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How to be energy efficient this fall Luxury vinyl tile: the perfect flooring option

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Home & Garden • September 2015

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Home & Garden • September 2015

3

CONTENTS

YARD

Mingo Products makes unique outdoor creations

5

LAWN

Creative ways to recycle leaves this autumn

8

ENERGY

Energy savings with Hometown Rewards

9

FLOOR

Flooring trends with Dan and Margaret Ellis

11

GARAGE

Home garage essentials for every would-be mechanic 15 KITCHEN

Kitchen concepts: Simpler designs still popular style

Home & Garden is a product of the Newton Daily News 200 First Ave. E., Newton, IA, 50208

Publisher Dan Goetz

16

Editor Abigail Pelzer

Advertising Director Jeff Holschuh

Niche Editor Kate Malott

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Home & Garden • September 2015

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Stepping stones are one of the most popular outdoor items Mingo Products sells. Mingo Products is run by brothers Bob and Beau Perry.

Alex Olp/Jasper County Tribune

Mingo Products makes you look twice at its outdoor creations

By Alex Olp Jasper County Tribune Mingo Products Inc. has a knack for creating outdoor household items and making them look and feel like one material although they are actually made out of concrete.

President of Mingo Products Bob Perry has an example of one of those final products in front of his shop just

outside of Mingo. The item is a concrete picnic table but anyone looking at it would not hesitate to declare it as an old wooden table top.

It’s an item that could easily be placed in anyone’s backyard, but creating a concrete piece like that is tedious and very detail-orientated process.

It begins with a rubber mold which is created from the original item. The

rubber that gets poured over the item captures every single groove and cranny in the texture and even duplicates the rotted areas of a wooden piece. After the rubber settles, concrete is poured into those molds.

For creating the picnic table, Perry’s brother and business partner Beau Perry first gathered wooden boards from a barn he recently tore down and used those to help create a

vision for the final product.

“First we cut the boards down to make a round table and then we poured the rubber piece over it. Once the rubber was cured the next day we came in, flipped the whole thing over and ran rubber on the top so underneath it looks like wood too,” Bob said. “Then we have the mold to

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“I’ll go over it with them and they can give me some tweaks. I want to make sure the finished product is exactly what they want.”

— Bob Perry, Mingo Products President

Mingo Products

continued from page 5 dump (concrete) in and we make sure it’s full enough so it comes out real well.”

The surface of the concrete mold also gets stained to mimic the look and feel of actual wood.

Molds are also used for creating stepping stones — which Bob said are currently one of Mingo Products’ most popular outdoor items people purchase and place in their yards. A similar strategy is used for creating those stepping stones out of the molds and to make them look and feel exactly like the original rock.

Bob has about six different molds for creating stepping stones. A lot of time, customers want a long trail to run across their entire yard, which would typically require more than just the six stones.

The solution to make each stone unique — even the ones that come out of the same mold — requires just a little bit of readjusting on his part.

“The orientation of the rock dictates what it looks like, so you can take the same rock, make the same rock with three different fonts for the names, three different colors and then stage them different ways so they don’t look the same,” Bob said. “So that’s how we accomplish a lot of projects.”

Many of the projects Bob makes are sold directly to lo-

cal landscapers, who then install the products into customers’ yards.

Other popular items for residential purposes include customized benches, birdbaths, decorative rocks and even planters, which are also created in a similar way to the stepping stones and the concrete table.

“We have a lot of molds for our rocks, but a lot of our

benches and planters are all custom. So a lot of people come up and say ‘hey I want a planter that’s about this size,’ and we’ll do a drawing, send it back to them, give a number on it and if they go for it, we’ll make it happen,” Bob said.

Creating personalized pieces is a pretty normal request for Mingo Products as well, so to accommodate the customer’s wishes, Bob and

Beau have a system to find out exactly what the customers want in a finished product.

“First step is just sitting down with the customer and getting an idea about what they are looking for,” Bob said. “A lot of times they have something in mind what they like.”

During the conversation, Bob usually presents multiple images of already completed

projects. He typically ends up incorporating a concept from one image with another and creates a whole new design based on what the customer likes.

“I’ll go over it with them and they can give me some tweaks. They’ll say ‘well I really like this part, and I’d like this a little bit different here,’” Bob said. “I want to make sure the finished product is exactly what they want.”

Mingo Products is located at 11541 N. 59th Ave W. off Highway 117 near Mingo.

Contact Alex Olp at aolpl@newtondailynews.com

Alex Olp/Jasper County Tribune A concrete bench designed to look exactly like tree logs is one of many items advertised in front of Mingo Products just outside of Mingo.

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Home & Garden • September 2015

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Creative ways to recycle leaves Newton Daily News Leaves cascading down from trees indicate the arrival of autumn. However, colorful and awe-inspiring autumn leaves can be a hazard if left to lie on the ground too long.

