April, 2011
Building, Homes & Garden What you’ll find inside: • How to get your home ready for selling • When is it the right time to buy a home? • Tips on getting the most out of spring cleaning • Make your home more energy efficient • Check out the latest interior design trends • Top ten list of do’s and don’ts when selling your home • Find the home insurance that’s right for your area • Wood decking problems and how to solve them
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
City building updates energy requirements
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By MOLLY RETTIG mrettig@newsminer.com The city bumped up the amount of attic insulation required in new houses and additions when updating energy conservation standards in its building code recently. The city has had energy requirements for more than 20 years, said city building inspector Steve Shuttleworth. They regulate things like insulation, windows and ventilation in residential buildings (there are no energy standards for the commercial sector). The city worked with the Interior Builders Association, insulating companies and with Cold Climate Housing Research Center to gather input on common practices, costs and other ideas for conserving energy. While several other ideas were pitched, the city adjusted only the attic insulation. The change ups insulation from R-38 to R-60, or requires 3 more inches. “Most contractors are spray
has assisted many Alaskan homes by saving up to 35% or more on their fuel and electric bills, the paperwork is extremely simple, and we work year round. WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU:
BEFORE
AFTER
Weatherization Measures Are Delivered to: • Owners and Renters • Single Family Homes • Multifamily Dwellings • Mobile Homes
Energy-Saving Measures Include: • Thermal Doors • Triple-Pane Windows • Crawl Space & Attic Insulation • Air-Sealing • Heating System Tune-Up, Repair & Replacement • Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
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DO YOU QUALIFY FOR WEATHERIZATION? Family Size
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To be eligible for weatherization your gross income for the previous 12 months cannot exceed the income limits for your family size. A household is automatically income eligible if you’ ve received Heating Assistance, SSI, ATAP, TANF, APA/IA, Food stamps or Senior Benefits within the last year.
applying this material. It’s very easy to do, as opposed to changing all your windows out for triple pane,” Shuttleworth said. CCHRC suggested the city require triple-pane windows. Triple-pane windows would have been expensive and excessive, Shuttleworth said. “It’s not our job to enforce maximum requirements. It’s our job to enforce minimums,” he said. Though he expects to see triple panes become the new standard in the next few years. Every three years, the city adopts the new international code, with amendments to match local conditions. The city code also states windows can make up a maximum of 15 percent of a home’s surface. Municipalities are in charge of setting their own building codes. The state adopts its own code, through the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, which it promotes with lowinterest loans or rebates but does not force cities to follow.
quickly turn a manageable budget into a financial nightmare. And an unqualified One of the most frustrating contractor can make a project mistakes a property owner can dangerous or out of complimake is hiring a bad contrac- ance with building codes. tor. A dishonest builder can By JEFF RICHARDSON jrichardson@newsminer.com
Any home weatherized by us prior to April, 2008 may be eligible for weatherization again. If you have received a rebate for work completed through the Energy Rebate Program, you are not eligible for this program.
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
CHECK: Aware of pitfalls Continued from Page 2
People seem to be aware of the possible pitfalls. The Better Business Bureau’s Alaska office receives more inquiries about general contracting companies than any other type of business. The list of top inquiries also includes roofers at No. 5, plumbers at No. 7 and heating-air conditioning contractors at No. 8. The Alaska BBB also fields plenty of grievances about general contractors, putting them at No. 9 on the list of most-often complained-about business category.
With that much at stake, Alaska BBB spokeswoman Tara Sims said it’s crucial that people do their homework before making a hire. To begin, Sims said any legitimate contractor should be able to provide a business address, phone number and official business title. “If they don’t give that to you, it’s an automatic red flag,� she said. Contractors must hold business and professional licenses with the state. The Alaska Department of Commerce has Please see CHECK, Page 6
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
Insulating is balancing act between money and moisture By MOLLY RETTIG mrettig@newsminer.com Adding insulation to the outside of a house can save money and add comfort. But if too little is added, moisture could be trapped in the walls and create structural problems. “It’s a little bit of a tough message because insulation costs money. Because of the costs, people prefer to put a thinner layer on the outside,” said Colin Craven, product testing director at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. “If you’re committing to do this, we want to make sure you do it right.” Craven manages the Mobile Test Lab, a 100-square-foot trailer containing a patchwork of nine walls, each with different combinations of studs, insulation and vapor barriers. during the past two winters, they simulated different indoor conditions inside the trailer. They found the amount of insulation that should be used depends on indoor moisture levels.
