of your equity, which could be up to 75 percent in some cases.

The third factor for lenders is your monthly before-tax income and all your bills. Bills or debts include all required payments on an outstanding mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, car leases and other debts.

According to Wells Fargo, “Lenders may want to ensure that the amount of your monthly debt payment is lower than 45 percent of your monthly income.”

Posted on 06 September 2009

Need a durable floor? It’s hard to beat stone and wood, particularly with the ever-growing array of options.

“Hard surface flooring will probably outlast you,” said Anita Howard of the National Wood Flooring Association.

Carpet is still the most popular flooring material, covering about 62 percent of the market. Laminate wood flooring is also popular and inexpensive, but laminates and carpet will not last as long as tile true hardwood.

Howard said homeowners typically replace laminates and carpet starting in living rooms and other highly visible areas, later moving into bedrooms as their budgets allow. Many hardwood floors are environmentally sound and may increase resale value. In a national survey, 58 percent of real estate agents said wood floors help sell a house faster and fetch a higher price.

About 50 percent of hardwood flooring is oak, with a small but growing market for more exotic species. Antique looks are also popular — either salvaged wood from old buildings or new hardwood that has been scraped and distressed to look old.

Wide Plank Flooring in Eldorado Springs sells and installs old-growth and salvaged wood. The company also hand-sands and hand-finishes wood floors to custom specifications for texture and feel. The company specializes in oak and other varieties in three- to nine-inch widths. The planks cost between $15 and $35 per square foot, said Jim O’Connor, owner and president of Wide Plank.

O’Connor recommends using a professional installer for hardwood floors because drying, affixing, finishing and treating hardwood flooring require training and experience to create perfection. For example, inexperienced contractors may underestimate the time needed to dry and acclimate wood from the eastern United States to Colorado’s dry weather. Also, as energy-saving radiant heat flooring becomes more popular, installers will need to work with plumbers to create an appropriate subfloor and ensure even heating throughout the home.

A local, sustainable hardwood option is beetle-kill pine. Green Way in Granby and other companies specialize in salvaging acres of beetle-infested Colorado trees for flooring, furniture and building materials. Colorado Forest Products lists suppliers and consumer information at www.coloradoforestproducts.org.

Exotic, fast-growing wood options include eucalyptus and bamboo, but a rapidly replenished forest isn’t the only sustainability issue. Eco-conscious homeowners should consider durability and the energy costs involved in importing the wood to Colorado. Bamboo has a unique look and texture, but often scratches easily.

Tiles and stones are another durable hard-surface option. The options are nearly endless considering the variety of materials, roughness, size, grout, thickness, color and more.

Staci Griffin of Boulder Stove and Flooring said large, rectangular tiles are the major current trend. Her company sells porcelain slabs up to two feet wide and four feet long, mostly in solid, contemporary colors. Porcelain is typically more dense and absorbs less water, making it a better choice for outdoor use.

Natural stone is also a growing option.

“It’s always in style and it’s been around for thousands of years,” Griffin said.

Source Products Group in Broomfield specializes in slate, travertine and limestone tiles and slabs. Owner Kristi Hada said natural stone is still a small flooring niche typically used for entryways, outdoor kitchens and fireplace surrounds, but natural stone bathrooms and kitchens are more popular. Another trend is mixing natural stone with glass or other elements in tile flooring for a more blended style.

Slate has a rustic look and a wide range of colors, but Hada said some slate should not be used outdoors. Limestone and Travertine feel softer and smoother, and slip-resistant finishes are available.

A green flooring option is recycled tile. TerraGreen recycled glass tile is available at Arizona Tile Supply and Design Materials in Denver. Crossville EcoCycle tile is available at Essco in Denver, Atlas Flooring in Boulder and other area stores. EcoCycle tile comes in eight colors and is certified to include at least 40 percent recycled ceramic.

Steve Graham is a Fort Collins – based freelance writer.

SIDEBAR:

It’s OK to distress your floors

Distressing floors may sound hard on your hardwood, but it is a growing trend that adds durability and antique-styled beauty. Hardwood floors can be scraped and dinged by machine or by hand. Either way, imperfections are added to replicate old, well-worn floors. Distressing can also add holes and deep grooves to help new timbers look more like salvaged wood.

