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adVerTorial
L.I. Contractor Gives Back dedICaTes LIFe, BUsIness To HeLP oTHers
Thirteen years ago, Gary Zaccaro brought with him to Massapequa a six-year-old home improvement company committed to rebuilding and renovating homes, sometimes from the ground up. Since that time, Zaccaro has also dedicated himself to his community and struggling neighbors that he’s also helped lift off the ground, armed with a toolbox and a big heart. Earlier this year, Zaccaro, founder and President of Ambassador Home Improvement, got a call from the White House asking him to visit. No work needed to be done, of course, President Barack Obama wanted to honor the 46-year-old Massapequa resident for his work in the community, and awarded him with the gold-level Presidential Volunteer Service Award, which hangs in his office. The presidential recognition doesn’t just stem from one generous offer to help a family, but from a lifetime of service to his neighbors. “I can’t help the world, I’m one person,” says Zaccaro, also the vice president of Drug Free Massapequa. “But if it’s local within my community I try to get involved as much as a I can.” In January, Zaccaro read about a man battling a very aggressive form of leukemia that limited his interaction with his family because of the dangers of contracting germs and other bacteria. Realizing how sad it was that the man could barely touch his kids, Zaccaro felt like he needed to step in. “I decided to renovate an entire basement for him and make it a germ-free living space
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for him so he can live within his house and be able to still see his family,” he says. “But God forbid his children - he has two little kids - if one of them was sick and he hugged them, he has no immune system, he could die.” The renovation cost $35,000. All of it came out of his own pocket. Three years ago, Zaccaro decided to build a new press box for the local little league team so players, coaches and fans could have a warm area to sit in during games. That cost him $25,000. It’s a lot of money, but he’s glad to do it. Through 19 years of running his business, Zaccaro has rolled with the punches. Business was great in the ‘90s when the economy was booming, and then he had to lead the company through the Great Recession. But he never wavered in his commitment to the community. “My whole life has been trying to get somebody to sign a contract with me so I could renovate their home,” he says. “To be able to sit in front of somebody and say ‘look you don’t have to sign anything, I’m doing it, there’s no charge, I want to do it, I feel good about it,’ it makes me feel really good about myself.”
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2012 Home Improvement
Trends By Laura Cerrone This year the dream of owning a house with or without a white picket fence out front is coming true for many more Long Islanders. And if you already own a home, giving it the long overdue TLC makeover it deserves may now be more affordable than ever before. The housing market is gradually finding its footing and right in line with that, home renovations have also been on the rise. Smarter and more efficient ways to update your home have come on the market recently. Here we’ve compiled some of the best trends that will help make your home improvement economical, efficient and easy.
Upcycling Material
Gary Zaccaro, president of Ambassador Home Improvement in Massapequa, notes a shift in buyers becoming more energy and environmentally conscious in their home building and renovation plans. Upcycling— converting otherwise useless products or waste materials into better-quality products for better environmental value—fits this bill. Zaccaro is now using leftover window scraps to make vinyl siding, for example. “People are smarter, energy conscious and economically correct, and are buying
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more natural products,” he says.
Fake Decking
“Fake decking is impervious to rot and warping,” says Dee Daly, a Prodesk Contractor sales associate at the Home Depot in Westbury. “It has composites in it, but is layered with a thick coat of vinyl to mimic exotic woods.” Sure, fake decks cost more than a real one, but Daly explains that the quality will outlast the conventional wooden planks. The most popular brands? ArmorGuard, Trex and Veranda, he says.
Neutral and Natural Lights Propelled by the ever-constant need to be green, more and more homeowners are designing and redesigning their homes to be outfitted with natural light, says Northportbased Hammer Magazine founder John Rigrod. Skylights have been on the rise in the market once again and homeowners are seeing the benefit of what natural light can do to a room, he explains. Neutral paint colors are always popular because they channel earth tones, as well as aid people with poor eyesight to see better, adds Rigrod.
Hardie Siding
While the fiber-cement blend of siding has been around for a long time, consumers are forgoing the traditional vinyl siding for Hardie siding, says Daly. The siding is bug, rot and mold resistant, and the only
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maintenance it requires is power-washing. Hardie siding has a higher price tag than vinyl, but comes in an array of colors and styles. Good Guys Contracting in Deer Park is also a Hardie siding “Preferred Remodeler.” “You don’t have to do any maintenance, and that’s why people are buying [Hardie] more than vinyl,” adds Daly.
Less Is More
“People are asking for sleeker materials that are easy to clean and care for,” says Gina Bonura, kitchen and bath sales representative at Alure Home Improvements in East Meadow. “They are not looking for a lot of detail on cabinets and fixtures. Slab doors and smooth glass tile are replacing intricately detailed ‘furniture’-type doors and tumbled marble. Perhaps our busy lives are so cluttered that simplicity in the home is a breath of fresh air.”
3D Designing
Deer Park-based Basics Landscaping uses 3D computer design software programs VizTerra and PoolStudio by Structure Studios to help customers envision their finished project before a shovel is even put into the ground. When browsing for a contractor, landscaper or designer, ask if they have a 3D design program, suggests Basics’ designer and sale representative Farah Levy Parker. “Sometimes people can’t envision what the plan is going to look like,” she says. “People can come in and look at their house with the design on the computer.”