Insulating Today, many homeowners add foam board outside their walls to save energy. But the side effects of this type of retrofit in a Fairbanks climate have never been researched. And
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some in the building community questioned whether this would create a double vapor barrier, holding moisture hostage inside walls. “We always thought, ‘Should we really do this?’ It seems to be working, but there’s no real data besides ‘We haven’t seen houses fall down yet,’” said Terry Duszynski, a Fairbanks energy rater who helped jumpstart the project.
A balancing act Water vapor — generated by cooking, showering and breathing — permeates walls from the inside through little leaks and seams in the vapor barrier, a polyethylene sheet directly behind the drywall (if you have one). Walls can handle a certain amount of vapor without becoming a breeding ground for mold, but problems devel-
op gradually once they become moist enough. Every summer, the water vapor tries to escape to a drier place, typically through morepermeable outside walls but also through the same channels it entered. “You want your walls to be able to breathe one way or the other,” Craven said. But adding exterior foam blocks this escape route and creates a vapor barrier on each side. Researchers worried that this double vapor barrier could moisture problems. Not if enough is used, they found. That’s because if ample insulation is added on the cold side of the wall, the wall cavity won’t get cold enough for water vapor to condense into liquid. “It allows the water vapor to stay a vapor instead of letting it condense to a liquid that can
then accumulate,” Craven said. Under extreme conditions (70 degrees with 40 percent humidity and positive air pressure), about 4 inches of foam on a 2-by-4 wall and 7 inches on a 2-by-6 wall is needed. This fits the conventional ratio of two-thirds insulation on the outside and one-third on the inside, Craven said. Under normal conditions (25 percent humidity and no air pressure), not as much outer insulation is needed. “If you have good indoor air quality, you’re taking care of the moisture in the air, you’re not letting it accumulate excessively, you can probably get away with less insulation in the exterior,” he said. Insulation levels for normal conditions will be published soon at the research center’s website.
ADDING MORE How much insulation should you add to the outside? For high levels of humidity 2 by 4 construction: 4 inches 2 by 6 construction: 7 inches The full report is available at http://cchrc.org/producttesting.
Craven and other building experts said this information should not deter people from retrofitting their homes. “As an energy rater, I don’t hesitate to recommend an insulation to the outside for every house that hasn’t yet,” said retired energy rater Mike Musick, who helped create the trailer. It only emphasizes the need for ventilation.
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
Building a compost bin can be easy, cheap, has many benefits By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com While many people who compost simply pile their grass clippings, leaves and kitchen scraps in a mound to let them “cook,” there are benefits to building a composting bin. For one thing, it makes it easier to keep animals like moose, bears, dogs and birds out of your compost. Another advantage of a compost bin is that it looks more attractive than a pile of garbage. “It keeps your neighbors from complaining because it’s nice and tidy,” is how Fairbanks gardening guru Michele Hebert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Cooperative Extension Office put it. Like most building projects, a compost bin can be as simple or as complicated as the builder wants to make it. If you Google “how to build a compost bin,” several designs will pop up. Probably the easiest and cheapest approach is building a compost bin out of wire mesh or hardware cloth. Any kind of small-mesh wire, such as chicken wire, will work. Simply take a 10-foot section of 3-foot wide wire or hardware cloth and form it into a circle. Overlap the edges by at least 6 inches and use swivel snaps or wire ties to join and hold them together. Cut off any sharp edges that
may catch on clothing or cut someone while handling it. Stand the bin upright and fill it, covering it with a sheet of plastic or piece of plywood to keep rain out. When its time to turn the compost, simply unclip the swivel snaps and remove the wire or hardware cloth. Set the bin up again next to the pile and turn the compost back into the bin. The beauty of the wire bin is that it is simple, inexpensive and easy to move. You can use wooden or metal posts to make a wire bin more stable but doing so makes it more difficult to move Snow fence can also be used as a substitute for wire or hardware cloth and the builder can choose between a round or square bin. A square bin made of snow fence requires some kind of posts for support. Storage pallets are another option for constructing a
Photo courtesy of Randy Zarnke
Randy Zarnke of Fairbanks stands next to a pair of wood and wire composting bins he constructed in his yard. Zarnke started composting more than 10 years ago. compost bin. All you have air vents in the form of the to do is connect them some- openings between the slats. how and you have an instant Please see COMPOST, Page 8 compost bin complete with
BUILDING THIS SUMMER?