Fallen leaves form a dense insulator to protect trees’ roots and prevent competing plants from growing. Decomposing leaves also provide nutrients for the tree. But wet leaves can be a safety hazard and leaves left on the lawn through the winter can pose a threat to the grass. These are just a couple of reasons why so much effort is placed on leaf clean-up in the fall. The following are some creative ways to recycle leaves that fall from your trees in the weeks to come.

Mulch: Shredded leaves can make for a great amendment to fertilizer for garden beds and even the lawn. Leaves lying on the grass can be mulched into small pieces with a mulching mower, so they don’t choke the blades of grass.

Insulation: Collect leaves to mound over delicate perennial plants and shrubs. The leaves will add more warmth to the soil and may help plants make it through harsh winters. Just remove the leaves slowly when spring arrives so that the soil underneath can get the sunlight and water it needs to thrive.

Decorations: Natural leaves can be used as decorations both inside and outside a home. String freshly fallen leaves together and wrap them around a grapevine wreath for a rustic door decoration. Leaves can be placed in clear vases and put on display for a cheap way to showcase some autumn color.

Recreation: Leaves have long been favorite toys for children, who eagerly await jumping into large piles of fallen leaves. Fill paper bags with leaves and draw a target on the front. Let kids test their skill aiming for the targets. Children can camouflage their clothing with leaves and masking tape and have a more intense session of “hide and seek.”

Home & Garden • September 2015

9

Simple steps can lead to big home savings

By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Colder weather can often bring higher energy bills, but a few simple checks around the house can help ease the increase and better equip your house for harsh winter months.

Newton’s Hometown Rewards Energy Efficiency Community Coordinator Jackie Boat has a few tips to prepare your home and save you some money.

“One of the first things anybody should do is get a free home evaluation, because then you can pinpoint areas you need to focus on more and understand where most of your energy use is coming from,” Boat said.

The evaluations are offered through Black Hills Energy, and while on site, evaluators will check insulation levels, air infiltration levels, equipment and operating conditions and behavioral factors that influence yearly consumption. Evaluators will then install or show you how to install beneficial, low-cost measures for free.

Boat said insulation is one of the best things homeowners can do to be more efficient.

“It prevents the hot air that you are producing from leaving your home so you don’t have to use as much of it,” Boat said.

Good places to check and reinforce insulation are in the attic, basement and sidewalls. Air sealing is also extremely beneficial and can help with small air leaks that can cause the furnace to run more often than necessary.

“Air sealing is an easy check to do on your own. Check around windows and doors to see if you feel drafts and apply necessary tools like caulking.

Rope caulk can be used for windows or doors that you might need to use later or in an emergency because it peals off easily but it still seals off the spot really well,” Boat said.

Weather stripping and shrink wrap for windows also help to keep the cold air out in leak prone spaces.

Boat said it would be beneficial to check additional areas such as fireplaces and around pipes and outlets where cold air often makes its way in.

It is important to check your mechanics including your furnace before it is put into full-time service, she said. Also, changing the furnace filter on a regular basis helps to keep it from getting clogged and in turn making the furnace work a lot harder than necessary.

Another useful tip is to set the thermostat down about 10 degrees while you are at work or out of the house to help bring consumption, and your bill down.

Finally, Boat said that having efficient lighting is especially beneficial during the winter months — which have less daylight hours — therefore the lights are on more.

To contact Black Hills Energy to get a free home evaluation call 1-888-567-0799.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com

Metro Creative Connection Turning the thermostat up can increase your energy bill too. Newton’s Hometown Rewards Energy Efficiency Community Coordinator Jackie Boat says getting your home evaluated is a good start to energy efficiency this fall.

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Home & Garden • September 2015

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Home & Garden • September 2015

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Add character, comfort to a room with new flooring The Floor Store Owners Dan and Margaret Ellis share expertise

By Kate Malott Newton Daily News Sometimes a room becomes dull and too familiar. Styles change and what once was the perfect look might seem old or outdated. Flooring is a supreme way to change a room, not only by appearance but by feel and practicality.

However, choosing the right flooring for a home is no small task and can be an expensive venture. Homeowners

want to make the best decision possible, so their choice of flooring is one they won’t want to ultimately replace in the years to come.

Dan and Margaret Ellis, of Newton, have owned The Floor Store in Newton since 1983 and are experienced floor experts in the county. They say educating yourself about flooring is a great way to make the process of choosing your next floor much less overwhelming and more enjoyable.

Flooring choices vary greatly and there are many options at the a homeowner’s disposal. But taking time to understand each of those options can make the process of choosing a floor that much more fun.

A house should have a sense of balance in its flooring, and should match your lifestyle, Margaret said. Active families tend to have hard surface flooring, whereas carpet is a better option for other families.