Hand tools can include knives, hammers, planes, rotary tools and even bags of nuts and bolts. Experts avoid machine-distressed flooring, which typically creates a repeating pattern rather than an individual style for each plank.

The work is often performed in either classic homes or newer homes designed and built with a more classic design. Jim O’Connor of Wide Plank Flooring consults with each homeowner and customizes the texture and feel for each project. The firm even cuts custom knives for individual homes. Each employee can typically carve about 100 feet per day, and charges at least $2 per square foot for distressing floors.

Others distress floors to make them more kid- and pet-friendly. With existing scratches and wear, new blemishes will be less noticeable.

“A lot of people have made their homes more homey and more livable,” said Anita Howard of the National Wood Flooring Association.

Posted on 06 September 2009

NKBA honors Arapahoe Community College
The National Kitchen & Bath Association annually recognizes schools that demonstrate the “highest standards of kitchen and bath instruction.” Once again, Arapahoe Community College in Littleton was one of nine schools nationwide feted for excellent design instruction.  Kitchen and bath program design coordinator Dawn Viola was honored with a trophy by the NKBA. The schools were judged on the bath designs of two
students. A floor plan, elevation, construction plan and mechanical plan were also considered.

Go with a pro
Although Americans are tightening their belts, savvy homeowners know that remodeling projects are a wise investment for the future. Hiring a professional instead of undertaking a major do-it-yourself project often pays off. “Fixing do-it-yourself projects that have gone wrong can be very expensive,” said Bill Carter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. “It pays to hire a certified remodeling contractor so that the project gets done right, on schedule and on budget. It alleviates the fear of a contractor or DIY horror story.” A recent study by Kelton Research, on behalf of the online review site Kudzu.com, found 35 percent of Americans  believe it is more cost effective to hire a professional to do home improvement projects than attempting to do it themselves. In fact, 25 percent have hired a professional to fix or finish a home improvement project they first attempted themselves, NARI reports.

Save the dates
• The Colorado Fall Home Show is scheduled for Sept. 19-20 at the Colorado Convention Center.
• The 10th annual Sustainable Living Fair is scheduled for Sept. 19-20, at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Center property in Fort Collins.

Perfect remodel?
As always, we’re in search of the perfect remodeling projects from around the Front Range. If you’ve recently improved your residence and you’d like to show it off, please contact Joe Ross at Renew, Colorado’s Remodeling Magazine. Call 303-428-9529 or email joe@pub-house.com.

Round and round it goes
Have you observed that spinning wheel on your electric meter and pondered how it results in an electrical bill? Find out exactly how much you’re spending. The $119 PowerCost Monitor is a “wireless and portable device that shows homeowners what their home is spending on electricity in real time,” according to Blue Line Innovations. The monitor has two units. A sensor attaches to the electricity meter by tightening just one screw, and it works with 90 percent of all meter types. It collects data from the meter and sends it to a small LCD monitor inside the home. The data passes from the sensor to the display unit wirelessly. The unit then shows the homeowner “how much money is being spent on electricity from minute to minute and keeps a running total in dollars and cents.” www.bluelineinnovations.com or 866-607-2583.

Photo provided by Hawk Construction in Littleton

Posted on 06 September 2009

WARM UP–Keep the humidity level down while heating your towels up with the Myson wall-mounted designer towel warmer. www.hvacsupply.net or 303-292-3025.

SOMETHING OLD–The Heritage Wood countertops offer the distressed look with fine Kohler fixtures. www.denvergranitecountertop.com or 303-761-4257.303-761-4257.

GLASS ACT–Backsplashes, countertops and other beautiful home options are offered through Modern Glass Solutions, offering the “cutting edge of modern design.” www.modernglasssolutions.com or 720-284-1922.

EASYUP–Source Products in Broomfield offers the Rockwood island grille outdoor living kit, which makes life easy for installers and simple for you. www.sourceproductsgroup.com or 303-280-9595.

BRONZE MEDAL–This Price Pfister Velvet Aged Bronze faucet will help set the tone for a bathroom overhaul. www.thegreatindoors.com or 303-708-2500.