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Continued from Page 3
Local developers, engineers, surveyors, and contractors should be aware of the storm water plan review and permitting requirements in the urbanized area of Fairbanks.
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a database for verifying contractor licenses at www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ. Sims said it’s important to shop around — get three in-person estimates for your project, making sure each contractor is including the same work in the totals. Checking references, including a look at previous work, is the next step. When it’s time to hire someone, get a written contract that includes a full description of the project; start and completion dates; warranties and guarantees of workmanship; and an itemized total cost and a payment schedule. The BBB warns to never pre-pay for the entire service, although a down payment to cover material costs is considered reasonable. To check for a Better Business Bureau report about a contractor — and see whether any complaints have been resolved — go to BBB.org. Contact staff writer Jeff Richardson at 459-7518.
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
Designing a place to work for efficiency, function, aesthetics By JOSEPH PUBILLONES Creators.com As kids, most of us dreaded the seemingly endless amount of homework assigned by our teachers and the hours upon hours of sitting at the kitchen table studying, memorizing and writing. As grown-ups, sometimes the tasks required by our jobs are not accomplished in an ordinary eighthour day. At some point, when we have outgrown the dining table as a work surface and if we have a spare room, we imagine a home office. Our initial thought is that once we have this room, all work will be done magically in a quicker and more efficient manner. And that may very well be the case. Designing a home office should be an exercise in both function and aesthetics. One of the main items to assess is how much time you will spend working there. Is this your main office space, or is this just a work area to complete and check daily work and pay household bills? These questions may seem like common sense, but their importance often is underestimated as we design our spaces. Determining the function of and the amount of time we will spend in a home office is vital to designing an adequate workspace that will meet our needs. Besides a work surface or desk, other items to consider are bookcases, storage, filing, a computer, electronics, lighting and appropriate seating. Planning is crucial. List all your necessary equipment, down to the linear feet of filing space required and the number and dimensions of books and journals, etc. Measure all computer equipment, including the monitor and printer, and note ventilation requirements to avoid equipment burnout. If possible, draw a layout of your room and overlay different furniture scenarios to help you sort out your preferences. This phase of your project can feel cumbersome, but this exercise will help
identify problems that can be ironed out before any major purchases or costly mistakes are made. Once the issue of a layout has been addressed, aesthetic considerations can begin. What is the design attitude that will guide your home office? Deciding what colors your walls will be can help you identify the style of office that is best for you. Darker colors make for a powerful and mysterious place of work; lighter colors evoke a feeling of trust and transparency. Other important factors that impact the design of your room are the case goods. These are all the hard surfaces — desks, filing cabinets, bookcases — that are the main components of the room. Case goods can be either stained or painted,
and their finishes are the defining factor in the styling of the room. Your selection of flooring — whether carpet, wood or tile — will further help you with the design. Your office’s design should be reflective of your dÈcor and also of your work. So what is yours going to be? A warm clubby library, cool high-tech contemporary or sophisticated high-style glam? Make it appealing but not distracting. Be conscious of the fact that your environment should be conducive to doing work. After all, isn’t that what the room is for? Stave off the unnecessary wall-to-wall aquarium. Select some art you enjoy, and get to work. Joseph Pubillones’ weekly column, “The Art of Design,” can be found at creators.com.
