Fall Home 2014

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Inside Home: • Vermont Modern • Preparing your home for winter • Plants that help air quality • Get the kids involved with home improvement

…and much more!

Cover Photo:

Zoe and Chris Pike’s passive solar house in Ripton was completed last October. The home blends contemporary design features and modern building technology with a natural woodsy feel.

Photo Credit, Zoe Pike

Special Publication of The Addison Independent • Sept. 25, 2014

PAGE 2C — Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014

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Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014 — PAGE 3C

Contemporary style gains foothold Modern Vermont homes can express a sense of time and place

By CHRISTY LYNN Architectural styles help describe regions and archetypes, which provide context for places all over the world. From white stucco and red clay tile in the Mediterranean and colorful single-level sheds in the Caribbean, to pitched roof chalets in the Swiss Alps and thatched huts in South Asia, the built land“We scape helps sometimes us identify call it ‘warm culture, place modern,’ or and character.

If you were if you want to ask someto get more one to close academic their eyes, about it, then imagine the contempoVe r m o n t loco-rary landscape and describe the design — buildings in literally ‘of their vision, the time’ you would and ‘of the probably hear place.’” about a clas— Architect sic New EngJohn McLeod land farmhouse, a red barn, perhaps a covered bridge or a church with a tall white steeple.

This is the popularized version of the architectural style called the Vermont vernacular. It has formed an identity rooted in Vermont’s agrarian history and is used to at-

McLeod Kredell’s office in Middlebury’s Frog Alley is filled with hung drawings, renderings and photographs of current and completed projects as well as several models of buildings, laid out on a central table.

Here, the model of the Nature Preserve House shows the contemporary cylindrical stair tower and living roof.

Photo credit, Trent Campbell

tract tourists as well as residents to experience this classic lifestyle.

But there is another motif in the Vermont landscape; one that is a little farther from the mainstream, yet a compelling part of contemporary culture in the state.

That is the Vermont Modern.

It might be a term invented for these pages and it might not be a term at all, but scattered over the hills, dotting the farmlands and overlooking the shores are homes made with expansive windows,

Large windows oriented to the south and west provide both stunning views and maximize light for the open interior of this modern home on Chipman Hill, designed by McLeod Kredell Architects.

Photo Credit, Susan Teare

minimal lines and simple, open spaces, working together to define a style of contemporary architecture taking shape in Vermont.

Middlebury-based architects John McLeod and Steve Kredell of McLeod Kredell Architects Inc. have run a contemporary design practice since 2008 when they branched out on their own to develop a niche for modern housing design in Vermont.

“Modern is an interesting term in the architectural world,” McLeod said. “There is the ‘capital M’ architecture, which refers to an international style of design developed in the early 20th century with architects like Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright; and then there is what we call local modern, with a ‘lowercase m.’”

McLeod says they built their practice around the idea of siteresponsive design that responds intelligently to the natural resources, light, topography and materials around them.

“We sometimes call it ‘warm modern,’ or if you want to get more academic about it, then contempoloco-rary design — literally ‘of the time’ and ‘of the place,’” McLeod says.

Both McLeod and Kredell teach architecture at Middlebury College and say they enjoy thinking about (See McLeod Kredell, Page 5C)

Steve Kredell (left) and John McLeod’s architecture firm, McLeod Kredell Architects, specializes in contemporary design in the Vermont landscape.

Photo credit, Trent Campbell

VERMONT MODERN

Combining tradition and cutting edge

By CHRISTY LYNN to truly love a house and I think that Since the architectural practice lesson took me a long way toward opened, McLeod Kredell has worked eventually building my dream on many other homes and businesses home.” within Addison County and all over The path to Dennis’ modern home the state, as well as a few outside wasn’t obvious.

Vermont.

“Actually, my personal preference One such property is owned for architectural style wouldn’t

by Greg Dennis, a have necessarily freelance writer and leaned toward “The real lesson I columnist for this modern design,” he paper, who hired drew from growing said. “I would have McLeod Kredell to up in that house considered myself help him design his was to truly love a more drawn to arts home in Cornwall on house and I think and crafts style or the Foote Farm. that lesson took me cottage-style design.

