A FALL GUIDE TO HOME IMPROVEMENT TIPS & SERVICES
OCTOBER 2012
Home trends:
Ease, efficiency Everyday life reflected in improvements By Jennifer Wing Homeowners today have many tools at their disposal as they survey potential projects to improve their environment. From the Internet to do-it-yourself shows on television to good, old-fashioned competition among businesses in the home improvement industry, in many ways the homeowner has the upper hand. Savvy consumers are finding ways to have their homes operate in a smarter way, enabling them to get more bang for their buck. They are looking at the space they own and, instead of adding on, are making that space more flexible and efficient. They are organizing their homes in ways that maximize square footage
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and energy efficiency while minimizing time and money spent on future maintenance. The two main trends as we end 2012 and enter into 2013 can be summarized in two words: ease and efficiency.
Ease
Many homeowners are now keeping an eye on not only simplifying the home improvement project itself, but also keeping future maintenance needs to a bare minimum. An example of this is on the home’s exterior, with many consumers choosing maintenance-free vinyl siding. Though wood does add character to a house, especially if you look to cedar shingles or other wood grains being used as part of
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the décor, vinyl siding will hold up against any kind of weather and does not have the same amount of maintenance that is entailed with wood siding. Vinyl siding also comes in many different colors and styles nowadays, allowing for the homeowner to personalize their home’s exterior in a way that is more similar to wood siding. Aluminum siding is still popular as well, and is less expensive than vinyl, although it can fade and dent over time, and will thus have to be replaced. Inside, many homeowners are also planning the surfaces of their homes, whether they be floors or counter tops, with ease of upkeep in mind. Ceramic tile for the kitchen See home trends, page 5a
of the future? An overview of induction stoves
There are many changes that can take place in a kitchen, but none that impact functionality of the space more than upgrading appliances. Manufacturers include new features on kitchen appliances every year, and those upgrades are aimed at making food preparation and storage easier. An induction stove is a relatively new innovation that uses magnetic energy to induce a current and eventually heat food. It works by way of a copper wire that is underneath where you’d place the cooking pot. An alternative electric current then goes through the copper wire, creating a magnetic field. This creates an electric current in a ferromagnetic metal pot (one that a magnet would stick to). The current flowing through the pot generates the heat in the pot and the pot alone. The food cooks, but the actual heating element of the stove remains cool to the touch. Many home cooks prefer cooking with gas instead of electricity. However, the safety, speed and cooking provided by induction cooking methods may make induction stoves more popular.
Some of the benefits of this method include:
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It cooks quickly
Heat is transferred directly within the pan’s metal when using an induction stove. That means that little energy is lost between the pan and the heating element as would be the case with other stoves. Pans heated on an induction stove heat up quickly and can cook meals much faster.
Safety
Safety is another consideration with induction cooktops. There is no open flame or hot electric element. This reduces the propensity for burns and there is no chance that an errant towel or other item will catch fire when it is too close to the stove. Also, even if a piece of paper were between the pot and the cooking element, heat would only be generated in the pot and not cause the paper to ignite. Should a child touch the heating surface, there would be no risk of burns.
It’s environmentally friendly
Because of the concentrated heat delivery, induction stoves waste less energy than their electric and See oven, page 5a
The Arbor Day Foundation will brighten up your fall by offering 10 free autumn classics trees when you join the organization in October. The free trees are part of the foundation’s “Trees for America” campaign, a program dedicated to environmental stewardship through the planting of trees. Everyone who joins the foundation in October will receive 10 free autumn classics: Two sugar maples, two red maples and one each of scarlet oak, sweetgum, northern red oak, silver maple, white flowering dogwood and Washington hawthorn. “Members will especially enjoy these trees during the autumn months because they’ll add abundant, vibrant color to any yard or landscape for years to come,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. The trees will be shipped postpaid at the right time for planting, between Nov. 1 and Dec. 10. The 6- to 12-inch trees are guaranteed to grow or they will be replaced free of charge. Planting instructions will be enclosed with each shipment of trees. To receive 10 free autumn classics, send a $10 membership contribution to Autumn Classics Trees, Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410, by October 31, 2012, or join online at arborday. org/october.