Creators.com photo courtesy of Joseph Pubillones Inc.
When designing a home office, think layout first and then aesthetics.
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
COMPOST: When composting on smaller scale, can make portable bins Continued from Page 6
When he started composting more than 10 years ago, Randy Zarnke of Fairbanks built a pair of portable wood
and wire composting bins using directions he got from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. Actually, Zarnke built six or eight of the bins
but he only kept two, giving the others to friends. The bins are cubes about 3 feet on each side and are connected with hinges and hook-and-eye latching systems. Each side of the bin consists of a 3-foot-by-3-foot wooden frame built with 2-by-4s with wire mesh or hardware cloth stapled to the frame.
The advantage to the design he used is that it can be disassembled and moved and can be easily stored, said Zarnke, who composts only in the summer. “You pop the hooks out of the eyes and the bin falls apart,” Zarnke said. The advantage of the above systems is they are cheap, easy and portable. The disad-
vantage is they are used for composting on a relatively small scale, though you can build multiple bins, if need be. For composters who are looking for a bigger, more stationary system, Hebert suggests the three-tin system made of treated wood and Please see COMPOST, Page 9
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
COMPOST: With multiple bins, first may be ready to use by time last is full Continued from Page 8
wire. This system consists of three connected bins with wire mesh on the back and sides and removable wooden slats on the front that can be removed for turning and removing the compost. The system also features a hinged plywood or fiberglass cover to
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keep animals and rain out. The advantage of the three-bin system is that it does not require turning like smaller units do and you can produce greater amounts of compost if you have a big lawn. The theory is that by filling up one bin at a time, the first bin is ready to use by the time the third bin is full,
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of browns between fall leaves and the spring thatch,” he said. “All that and my grass clippings go into that 3-by-3-by-3-by-3 cube. Compared to the volume that you put in, the volume you get out is small. It digests that stuff down into next to nothing.”
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produces more compost than he uses, which he gives to friends. Zarnke uses his finished compost in flower baskets and flower beds, which he empties into his vegetable garden or gives away every other year. It’s amazing how much you can put in a small compost bin, Zarnke said. “I get about 20 to 25 bags
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similar to a farmer rotating his crops. “If you’re turning (the compost) it allows you to have all three bins ready in one year,” Hebert said. “If I had the time that’s the system I’d use.” Even though he composts only in the summer using lawn clippings, thatched grass and leaves, Zarnke
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
Insulation is useful for keeping homes cool and for trapping warmth both problems, keeping you cool and saving you impressive amounts on your utility bills. In this era of careful spending and energy conservation awareness, more homeowners are making insulation a summertime priority, not just a wintertime task. Here’s why: Heat is a form of energy that will try to move through any surface or crevice to reach
When the temperature soars during the summer months, it can seem as if your air conditioner never gets a break, and when your cooling systems and fans never turn off, your energy bills may just break your budget. Home insulation improvements can solve
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as your home is invaded by excess heat. Where do you start? Begin with a home energy audit. The experts at Energy Star offer a free do-it-yourself energy audit tool that lets you compare your past 12 months of energy bills with what is spent in other homes in your area. They also suggest that you hire a professional home energy auditor,
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a cooler space. In the hot months of summer, all of that hot outdoor air rushes into your cooler home environment, raising the temperature inside. If your home is badly insulated, if there are areas of your home (e.g., electrical outlets and other nooks and crannies) that you haven’t thought to insulate, you likely are wasting energy and money
THE
By SHARON NAYLOR Creators.com
who can assess the condition of your existing insulation in your attic, in your basement, around ductwork, in dormers and other lofty spaces, and around your windows and doors. A professional auditor also can make suggestions on new insulation steps to take, tailored to each space. Then decide whether you’d like to install your own upgraded insulation or hire a professional insulation company to complete the work in your home. As an added perk, the government now offers a tax rebate for insulation improvements you make in your home. Visit Energy Star’s website (www.EnergyStar.gov) for more information, and visit the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association’s website (www. naima.org) to find out the tax rebate rules near you. As you embark upon your insulation improvement quest, you’ll learn about many new and improved forms of insulation, as well as safety requirements for installing them. Most require you to wear protective gloves, coveralls, safety glasses and a respirator to keep particles out of your lungs. Some, such as various kinds of blown insulation, are best installed by professionals, using specially designed equipment and air purifiers. Here is a brief primer on the types of insulation you may choose to use throughout your home: • Fiberglass batts: You’ve seen those rolls of pink, blue or green insulation “blankets” in the home improvement store, and these often are laid in long lines in your attic to create a strong barrier between hot attic air and your home below. Fiberglass offers the benefit of being a terrific sound absorber, providing “acoustic insulation” inside your home. • Plastic fiber insulation: Made from recycled milk bottles, which are processed into tiny particles to make batt insulation just like those fiberglass blankets. • Foam insulation: Can be sprayed around pipes and in walls. Please see COOL, Page 11