Dennis grew up But when I started in an old, 14-room a long way toward working with John brick house with tall eventually building and Steve, the ceilings and a cupola my dream home.” modern design just on top. “What I ended — Greg Dennis kind of worked with up with couldn’t be the budget and the farther from that design ideas we had house,” he reflected, looking around on the table. at his 20-foot-by-60-foot minimalist “I really think I ended up with home. “But the real lesson I drew the house I did because of the from growing up in that house was relationship with the architect that

I had. Our pleasure in putting it all together just gave the house a great vibe — it was a fun experience from start to finish.”

The form of the Foote Farm House, built in 2012, is undoubtedly contemporary, but was inspired from the classic small barn. It is a simple four-sided structure, respectful of the conditions from the conveyance of the property that said future development must reflect the style of a 19th-century Vermont farmhouse.

“It doesn’t have a lot of cut-outs or pop-ups in the massing because we had a budget that I was determined to stick with and we had these parameters to work with,” Dennis said.

“John and Steve drew on very traditional ideas of form on the outside,” he added. “It really does look like a little red barn from afar.”

But as you draw nearer, you’ll see that the form has a modern twist.

Like the Nature Preserve House, (See Foote Farm, Page 6C)

Designed to mimic a classic New England barn, the Foote Farm house features classic red cedar shingles on both the exterior walls and roof.

Photo Credit, Susan Teare

PAGE 4C — Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014

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Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014 — PAGE 5C

VERMONT MODERN

Newbies welcome fresh design

By CHRISTY LYNN Zoe Pike, along with her husband Chris and their two young children, moved to Vermont in the fall of 2012.

They came to Vermont to escape the busy city/suburban they had been leading and slow down in the hills of Vermont.

They also came to Vermont with a vision to build an uber-sustainable home that could help them live with a smaller environmental footprint and provide their children with an alternative to the consumerbased culture that they knew in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York City.

The Pikes bought and cleared a plot of land in Ripton in October 2012. They spent nearly seven months working on details with their Maine-based designer, Chris Corson of EcoCor Design/Build and their building team, led by Alex Carver of Northern Timbers Construction to accomplish their goals of energy efficiency on a relatively tight budget.

“For us the most important element was the efficiency of the home, and the modern form just lent

Contemporary design strategies for McLeod Kredell Architects are responsive to unique features of each site.

Vertical wood siding meets red metal window details in a twist on modern design in this Chipman Hill home.

Photo Credit, Susan Teare

McLeod Kredell The Pikes’ passive solar house in Ripton required only a half cord of firewood to heat last winter, thanks to the high insulation values in the building envelope and thoughtful siting with southern exposure.

Photo Credit, Zoe Pike

itself best to our passive solar plans,” Pike said.

It’s a model born out of the German “Passivhaus,” a concept developed in the late 1980s with voluntary, rigorously energy-efficient building standards that reduced the building’s

ecological footprint, Pike said.

“We certainly worked a lot of the modern European feel in our home, but then also injected our own campy, woodsy feel, to bring it back to Vermont,” she said with a smile.

(See Pike, Page 8C)

Interior space in the Pikes’ home brings modern and Vermont rustic together with a mix of raw wood and stone and more industrial materials like polished concrete and metal splash panels in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Photo Credit, Zoe Pike

(Continued from Page 3C) and talking about new ideas of contemporary design with their students, who challenge them to think about their practice in new ways all the time.

“Architecture is a communal and shared experience,” Kredell says. “We try very hard not to be preachy and understand that not everyone is going to be passionate about it, but we try to get out there

and help expose what’s possible to people by doing what we believe in and hope that it reaches the people who want to connect with this type of design.”

Plants can improve your air quality Indoor air quality is not often an issue in the warmer months, when many homeowners open their windows to let the fresh air of the great outdoors enter their homes in abundance. But once the temperatures begin to dip and windows start to close, indoor air quality can suffer.

Musty air is not only uncomfortable, it’s also unhealthy.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, can build up inside a home, especially when windows are kept shut for long stretches of time, which is often the case in winter.

Indoor plants can counter such stale air, in some cases filtering out VOCs to make the air inside a home more breathable and healthy. The following are a handful of houseplants that can improve indoor air quality.