Margaret and Dan Ellis stand in the showroom of The Flooring Store, 128 N. Second Ave. E. in Newton.

Choosing a new flooring for just one room is a good way to start and choosing the room that’s of most use will make a great impact. Bedrooms and living room spaces are most popular.

“Start with what’s most important to you and add as you go,” Margaret said.

The following are four popular flooring options often recommended at The Floor Store:

THE FLOOR STORE | 13

Kate Malott/Daily News

12

Home & Garden • September 2015

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of engineered wood include substrates made from recycled wood fiber and stone dust, which may appeal to ecofriendly homeowners.

Homeowners who want to install their own floors may prefer engineered wood, which is now available in selflocking parquet or plank squares that can be installed without using glue or nails.

guishable from real wood, but the plastic coating that makes up the top layer of laminate flooring is often a giveaway that the floors are laminate and not real wood.

Similar in construction to engineered wood, laminate flooring differs because its top layer is a photographic imprint on the face of each board, whereas engineered wood is made up of real hardwood veneer attached to several layers of plywood.

Laminate

Kate Malott/Daily News Armstrong Luxe Plank luxury vinyl tile, above, is a waterproof flooring that brings the natural beauty of hardwood and stone to any room in a home. Tile is the most popular flooring option at The Floor Store in Newton.

Laminate flooring is among the less expensive flooring materials to buy and install.

Homeowners who purchase laminate flooring have an array of options to choose from, and floating laminate flooring systems can be installed over existing floors without glue or nails.

Some feel laminate flooring is indistin-

THE FLOOR STORE continued from page 11

Hardwood

Nearly everyone is familiar with hardwood floors, which are durable, warm and a favorite of homeowners aiming for a traditional look. Homes with open floor plans often benefit from hardwood flooring, as it creates the feeling of continuity homeowners hope to achieve with open floor plans.

Various species, including oak, maple and cherry, of hardwood flooring are available, and they typically vary in price, with more exotic imported options carrying hefty price tags. More traditional hardwood flooring is less expensive, and solid wood flooring can be refinished several times to increase its lifespan.

Engineered wood is less susceptible to temperature changes and humidity than solid wood, and some new varieties

Luxury Vinyl Tile

“The newest trend is luxury vinyl tile,” Maragret said.

For those who love the look of tile, but want another option, luxury tile is the hottest new flooring option. You can design a unique floor with the feel of real tile, choosing a layout and grout options for an even more realistic appearance. Luxury vinyls even comes in wood, minus the maintenance, with Adura Plank (4” x 36”) or the Distinctive Plank Collection (5” x 48”, 6” x 48”, and variable-width x 48”). Both collections feature natural wood colors and surface textures.

Most vinyl products have a limited lifetime residential warranty and a sixyear light commercial warranty. All LockSolid products also have a no-gap guarantee.

Vinyl is affordable, resilient, and a cinch to clean. After more than 30 years in the business, the Ellis’ say vinyl tile can come in dozens of elegant colors and patterns, even mimicking ceramic and stone without the fear of cracking.

Luxury vinyl tiles will give an affordable, long-lasting durability without sacrificing convenience.

Carpet

Kate Malott/Daily News Ceramic tile is a high-quality florring flooring that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It’s sleek, durable and requires little maintenance.

Carpet can add and enhance the mood to any room and is especially popular in rooms of relaxations such as bedrooms and living rooms. A lush carpet adds a sense of comfort to an intimate room and is the most common flooring surface today.

Kate Malott/Daily News Glass and stone tiles enhance the character of a room and provide detail, color and texture to a room.

Pattern, tone-on-tone and short and tight carpets are the most popular carpets these days, Margaret said.

There’s also an alternative to carpeting that is just as popular as the traditional flooring — carpet rugs. Rugs provide the same style and feel of carpet but require less commitment and can be moved to change the look and layout of a room. They may also be a more affordable option.

An upgrade with new flooring such as wood, vinyl or carpet can completely change the appearance of any room and add quality to your home interior as well. Whether it’s changing the living room to hardwood, the kitchen to tile or the basement to carpet, there are plenty of options to choose from to create a memorable floor layout.

For more information on The Floor Store or for a consultation, visit floorstorenewton@yahoo.com, call 641-7922999 or stop in the store, 128 N. Second Ave. E. in Newton.

Contact Kate Malott at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or kmalott@newtondailynews.com

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Home & Garden • September 2015

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Miike Mendenhall/Jasper County Tribune Dodge Garage owner Rob Hoffmann’s shop essentials, including his 1970 Dodge Dart, left, are tidy and organized in his space on the Prairie City downtown square. Hoffmann said organization and safety are his top two tips for homeowners wanting to up the ante in their personal garages.