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
COOL Continued from Page 10
• Cotton fiber insulation: Made from 85 percent cotton and 15 percent plastic fibers. It costs 15 to 20 percent more than insulation made from fiberglass. • Natural insulation: Made from mineral wool (also called rock wool or slag wool) in both batt and spray form, sheep’s wool, hemp or even recycled bluejeans. • And more as recommended by your insulation expert. Insulation is coded for its strength and impenetrability levels with R-value. “R” stands for resistance to heat, and the higher the number following “R” on any insulation product the higher its insulation strengths. Keep in mind that your home’s spaces and features may require more than one method (for example, spray insulation for inside walls and batt insulation for your attic).
Where To Insulate According to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, insulation is not just for attics and outside walls. Plan for insulation improvements on your ceilings with unheated spaces, basement walls, floors above vented crawl spaces, cathedral ceilings, floors over garages or porches, and interior walls (particularly in bathrooms), as well as around ductwork, doors and skylights. Electrical outlets also can be a concern, so make an easy switch to an insulated outlet cover for each outlet in your home. As for additional coolness protection inside your home, look to new energy-saving window shades, blinds and curtains to keep the sun from heating up your home, and think about replacing old windows with new Energy Star-qualified windows, specially designed to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Another perk: Your insulation tasks vastly raise the value of your home, which is a very cool benefit.
Build brick mailbox to deter would-be vandals By PAT LOGAN Creators.com Dear Pat: Kids drove by and destroyed my mailbox with a bat. I always have liked the appearance of a lighted brick mailbox. What are some of the design basics to build a strong brick mailbox? — Brenda T. Dear Brenda: Your prob-
lem is not uncommon. Driving through nice neighborhoods, you often see a mailbox that has been smashed the night before. Building a decorative brick surround for your mailbox certainly will solve the problem. If kids attempt to hit it with a bat while driving by, they will be in for quite a jarring experience. Adding a small light to your mailbox to accent the street
address is a great convenience and not difficult to do. The lighted numbers will come in handy for the pizza delivery person or the life squad if you ever have to call 911. Install a switch for it, instead of just an electric eye, so you can turn it off when you go to bed. That will save electricity. The first step is to remove your old mailbox. Its post may be set in concrete below the
ground. If so, don’t just saw off the post. You must dig out the concrete and remove it. Your new brick mailbox will be heavy and will need a strong footer base of its own. Check your local codes for the proper design of the footer. You will have to run an electric wire to the mailbox to light it. There is special Please see MAIL, Page 12
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
MAIL Continued from Page 11
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electrical cable designed for use outdoors and underground. If you are running the wire from an existing outdoor light nearby, consider running it through conduit, and always follow local electrical codes. Another easy-to-install option is a solar-powered light, which requires no wiring. The basic design of a brick mailbox uses a concrete block core with a decorative brick veneer. Leave an opening in the side facing the street large enough to slip in a standard mailbox. If you are very handy with tools, you can install a door over the opening and not use a standard mailbox. The next step is to install the electric wiring in the ground. Leave plenty of extra length at the mailbox to run through it. You can cut off any excess later. When the project is done, switch off the electric power at the circuit breaker box, and attach the wire to the house power source. Dig the hole for the footer, and fill it with concrete. Make sure the top is level. Most codes require the footer to be at least 8 inches thick; the frost line will determine its depth. Once the footer is set, mark the locations of standard concrete blocks on it. Run the wire through them. Use premixed mortar and lay the first course of blocks on the footer. Place the bricks and mortar around the first course of blocks. Insert metal ties between the courses of concrete blocks. These will tie the outer brick veneer to the concrete blocks. When you get near the height you want, make the final top course with bricks only. Install several bricks without mortar so you can pull them out later. Slip the mailbox into this opening. Tools and materials required: wheelbarrow, shovel, measuring tape, level, bricks, concrete blocks, concrete, premixed mortar mix, electrical wiring, plastic mailbox. Pat Logan’s weekly column, “Here’s How,” appears at creators.com.