Aloe. Many of us know aloe for its restorative properties with regard to treating burns and cuts, but aloe also improves indoor air quality by helping to clear a home of the byproducts, including formaldehyde, of chemicalbased household cleaners. Aloe loves the sun, so if you hope to keep an aloe plant healthy through the winter, be sure to place the plant in a window that gets lots of sun exposure

throughout the day.

Gerber daisy. Like aloe, a gerber daisy needs ample sunlight, and tends to only withstand winters in warmer climates. But homeowners who live in such climates may still keep their windows closed in winter, and those that do can use these colorful, low-maintenance flowers to remove

trichloroethylene, a chemical that clothes may be exposed to during the dry cleaning process.

Golden pothos. The golden pothos can survive a winter, but homeowners should be careful not to let the plant dry out, which can happen if they are directly exposed to sunlight. A golden pothos vine will grow quickly, so a hanging basket is a great way to keep one inside a home, where the plant can help fight formaldehyde.

Ficus benjamina. Also known as a weeping fig, the ficus benjamina can be difficult to overwinter.

But that does not mean your ficus benjamina, which can filter pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene from a home, won’t make it through the winter. You just need to figure out the right watering and light conditions for the plant.

Such conditions can be discussed with a gardening professional.

Warneck dracaena. The warneck dracaena, or dracaena deremensis, fights pollutants created by varnishes and oils. The warneck dracaena is a sturdy houseplant that is difficult to kill, but it still thrives in temperatures that are between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

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PAGE 6C — Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014

VERMONT MODERN

Home fits into its surroundings

The Foote Farm house is only 20 feet wide and 60 feet long, but the interior feels comfortable and spacious due to wide windows and a tall cathedral ceiling that helps transcend the space between inside and out.

Photo Credit, Susan Teare

Foote Farm (Continued from Page 3C) Dennis’ home is sided with cedar shingles, only his are double-dipped in a dark red stain. The motif is carried to the roof as well, which has the same red shingles.

Wide sidewalls face north and south to capture the greatest amount of light, while the west side of the house is cozily tucked into the woods, providing a private feel for bedrooms and bathrooms. The east side, where the office and public space is located, juts out into the open field, exposed and open to light.

The house is small — just 1,200 square feet — but the space inside feels large and comfortable.

“When people see this space for the first time their comments are usually about the windows, the cathedral ceiling and all the light,” Dennis said. “The whole house plays a lot bigger than it is.”

Another goal for Dennis was for his home to be energy efficient with the capacity to adapt to solar and other renewable energy. The house was built with radiant heating in the polished concrete slab that helps keep the temperature even and comfortable. The architects

and builders sited the house for maximum passive solar energy gains, a solar hot water system on the roof, and photovoltaic solar panels (which were installed last winter) to offset his electrical usage.

Dennis said last year his utility bills amounted to just $1,200.

Even though Dennis was a part of the design and building process throughout, he still says the house took some getting used to.

By CHRISTY LYNN The architecture firm McLeod Kredell’s first realized project was John McLeod’s own house, referred to as the Nature Preserve House and built in 2008. The “We had a site sits just vision and to the north made it of Otter happen, which View Park suddenly and Nature Preserve brought other on the west people out of of the the woodwork bank Otter Creek who had in Middlesimilar design bury, posgoals in mind.” ing both site — John McLeod challenges as well as inspiration for the home.

“We had a vision and made it happen, which suddenly brought other (See Nature, Page 8C)

“I admit, it’s taken me a little while to get comfortable with how modern it is,” he said, “but in the summer it’s absolutely fabulous.

You can have the doors and windows on both sides and make the passing between the indoors and outdoors virtually non-existent. In the winter I can heat almost the whole house with the little wood stove and the light in the dark days of winter keeps this space feeling open and fresh.”

The Nature Preserve House was McLeod Kredell’s first built project, designed and constructed for John McLeod and his family. The house angles down to the Otter Creek with a wide pitched living roof and tall windows that face the river. The inside space features exposed raw materials and clean modern details.

Photo credit, Greg Dennis

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Photo Credit, Susan Teare

Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014 — PAGE 7C

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PAGE 8C — Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014

Get house ready for winter

and downspouts are flowing freely.