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Décor a la Maison “Fall in love with your kitchen” Quick Fix Nespresso U Espresso Maker
In The Cabinets
Tabletop Toys
Owl Salt & Pepper Shakers Sunflower Serve Bowl
Precious owls that will take your table décor right through Thanksgiving. ($9, The Potting Shed, Huntington, PottingShedLI.com)
Patch NYC for Target
A new, cute creature collection from Sculpted from the company’s collaboration with glazed stoneware, it Target. (Coasters - set of four, will brighten up your $9.99; Glass drinkware - set kitchen. ($39.50, Pottery of four, $19.99; Ceramic Barn, PotteryBarn.com) pitcher, $19.99; Target, Multiple Locations, Target.com)
Windows
On T Tablhe e
Fu rn itu re
A compact single-cup machine that features a movable water tank and one-touch operation. ($199.95, Williams Sonoma, Multiple Locations, WilliamsSonoma.com)
Vintage Louis Back High Bar Stool
Beautiful hand-carved weathered oak frame with hand-turned legs and eco-styled linen. ($505, 406 West, Huntington, 406West.com)
Fall Must-Have Twig Flatware 5-Piece Set
Wall
Alustra Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades
A beautiful shade from an exclusive line by Hunter Douglas. (Pricing varies, Homestead Window Treatments, Huntington Station, HomesteadWindowTreatments.com)
A clever mat that features a photo reproduction of a rock wall! ($169, Urban Outfitters, UrbanOutfitters.com)
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Antique Long Island Glass Tray Handcrafted in Oyster Bay by Ben Tray includes a card explaining the decoupage process. ($78, Ben’s Garden, Multiple Locations, BensGarden.com)
A woodsy theme from the Twig Flatware collection that will make your table look “Tree-Mendous.” ($39, West Elm, WestElm.com).
Trompe L’oeil Rock Wall Floor Mat
Keep these handy and wish your kids luck on a test, or pen them a note simply to say “I love you.” ($26 for 150 loose sheets in an acrylic holder, Hampton Paper Designs, HamptonPaper Designs.com)
In The Drawer For The Counter
Floor
Lunchbox Notes
For the Chef Tea-And-Crumpets Apron Protect
your clothes from spills and look adorable at the same time! ($32, Anthropologie, Multiple Locations, Anthropologie. com)
Chalkboard Paint
Benjamin Moore’s new line of chalkboard paint features 3,400 colors and helps keep you organized! ($17.98 per quart, Aboff’s, Multiple Locations, Aboffs.com) |
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Featured
in th
Milieu Me naewest issue of www.milie gazine uli.com
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CHOOSING A CONTRACTOR By Dan O’Regan Home improvements and renovations can be a smart way to increase the property value of one’s home, but trusting the wrong person with the job can result in just the opposite. According to both Nassau and Suffolk counties’ Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Long Islanders lose close to $10 million annually in home improvement costs to crooked and fraudulent contractors. The Nassau DCA receives close to 700 complaints dealing with home improvement issues each year, while the Suffolk DCA receives close to 1,200. The Better Business Bureau also receives more than 2,500 complaints regarding home improvement issues annually for the entire metropolitan area. Robert Meguin, the Commissioner of the Suffolk DCA, tells the Press one of the biggest red flags signaling that a contractor might not be legitimate is the lack of a proper license to perform the type of work they’re offering to do. Both the Suffolk and
Selecting the right contractor for your home improvements can mean the difference between excellence and disaster.
Nassau county DCA issue separate licenses for home improvement as well as plumbing and electrical work, and it is required that a contractor hold a license to perform any type of home improvement work. “There is no practical test,” says Meguin. “A license is not a minimum-level guarantee of a certain competency level. What we check out is character, financial responsibility and knowledge with respect to what the local Suffolk County code requires in terms of contracts.” A group that takes the standards of contractors across Long Island a step further is the Long Island Builders Institute. Comprised of approximately 450 members across Nassau and Suffolk counties, LIBI adhere their members to a code of ethics that aims to keep contractors honest and provide a standard for their work. “Every member of LIBI signs a code of ethics, for which there is a warranty issued for their work by LIBI, and an arbitration panel is created in case there are any problems,” said LIBI CEO Mitch Pelly. “We have our own group that goes through if there are any questions or concerns expressed by consumers.” Once a homeowner has selected a contractor, it is important not to pay for all of the work at once. Meguin recommends using the “Rule of Thirds.” “Typically, you shouldn’t be giving a lot of money upfront,” he says. “One handy rule is the Rule of Thirds, where you pay one-third of the start of the project, one-third when it is approximately halfway done and the final third upon completion.” As with purchasing any other type of good or service, homeowners should shop around before selecting a contractor to work
on their home. The first offer is not always the best offer. “You should interview several contractors before signing on to a home improvement contract,” says Nassau DCA Commissioner Madalyn Farley. “Get a couple of different estimates and talk to the contractor you’re hiring.” Getting everything in writing can also be an easy way to save a headache on a home improvement project. A breakdown in terms of labor cost, material cost, what exact work is to be done, as well as the start and completion dates, should be set in writing and signed by both the contractor and the homeowner, says Meguin. Disputes raised during or after the project can be settled much easier if the agreement is written down ahead of time. Both the Nassau and Suffolk DCA urge homeowners to call their offices before choosing a contractor to see if they are licensed and to make sure there are no open complaints against them. When selecting a contractor, Meguin says it’s okay to be picky. Don’t forget to ask as many questions as possible, either, as it’s always worth it in the long run to make sure you have the right person for the right job.
“Typically, you shouldn’t be giving a lot of money upfront. One handy rule is the Rule of Thirds...”
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