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
If thinking of selling, make sure investment is poised for returns By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN Creators.com
forward with a sizable project, be sure you know how best to pay for it, McClelland says. “If you have the savings to pay for the project, that’s great. But maybe that is not an option,” he says. “One choice is to look at the equity that you have in your home. Dividing the amount that you owe by the appraised value of the home will give you the loan-to-value ratio. Having that ratio at 20 percent or higher keeps you from paying private mortgage insurance. Any amount more than the 20 percent is what you can borrow against.” McClelland continues: “Once you know the percentage that you have to work with, you can look at taking out a home equity line of credit. This is the second loan on your property, which you will make
BUILDING THIS SUMMER?
BEWARE There are numerous areas throughout the Borough identified as flood hazard areas. People building in these areas without proper guidance are risking their investment. Every year many people in our community spend hundreds or thousands of extra dollars for required flood insurance. These extra expenses can be avoided.
CHECK THE FLOOD POTENTIAL It may seem that your property is unlikely to flood. But just because it hasnʼt flooded the last 10 years doesnʼt mean it wonʼt flood next year. Before building, check to see if your property is in a flood hazard area. The Borough Planning Department has a copy of the Federal Insurance Rate Maps that identify the areas susceptible to flooding. Knowing the flood potential of your property could save you thousands of dollars in the future.
ITʼS FREE! It costs you nothing to check the flood potential. If your lot is in a flood hazard area you are required to obtain a floodplain permit. Damages will be minimized if a flood occurs, and any required flood insurance payments will be minimized. There is no Borough charge for the floodplain permit.
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a lot of updating. “Bring in a Realtor who knows the area,” she says. “Sometimes just changing a few things can increase or maintain the value of a home,” Mendenhall says. “Remember, Realtors visit hundreds of homes a year and know what people in that market are looking for.” McClelland agrees. “Whatever you decide, look at all the options and talk to the experts so that you can make the best decision in maximizing the sale of your home.”
HEATING SYSTEM ASSESSMENT
WHERE? The Planning Department is located on the second floor of the Borough Administrative Building, 809 Pioneer Road. If you have any questions, please call us at 459-1260.