Clogs can cause water to make contact with the foundation walls of your home and creep under your roofing.

Seal cracks in your home’s foundation to prevent moisture intrusion. Seal decks and fences to prevent the wood from rotting.

The roof takes the brunt of the cold weather, so repair leaks, however minor, and replace loose shingles.

Winterize pipes with insulation, especially those that are exposed to the elements or located in unheated areas. Know where your water shut-off valves are

located so they can be turned off in case of a pipe leak.

Trim tree branches that could potentially fall onto your home or driveway. Check with your local municipality about regulations.

Thermostats.

Programmable thermostats can cut energy bills by $100 or more each year. For every degree your thermostat is adjusted, you can save up to one percent on energy bills.

In-home leaks.

Repair leaking faucets and toilets, which can add up to 20 gallons of water per person per day. Also consider low-flush toilets and showerheads. Low-flush toilets use less than 1.6 gallons of water per flush and low-flow showerheads use up to 36 percent less water. Some local water department offer rebates for making the upgrade.

If you don’t have the time or knowledge to inspect your home for problem areas, certified home inspectors can quickly check all areas of your home and will give you a report of your home’s condition.

Home inspections and prepping for the cool weather can help protect your family and your pocketbook.

More information about home inspections can be found at www.pillartopost. com.

orientation more specific to light, views, shelter, purpose, ventilation and drainage than to roads or mailboxes or neighbors that you do or do not want to face, Steve Kredell said.

“You can get pretty far down the road with good siting and good building skills,” he said. “Luckily in Vermont we have a lot of really great builders, so that part isn’t so hard.”

Siting homes with respect to the landscape is a similarly age-old practice in Vermont history.

McLeod says if you look at old

New England farmsteads, you’ll see that they were oriented and positioned in the site to maximize utility and efficiency of light, shelter, access and purpose.

Contemporary design strategies draw on these same principles, resulting in homes that are unapologetically getting the most out of the site using the least amount of materials.

“It’s like Shaker furniture — trying to build a fine object using what is available and trying to get the most out of that material,” McLeod said.

Follow these steps before cold arrives

(StatePoint) — Preparing your home for colder weather can help ensure your family stays warm and safe, as well as save you money on energy-related costs and potential damage to your home’s structure.

“I recommend homeowners do a thorough home inspection at least every five years,” says Tom Capuano, a franchisee of Pillar To Post Home Inspectors, North America’s largest home inspection franchise.

The experts at Pillar To Post recommend homeowners take the following steps to cover their bases.

Doors and windows. If you can feel cool air coming through the bottom of the door, replace the weather stripping and door sweeps to save about one-third of your average annual heating and cooling costs. Next, caulk drafty windows and replace old singlepane windows with thicker, more modern versions. Install storm windows and insulate walls and attics.

Chimney and flue. Annual inspections of the chimney and flue minimize the threat of chimney fires. Additionally, add a chimney cap to keep out moisture and ensure your chimney has an appropriate liner to separate system emissions from the home’s structure. Inspect and maintain chimney flashing.

Outdoor areas. Ensure gutters

Nature (Continued from Page 6C) people out of the woodwork who had similar design goals in mind,” McLeod said.

From the exterior, the house is finished with natural, unstained cedar shingles and tucked into the site in an inconspicuous orientation.

Only a modest single story facing the road is visible to neighbors. On the downhill side of the property, sloping back towards the creek, the house reaches up three stories with large windows open to the woods and riverbank.

Site-responsive design considers

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The Pikes’ modern home design was in part born out of their goals at achieving the greatest energy-efficiency. They stuck with basically a box on top of another box design that worked both for the budget and for the function.

Pike (Continued from Page 5C) in and heat the mass — is enough The house itself went up in five to keep the 1,800-square-foot months and the Pikes moved in last home warm even as temperatures October. dip down to minus 40 degrees.