Posted on 06 September 2009

Anyone can set up a beautiful, bold multi-media system that will provide incredible audio and video experiences that rival the local theater. But is it easy to use by all members of the family and comprehensive enough to simplify your life?

The high-tech world of home automation reached a new plateau in the last four years, says Brian Richards, president of Precision Media Solutions in Lakewood. Because all home electronics can now be network based through the wonders of the Internet, all systems can be easily upgraded as technology leaps further into the future.

To get started, Richards favors the Kaleidescape System, which easily categorizes movies and music that can be accessed throughout your home. It’s especially useful to those who have difficulty finding and managing their DVD collection. Enjoy the movie experience throughout the home without a bunch of bulky boxes that take up space. Forget about storing your DVD collection. All of your media is loaded into the Kaleidiscape Hard Drive System, which offers some fun features. The Kaleidescape Movie Guide Service provides video bookmarks that let you jump to where you left off, or to your favorite movie scene. And of course there are no trailers, ads or menus to deal with.

Now throw in an Apple TV, which is a cost effective solution for any home. For as little as $229, you can browse iTunes on your television. In addition you can rent high-definition movies on screen for just $4.99. The Apple TV also pulls all of your photos off your home computer and displays them in folders on your TV. Then you can watch a slideshow presentation of your photos with music, which is fun for parties or showing off your recent vacation photos on a large screen.

Richards says the trend toward Apple products has made life easier for his clients, particularly with the iPhone, which can be used to control your in-house electronics system, either in the home, or from anywhere in the world where you have cell service. “We are talking a lot of our clients into switching to iPhone’s, and if they don’t want to switch, we just get them an iPod Touch for about $250, Richards says. “We are finding that our clients love being able to be the mobile DJ in their home wherever they take their iPhone.”

Of course your motorized shades, lighting control, security and HVAC can all be controlled with similar ease. What about a high-tech baby monitor (we don’t suggest monitoring your teenager’s domain though it sometimes seems necessary)? Again, the monitor can be part of the system by using the intercom feature. “Higher end systems allow control of everything in the home from one touchscreen … and it can all be retrofit,” Richards points out. And if you understand the basics of an iPhone, you’ll be able to run systems throughout your entire house. User-friendly is the name of the game. “It takes very little training for the client to run it. And every room operates the same way,” Richards says.

Although the Apple products mentioned above will cost less than $500, it’s easy to spend  $10,000 on a Kaleidescape system with a few accessories. Wiring a large home from the ground up with top-of-line options for every member of the family can jump to $100,000 and up very easily.

Equipment controlling the house can be hidden in storage rooms, basements or in closets.

Hiding flat screens and other components also has become popular, Richards says. A television can fold down from the ceiling, be recessed in a wall, pop up from a cabinet or be found in a nicely framed mirror.

So the next time a home remodel is in order, or you just need to put a little more juice into your media system, consider the advantages of creating a network-based system that can be expanded for years to come. However, there’s a warning: touch-screen control from any room in the house might be very addictive for the movie or music buff that just can’t get enough.

Posted on 06 September 2009

Some homeowners aren’t just installing compact fluorescent light bulbs and turning down the air conditioning. They are taking energy savings further and transforming their homes to draw no electricity from the power grid.

Moving toward an off-grid home can lead to financial savings and green bragging rights. It can also mean producing power, making the electric meter spin backwards and generating credits from the electric utility.

Here are ten steps toward moving off the electric grid — five energy-saving ideas and five new power sources. Also, look for state and federal tax credits and rebates when taking any of these steps. Several renewable energy upgrades are eligible for federal stimulus money.

Save energy

One – Insulate and seal the house
An energy audit is the best way to determine existing insulation levels and check for gaps that leak air. A qualified auditor will explain how to seal around window frames that could let out more heat than the window panes.

For Colorado, the federal Department of Energy recommends at least R-38 insulation in the attic, the most important area to insulate. The best way to maximize attic insulation is to hire a contractor and blow in insulation, which is typically made of fiber glass or cellulose. Environmentally friendly alternatives include cotton- and hemp-based insulation. Blown-in insulation is cheaper and faster for contractors to install than batting and other insulation types, and it can fill small and hard-to-reach gaps.