a second monthly payment on until you sell your home to pay it back. Call your lender to get all of the details, because the requirements have changed in the past couple of years.” Another option to get the project done may be to use a home improvement center that offers same-as-cash financing, McClelland says. “You can then pay it off when you sell your house.” Mendenhall believes that homeowners who are thinking of remodeling and selling their homes should ask a Realtor for his opinion before doing
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In today’s housing market, many potential home sellers are wondering whether to update their houses before putting them on the market or to try to sell them “as is.” “As you have heard, remodeling and/or updating your home can be a big contributor in getting you the most money in the shortest amount of time when selling your home,” says Lee McClelland, associate broker of Prudential Kansas City Realty and a mortgage loan originator. “Just remember not to put so much money into your home that you overprice it for your area/neighborhood.” Elizabeth Mendenhall, a sixth-generation Realtor with Re/Max Boone Realty, says home sellers should pay special attention to the exteriors of their homes. “Curb appeal is so important. What they see outside immediately will determine whether they want to go inside,” she says. “A new steel door is one of the best things a person can do to improve curb appeal,” says Mendenhall, who is vice president of committees for the National Association of Realtors. “That kind of door is important — and a new coat of paint if a home doesn’t have siding. You want to make sure the garage doors work. Replacing windows makes a home energy-efficient and is a good investment.” Mendenhall says exterior replacement projects typically pay off in the end. The same is true for updates to kitchens and bathrooms. “For example, the return on adding a sunroom is 48 percent, whereas the return on a minor kitchen remodel is 78 percent,” she says. Fresh paint and nice carpeting can also help sell a home. “Carpet and paint are easy things to do. Be sure to choose a color palette that people can identify with,” Mendenhall says. Historical homes will require different paint colors
than modern homes. “It makes a difference where you are. Paint palettes for the coastal regions will be different from those in the Midwest.” If you are trying to sell a home that was built within the past 10 years or that is situated near a newly developed community, you will be competing to grab the attention of buyers who are looking at brand-new homes. That’s when you need to make sure newly painted walls aren’t covered with a lot of framed artwork or family photos. “When buyers are going to be comparing an existing home with a new home, it is as if your home is being compared with a fresh canvas,” Mendenhall says. “You should know that.” If you have decided to move
14
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
Getting organized: simple way to help save cash in long run By CHANDRA ORR Creators.com Jamie Novak sees hidden cash in surprising places — that junk drawer in your kitchen, for example. Those expensive rechargeable batteries are buried in the back somewhere, but you can’t find them, so you just buy more. What about the gift card you got for your birthday last year? That’s in there, too, but it’s expired. Don’t forget the necklace you got on sale a few months ago. It’s still in the box because it’s just not your
style, but someone else might snatch it up on eBay. Get organized and you’ll save money in the long run; you even might make a little extra cash in the process by uncovering hidden gems that fetch big bucks at resale. The key is to keep only what you need, sell what you don’t, reuse when possible and make sure everything has a home. Sound overwhelming? It’s not. “Organizing is simple. It may not always be easy, but it is always simple,” says clutter buster Jamie Novak, author of
“Stop Throwing Money Away: Turn Clutter to Cash, Trash to Treasure — and Save the Planet While You’re at It!” “Even if you were born without the organizing gene, you can do this. The trick is to stop planning to get to it.” First things first: Forget about perfection. An organized home is a work in progress. Setting impossible standards leads to procrastination and disappointment, so don’t strive to get it right; just get it done. You can go back later and refine the “rough draft.” “It’s easy to become dis-
couraged if you promise yourself you’ll de-clutter the entire basement in one weekend. No one has that kind of energy,” Novak says. Instead, set a timer and work in short, focused bursts. Commit to just 18 minutes at a time. “Ten minutes sounds too short to make noticeable progress, and 20 minutes sounds like too long to cram into an already busy day. Eighteen minutes is doable,” Novak explains. “After the buzzer sounds, if you still have time and energy to spare, reset the
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timer and go for another 18minute round.” Focus on just a small portion of the project, and ignore distractions. In other words, don’t pull everything out of the linen closet at once. You might not get it all sorted and put back before the time is up, and you’d be left with an overwhelming mess. Don’t leave to put something away in another room. Don’t take a quick break to let the dog out. And don’t stop to answer the phone; you can return the call in 18 minutes. “Stay put! Once you leave, the chances of your coming back to finish are slim to none,” Novak says. “Instead, while working, make a to-do list of tasks that come to mind, and make a pile of things to take with you when your time is up and you leave the room.” You may not complete the task at hand, but if you do a little bit each day, the results will add up. Start with the kitchen. It’s the heart of the home, the area in which you’re likely to reap the biggest results and, emotionally, the easiest place to begin. “The kitchen is command central. When the kitchen runs smoothly, all the other rooms take shape,” Novak says. “It is much easier to recycle an expired grocery coupon than it is to let go of the jeans that are just one size too small or your now-college-age child’s favorite stuffed animal. Plus, the most money is wasted through disorganization in the kitchen; think forgotten leftovers or buying another of an item already in your cluttered pantry.” When sorting, group similar items together, and label them. It makes it easy to find the things you need and return stray items to their rightful places, saving you money in the long run. “You can make a shopping list by looking at what’s missing, and when you shop from a list, you spend significantly less,” Novak says. “Any time you can see what you have, you’re likelier to use it, and Please see ORGANIZE, Page 15
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
ORGANIZE: Use shopping list to spend less Continued from Page 14
you’re less likely to re-buy something you already own, which saves you money.” There’s also plenty of money to be made. Unused cookbooks, collectible glassware or space hogs, such as that chocolate fountain, likely would fetch a few extra bucks online.