It is a relatively simple form, “We had Thanksgiving at our featuring two house last year,” Pike vertically offset shed recalled, “It was only roofs on the north “Moving into 22 degrees outside, and south sides of the this modern but still as rookies in home with building. the house we made the “We stuck with raw, industrial mistake of running few roof lines and finishes, chic the woodstove… basically a box on top we wanted it for the sheetrock of another box,” Pike ambiance. But with said, “which worked returns with no the oven running and both for the budget trim and little our four bodies in the and for the function.” ornamentation home, we had to have The two-story south and metal all the windows open wall features large, (Galvalum) splash it was so warm.” triple-paned windows Generally, Pike that allow for a lot walls in the said, the house stays of light to penetrate bathroom and comfortably warm into the house but kitchen felt a little in the winter with hold a high insulation foreign at first.” just the minimal value. The walls are — Zoe Pike appliances they have 14 inches thick, filled running and their mostly with dense-packed cellulose bodies in the space. insulation. They have 12 inches “We do have a mini split (electric of insulation below their concrete heating/cooling appliance) slab floor and 30 inches of blown installed for back up in case for cellulose insulation in the roof. some reason the house gets really That envelope — along with a hot or really cold, but we’ve never small woodstove that went through turned it on.” just a half a cord of wood last Over the last year, Pike said her winter, and the proper siting of the family has really grown into the house to allow for the sun to shine home.

Photo credit, Zoe Pike

“At first it didn’t really feel like home, to be honest. I think it was partly that we had just built this dream for such a long time that it took a little while to believe that it was really ours.”

The family had also spent many years living in older, farmhousestyle homes.

“Moving into this modern home with raw, industrial finishes, chic sheetrock returns with no trim and little ornamentation and metal (Galvalum) splash walls in the bathroom and kitchen felt a little foreign at first,” Pike said. “But once we moved our furniture in and really started occupying it, getting it dirty, settling in, the house really started to feel right.”

After having lived in the space for almost a year, the Pikes have settled in with pigs, chickens and a new kids’ playhouse (that doubles as a storage/tool shed) added to the homestead. They’ve also become stewards for passive homes, passing on their experiences to others looking to build in similar styles both in and out of the area.

“The house has really become a part of who we are,” Pike said.

“We’re excited about it and its energy efficiency and its ability to help us live greener.”

Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014 — PAGE 9C

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PAGE 10C — Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014

Make lighting a welcoming experience

Government regulations, new technology and awesome light designs make a shopping for light bulbs a challenge, whether you’re going to the store or buying online.

This is especially true if you’re in a new house, or if you’ve just installed new lights, because you have to ask yourself a series of questions. Which light bulb do you want to use? Are you looking for energy-efficient bulbs or decorative bulbs that are almost as pretty as the light fixture itself?

First, let’s discuss some of the terminology for residential lights.

Soft white. When incandescent bulbs were the only option on the market, homeowners became used to having a warm, yellowish glow illuminating every room in the house.

Now this soft white color is available in the newer technologies of CFLs and LEDs, so you can still enjoy the warm, cozy feeling provided by the yellowish color.

Daylight. Daylight is a much brighter, whiter color. Some would say it almost gives a room a bluish tinge.

Many homeowners are switching to the newer, more energy-efficient bulbs and choosing the daylight coloring option to give a room additional brightness and more energy.

Bright/cool white. Bright or cool white are terms used interchangeably.

It’s a happy medium between the soft white and daylight options. In spaces where color is important — like the bathroom where women apply

Home heating is a major expense Keep family warm, but don’t overspend

makeup and men shave — or in areas where brighter illumination is needed — like at work or in a crafting space — having bulbs in the bright white color is a good idea.

The biggest caveat with all of these light bulb shades is the color on the walls. For example, soft white blends beautifully with red, yellow and orange colors, but can mix with blue shades to become a green hue.

And daylight bulbs can enhance the blue colors to the extreme of making

them appear gray or cold. As you’re choosing bulbs for the rooms in your home, choose one of each light shade first to see how the color of your walls reacts with the light. Do your testing at night, when you won’t have sunlight streaming through the windows and interfering with the true color.

With all of these white color options, it’s not that easy to replace a light bulb any more. Once you find the perfect bulb, however, you’ll love how it transforms your room.

The change of season creates a need for many adjustments around your home, from switching over wardrobes to warmer clothes, to completing necessary yard work and home repairs. You can also make adjustments to ensure you get the most out of your heating and cooling dollars as temperatures change.