Two – Increase natural light
Solar skylights cut artificial light needs by trapping sunlight in a dome-shaped collector on a south-facing roof and channeling it through reflective tubes and diffusing it into room. Other models move the light through fiber-optic tubes to a room on a lower level or in the north end of the home. Compared with a traditional skylight, the new technology is less likely to leak, more energy efficient and offers more consistent lighting throughout the day. The recessed fixtures can also be combined with compact fluorescent bulbs for nighttime lighting.

South-facing windows also provide natural light and winter heat. The most efficient windows have at least two panes and are coated to reduce heat loss. However, Nancy Kellogg of Treading Lightly Energy and Design said homeowners should avoid windows that are too shaded or too efficient because they reduce the impact of passive solar heat. Insulating shades and curtains are better for reducing heat loss at night and excessive heat gain in the summer.

Three – Use energy-efficient appliances
Look for the EnergyStar label, which indicates 10 to 50 percent less energy usage than a standard appliance or electronic device. Another feature to consider is a delay timer, which allows dishwashers and other appliance to run during off-peak hours when electric demand is lower. With solar electric panels, consider running the appliances during the day when the house is generating power but nobody is home.

Some energy-efficient appliances also have other advantages. For example, a front-loading washer uses less water, reduces wear on clothing and can typically be stacked with a dryer to save space.

Finally, to switch off the grid and generate all your own power, gas stoves and furnaces will need to be replaced with electric models.

Four – Get smart with power strips
Computers, DVD players and other electronics draw power even when they are switched off or in standby mode. New power strips can gauge when such items are idle or on standby and switch off the outlet. Other strips have “smart” plugs alongside conventional plugs, allowing homeowners to ensure consistent electricity to DVRs or other devices that are always on.

Five – Automate the home
To further cut active and idle energy consumption, consider a lighting management system or full home automation system. Lighting management systems use sensors to switch off lights in unoccupied rooms, adjust lighting levels according to ambient light conditions and set lights to timers.

Home automation systems allow homeowners to control various items in the home by remote control, or from the Internet or a PDA. For example, a homeowner can turn off all the lights with the press of a button, even after forgetting to do so before leaving the house. The system can also control temperature more tightly than a basic programmable thermostat. The system can even lower automatically lower shades at sundown to reduce heat loss.

Generating electricity

Six – Go solar
Solar power is popular and constantly in the news, particularly in sunny Colorado. Enough photovoltaic solar panels can power a home of any size for many years with minimal maintenance.

There are also other ways to harness the power of the sun. Solar thermal technology is simple, inexpensive and time-tested. Dark solar panels heat water and transfer it into storage tanks for use in bathrooms and kitchens, radiant floor heating or radiators.

Another simple way to use the sun’s heat is with a small solar thermal panel that works as a space heater. The panel is mounted on the roof or wall, where a vent draws cold air out of the room. The air is heated while circulating through tubes. A fan then blows warm air back into the room.

SolarGreen in Englewood sells all three types of solar panels.

Seven – Plant wind power
Buying offsets from Xcel and other electric utilities is not the only way to use wind power. Wind turbines are now spinning in back yards and on rooftops. They generate electricity any time the wind is blowing, day or night.

The turbines are simple to install and operate with minimal moving parts and little required maintenance. New models are rated to last 30 years, according to Standard Renewable Energy, a Denver company that sells Skystream wind turbines.

This year, Ace Hardware will begin selling a rooftop wind turbine that generates power starting at wind speeds of two miles per hour.

Eight – Go underground
In addition to turbines high above the ground, energy can be tapped from below the surface. Geothermal or geo-exchange heat pumps run a long loop of water pipes underground, where the temperature is higher. The water returns to the home far hotter and can be used to heat the home or fill hot-water tanks. Radiance Corporation in Nederland installs geothermal heat pumps. The firm estimates the pump uses only 25 to 50 percent of the electricity used in a standard heating and cooling system.

Nine – Pellet power
Wood stoves may not be a cutting-edge technology or even a renewable home-based heating source. However, pellet stoves are updating an old standby. The new stoves are highly efficient and clean-burning and they also use inexpensive, locally generated fuel. In Colorado, Confluence Energy is using swaths of beetle-killed trees to create pellets for the stoves. Other companies mix in waste products such as olive pits and walnut shells.