Make some money Making money from unused items need not be a major project. Just focus on a few items at a time — and do it while
you’re thinking about it. If you spend hours organizing your bookcase but never take action to sell or donate unwanted books, you’re left with another pile and another item lingering on your to-do list. “Many of us are pros at sorting items into piles, but we never take action on the piles,” Novak says. “If you pick up a book you’ve decided to sell, go directly to the computer and list the book for sale. That’s making real progress.” If you’re not yet ready to tackle eBay, Craigslist or Ama-
zon Marketplace, check the phone book. There may be a store in your area that specializes in creating online auctions. You won’t see all of the profits in your pocketbook, as the store will take a seller’s fee, but it’s quick and simple. Just drop off the items, and the store does the rest. “If you never try, you won’t make a dime, but if you commit to placing even one item up for sale per month, you’ll be surprised to find your clutter can make you cash,” Novak says.
I n t e r i o r A l a s k a G re e n S t a r Interior Green Star is a non-profit organization that encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation, pollution prevention and electronic recycling in Fairbanks.
G o o d fo r t h e e nv i ro n m e n nt t i s g o o d fo r B u s i n e s s For more information contact us at: info@iagreenstar.org or visit us at www.iagreenstar.org; or phone 452-4152
Come see our newest building lots on birch Knoll Road! (Lots 6 & 11) Directions: Chena Hot Springs Rd to left on Bennet Rd, Rt on Birch Knoll.
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Call Bob or Marie Herting at 457-8974.
SO L A R E N E R G Y
BUILDING THIS SUMMER?
FO R
CAUTION
A L A SK A N S
Weʼve noticed an increase in the number of people who have difficulty selling their properties. These properties may have public health and safety problems and do not meet local zoning standards. Financial institutions are reluctant to loan to potential buyers of these properties.
UAF Cooperative Extension Service presents
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT– GET A ZONING PERMIT
Adapting Solar Energy For Your Alaska Home
By obtaining a Borough zoning permit before construction, you can help ensure your development is marketable in the future. The Borough Planning Department issues zoning permits for projects both inside and outside city limits.
ITʼS FREE!
Fairbanks and Interior Alaska Taught by Richard Seifert, Community Sustainability Coordinator
There is no charge for a zoning permit. Usually we can have your zoning permit completed and back to you within 24 hours.
This course explores ways to optimize solar design and good efficiency in both retrofit and new construction.
WHERE?
Schaible Auditorium, Bunnel Bldg., UAF Campus Saturday, April 9, 2011, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Planning Department is located on the second floor of the Borough Administrative Building, 809 Pioneer Road. If you have any questions, please call us at 459-1260.
UAF parking restrictions do not apply on weekends.
“A Solar Design Manual for Alaska” the fourth edition ($15) To register, call Debbie Tindell 474-6366 or email dftindell@alaska.edu Please let us know you are coming! UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution
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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Friday, April 1, 2011
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