When you consider that space heating is the largest energy expense in the average U.S. home — accounting for 45 percent of energy bills, according to energy. gov — it makes sense to take steps to improve heating efficiency. Tackle this change-of-season checklist to help lower home energy costs now, before the long, cold winter sets in.

Program your thermostat. An easy first step is to turn down the temperature on your thermostat, particularly while you’re away from home. You can save roughly 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bills by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours, according to energy. gov. And, since fall temperatures can fluctuate quickly, from warm and balmy during one part of the day to cold and blustery during another,

consider a programmable thermostat Small cracks and holes throughout that you can adjust remotely as your home can be a source of heat loss. To help keep cold air out and weather conditions change.

Many new thermostats let warm air in, add weather-stripping you program multiple days of around windows and doors. Consider temperatures, with up to six adding insulation to your attic or schedules per day, as well as monitor crawl space. Even closing your temperatures and make adjustments drapes at night can help keep heat remotely from a smartphone, tablet inside.

Protect outdoor or computer. Some can HVAC equipment. be programmed with Take some time to care temperature alerts to To help keep for your outdoor HVAC notify you of changes cold air out unit, too. Clean off any via text and email. You and warm fallen and decaying can even view system- air in, add leaves from the fan grille generated charts to weatherso they won’t affect its determine how much stripping operating efficiency. energy you’re using, so Schedule annual you can immediately around HVAC servicing. make adjustments to windows and Now is an ideal time save money. doors. to schedule an annual Change your furnace servicing checkup for filter. When your HVAC system circulates and filters the air your heating and cooling system. in your home, dust and dirt particles A qualified dealer can inspect build up on the filter. Excessive your system and recommend any accumulation can block the airflow, adjustments to ensure it is working forcing the system to work harder properly and make any necessary to maintain the desired temperature. repairs.

These steps will better prepare And the harder the system works, the more energy it uses. Your system your home for the season change, will have to work less, use less and also keep your family more energy and last longer if you clean comfortable, no matter what the or replace your filter monthly, or at weather brings. So check off all the items on your list and watch those least every three months.

Take steps to keep cold air out. lower energy bills come in.

Maintain your home septic system MONTPELIER — Vermont offi- care for their home’s septic system, cials and the U.S. EPA are celebrat- homeowners can help protect the ing this year’s Septic Smart Week health of their community and their (Sept. 22-26) by relocal waterways, while minding homeowners of Septic systems preventing potentially the importance of under- use a combina- costly repairs to their standing and properly system that can occur if tion of nature maintaining their septic it is not properly mainand time-testsystems. tained,” said EPA Acting According to the U.S. ed technoloAssistant Administrator Census Bureau 55 per- gies to treat for Water, Nancy Stoner. cent of Vermont homes wastewater “Water quality is evhave septic systems. from houseeryone’s responsibility,” Homeowners are readded Vermont Dept. of sponsible for making hold plumbing Environmental Consersure that these systems produced by vation Commissioner work properly. Lack of bathrooms, David Mears. “Proper maintenance can lead to kitchen drains maintenance of a home’s septic system failure that and laundry. septic system is one way can contaminate nearby for Vermonters to take wells and contribute action to protect the excess nutrients to lakes, rivers and quality of Vermont’s water resourcgroundwater. es.”

“By taking a few small steps to Septic systems are soil-based

wastewater treatment systems that are common in rural areas without municipal sewer systems. Septic systems use a combination of nature and time-tested technologies to treat wastewater from household plumbing produced by bathrooms, kitchen drains and laundry.

EPA’s SepticSmart program encourages homeowners to think at the sink. What goes down the drain has a big impact on a septic system. Don’t strain the drain!. Efficient water use can reduce risk of septic failure. Finally, shield your field. Septic system drain fields can be damaged by trees, cars, or livestock. EPA encourages proper septic care and maintenance all year round. Inspecting your system is not a do-it-yourself project and putting an additive into your system will not do the job. Go with a pro. Learn more at epa.gov/ septicsmart.

Kids can learn by doing home improvement

• Replace your outside faucet with a new hot and cold outside faucet. Great for those outside spring cleaning jobs!