Some pellet stoves are not approved for use on red advisory days, so be sure to check with suppliers or contact the state health department for the approved list. Also look for low-emission stoves that are compliant with EPA Phase II requirements.

A pellet stove can reduce natural-gas heating bills by 30 percent even without other efficiency improvements, according to Staci Griffin of Boulder Stove and Flooring.

Ten – Go Micro-hydro (if you can)
Micro-hydro electricity generators are the least publicized and most selective home power systems. They only work for homes with water flowing through the property. For those rare homeowners, the idea is basically a tiny hydro-electric dam. The water spins a turbine that converts the motion into electricity.

An Energy Alternatives study found a micro-hydro system produces as least 10 times more power than PV solar or wind turbines for the same initial investment.

Photo credits to place with correct photos:

Photo Courtesy of Southwest Windpower

Photo provided by Whirlpool

Photo provided by Lennox Hearth

Posted on 03 September 2009

Remodeling an entire home may seem ambitious and expensive in the current real estate market. With mortgage rates still hovering near record lows and a tax credit of up to $8,000 available to first-time homebuyers, it might seem like the right time to walk away from the fixer-upper and buy something new. But before getting swept up in the buy-now bustle, consider a few of the reasons why the older home might hold rewarding potential.

For Rex Heibi, those reasons were obvious. His fishing cabin west of Lyons rested along side the St. Vrain River in a beautiful canyon setting full of pines and potential. He envisioned the property as the perfect place to enjoy the outdoors, entertain friends and raise a family in the ambient bliss of nature. The cabin was built in 1987 and was only 1,120 square feet. In 2006 Heibi launched remodeling and expansion plans. During the renovation Rex married his girlfriend, Heather, who shared his vision and also worked diligently on what would be their new home of more than 3,300 square feet.

Terra Verde Architects of Boulder was selected to oversee the design and construction, which would later draw accolades from the remodeling industry. The project was honored in the Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence in the Whole House category.

Charlotte Grojean, who was one of the three principal architects at Terra Verde, worked on the project. Grojean, who has since launched her own firm, Wildgrass Architecture in Boulder, said the project posed some specific challenges. “This site was particularly difficult due to many physical restraints,” she explains. “But Rex and Heather were exceptional clients for this project. Their steadfast commitment and willingness to consider alternative options as obstacles arose was met with genuine enthusiasm.”

Several obstacles did arise. The property was divided by the river and the cabin was near the flood zone. The bridge over the river needed to be rebuilt to mitigate for flooding, the septic field had to be on the same narrow piece of land as the house and there was a steep rocky cliff next to the cabin.

Boulder County also has stringent planning requirements to protect wildlife and water quality in sensitive ecological areas. “There were 13 major objections and many minor roadblocks to be navigated,” says Mark Queripel, founder and principal of Terra Verde Architects. “But over time and with a little creativity, we were able to overcome all the county’s concerns and still achieve the owners’ desires.”

At the initial meetings with the Heibi’s, the architects asked questions to help focus their planning. Like most projects, Queripel says they asked about architectural design preferences, the homeowners’ lifestyle and goals, budget parameters, the function of each space and if the possibility existed that rooms might be changed in the future to serve a different need?

With some direction, plans were drawn up and the real work began. At Terra Verde, one of the principals oversees the project from start to finish, but all principals provide input on major issues.

“Usually we try to come up with a minimum of two to three concepts,” says Queripel. “We show them to the clients and based on their feedback we may combine some aspects of the plans or completely redo the drawings if the first ones don’t work.”

For the Heibi’s and most other clients who want to tackle an entire house remodel, Terra Verde believes it is important to start with the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of the house. For the Heibi’s they wanted their living space to be an engaging atmosphere where they could entertain guests and raise a family.

To accommodate this lifestyle, Terra Verde wanted the kitchen to open up into the great room. They decided to add on a second story to the cabin and build the great room into the granite cliff to avoid the flood zone.

Although the original fishing cabin was, as Grojean describes it – small, dark and uninspiring, there was still a desire for the newly renovated home to maintain some of the same rustic qualities. The finished product was more than an award-winning project – it was a family-friendly home built to meet the needs of people who appreciate nature.

Posted on 03 September 2009