• Enjoy the ease of a new kitchen faucet with a hand-held extension • Replace your toilet with a new water saver toilet

Call for more simple, cost effective ideas for brightening up your home!

John D. Fuller Master Plumber

388-2019

5118 Case Street • Rte. 116 Middlebury, VT 057753

Tackling home improvement projects with kids in tow can be challenging. But if kids are old enough, moms and dads can enlist their youngsters’ help when working on projects around the house. Not only can adults keep closer tabs on kids’ activities, but involving kids in home projects also lets parents instill important and practical lessons at the same time.

When asked to pitch in on home projects, young kids may feel proud they can lend a hand with such a “grown-up” task. With the right instruction, children of all ages can get involved with fix-up projects and learn new skills in the process.

• Include children from the start. When beginning a project, parents can make their kids a part of the design and planning process, welcoming the input of younger members of the family, especially if renovations will impact spaces they use directly. Draft a list of supplies and ask questions of the kids regarding what supplies they think will have to go into completing the project.

• Shop as a family. Although it may slow you down, take children

along to the home improvement store so you can purchase supplies together. Let youngsters help you as you choose materials for the project.

This way they can see how the raw materials will turn into the finished renovation.

• Emphasize safety. Children should understand that tools serve a distinct purpose and that they are not toys. Identify and explain the dangerous pieces of equipment and instruct children that they should not touch or turn on tools without an adult nearby. Go over the proper

ways to handle the tools and explain the purposes of each device. Make sure everyone is wearing safety equipment, including eye protection, gloves and ear protection, while handing the tools.

• Demonstrate and then let kids try. Children will not have the skills to perform more intricate tasks, but older kids can hammer some nails, mix paint or even cut wood with supervision. Assign tasks based on the child’s age. For example, a preteen may be able to saw wood, while a kindergartener can hand over nails and tools. Illustrate the correct way to get things done and then have children mirror your actions.

• Attempt an easy project first.

Painting a room, building a planter box, or another less complicated project can help parents gauge their kids’ abilities.

Involving children in home improvement projects can teach then new skills, give them a greater appreciation of the work that goes into maintaining a house, instill a sense of pride in youngsters, and provide a great chance for kids and their parents to spend quality together.

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Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014 — PAGE 11C

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PAGE 12C — Addison Independent, Thursday, September 25, 2014

Vermont Homeowners Recommend FREE ON-SITE EVALUATIONS

“I had been wanting to do a solar installation and had started to gather some equipment. Once I realized that micro inverters are the way to go, I found out that the panels I had would not work with them. I had to start looking around again. Then I realized that Bristol Electronics, the company I’ve known all these years and trust with my electronic needs, was also in the solar business. They came down and checked out the new garage that I had built specifically to place solar panels on and gave me a price that was comparable to installing it myself. In no time at all, I was producing electricity and have not paid a power bill for the last fifteen months.”

Chris Goodrich – Bridport, VT

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“The Bristol Electronics people are very pleasant to work with. We looked at rental vs. ownership and it became clear that ownership was a better deal in the long run. The installation time was very quick. We expect to pay off our loan in 10 years and then we’ll have free electricity for the rest of our lives.

Bristol Electronics is very professional.

The process was easy and we are very happy.”

Gerry & Claire Tetrault – Bristol, VT

“We looked into installing a solar system ten to twelve years ago. I wish we had done it back then. The payback has been amazing. Bristol Electronics is such a friendly company. The guys are great, everyone is easy to work with and so professional. When I build a new home in the future, I will definitely plan on incorporating solar and using Bristol Electronics.”

Karen – New Haven, VT

“Recently, we had a small solar array installed on our garage by Bristol Electronics. They were very helpful through all the phases of the installation process. It took us quite some time to decide that solar energy was the way to go. They were very patient with us as we asked lots of questions! Bristol Electronics always responded promptly and with all the information we needed.

Once we made the decision to go solar, they made the process really easy and helped us choose an array that fit both our electric and financial needs with the option to expand in the future. The physical installation didn’t even take an entire day and we immediately had online access to actually see our solar production! I couldn’t ask for an easier process. And we know that our local installer is available any time we have further questions! Thank you, Bristol Electronics!

Michelle Lass – Bristol, VT