Home garage essentials What every would-be mechanic should have in their tool chest

By Mike Mendenhall Jasper County Tribune For former Dodge/Chrysler dealership mechanic Rob Hoffmann, it wasn’t long ago that a professionalgrade garage was just a parttime hobby. But when the 33-year-old opened Dodge Garage in April on Prairie City’s downtown square, the hobby became a full-time reality.

Hoffman remembers the days when his garage wish list was as a long as many other at-home mechanics.

Now that his professional garage is in rhythm, the Prairie City mechanic has shared a few tips for those wanting a few essentials of their own at home.

Hoffmann recommends homeowners design and build their own garage if they have the financial wherewithal. This allows the owner to dictate insulation, optional duct work for winter comfort, framing material — Hoffmann said with new builds, metal frames are nearly as inexpensive and more durable than a wood frame garage —

but most importantly ceiling height.

“If you want to work on cars in your garage, absolutely, ceiling height is important,” he said. “The taller the better.”

The basics — For those assembling their first fortress of automotive solitude, Hoffmann said there are a few essentials every doit-yourselfer mechanics need.

Tools such as standard and metric wrenches, benches for a work surface and a multidrawer tool box for organi-

zation. At Dodge Garage, Hoffman has a standard peg board where all of his medium-sized equipment hangs to prevent damage and keep his benches organized.

Hoffman said a floor jack and jack stands are must haves for anyone wanting to service their own vehicle, change oil and rotate tires.

“This is for the do-ityourselfer or weekend warrior, more or less,” Hoffman said.

Still a basic need for mechanics, but maybe more advanced for the every day

garage, Hoffmann has bench grinders to buff and a wire wheel to remove rust, as well as a torch and a welder.

Wish list — When Hoffman first began to build his professional garage, the top of his equipment wish list was a hoist to lift cars several feet off the ground. He then moved to a parts cleaner and then a hydraulic press — as opposed to a standard mechanized bench press to drill and cut exact-size holes in GARAGE | 18

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Home & Garden • September 2015

Simpler designs still popular in kitchens Redecorating kitchens should start with a budget

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There are a many directions a homeowner can go when deciding how to remodel a kitchen.

One of those directions, according to Marilyn Terlouw of Kitchen Concepts in Newton, should be “outside” as in how a homeowner should walk outside and look at the design of the home, and what’s around it.

The neighborhood, exterior and interior style, and setting of a home all affect how a kitchen should be remodeled, Terlouw said.

KITCHENS | 17

Home & Garden • September 2015

KITCHENS | continued from page 16 “On the East Coast, they continue to use a lot of painted cabinets,” Terlouw said. “On the West Coast, you see lighter colors and more contemporary designs. Here in the Midwest, I sell a lot of stained cabinets with a combination of painted cabinets mixed in.”

Terlouw said in the beginning of her design career, it seemed like nearly everyone wanted oak.

“That was followed by a phase of hickory that strongly resembled oak, but with more interesting grain variations,” she said.

Kitchens that were very heavy on the color white came along in the 1990s, Terlouw said, followed by a natural-maple era, and then darkstained ebony woods.

Terlouw and her husband, Randy, do a great deal of remodeling work on existing homes — especially older homes, designed when square footage was at even more of a premium. She said she especially enjoys remodeling Des Moines homes located south of Grand Avenue.

“We will design and put in new kitchens that look like they were always there, even though they’ll have modern conveniences,” she said.

Appliances are nearly always stainless steel, and counter tops are usually granite or quartz, with occasional laminate or stainless steel.

“In the Midwest, we don’t see tiled counter tops,” Terlouw said.

One pattern that seems to remain constant is the prevalence of simple designs. Whether building or redoing a kitchen, using dark or light colors, homeowners don’t tend to go for looks that are too busy, Terlouw said.

A budget is important; Terlouw said clients frequently learn their first ideas cost tens of thousands, if not hundreds or thousands of dollars, more than they can afford.

“The average kitchen in the U.S. today runs about $42,000,” she said. “Size and choice of design and type of materials can easily drive it over $200,000, and TV shows often show only the costs of materials, without showing labor.”

Terlouw reminds homeowners that adding, say, $60,000 in improvements does not necessarily add $60,000 to the value of a home. Im-

17

provements and upgrades are now expected — especially modernizations of older homes — if an owner expects to sell a home quickly and easily.

Installation is important, she said, to make an kitchen work, visually. Regarding a long life span for a kitchen, she said not cutting corners on cabinet materials is a big key.

Internet and social media have made it easier to get in touch with local artists and obtain some of their works. Terlouw said she derives a great deal of joy when she sees a client support local artists by hanging their artwork in a remodeled kitchen.

“I love local art, because it looks original, and doesn’t look mass-produced,” Terlouw said. “It has the uniqueness and texture of the paint — and it has a story.”

For more information, call Kitchen Concepts at 641-792-7205, or visit 110 N. Second Ave. W. in Newton.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com

Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Marilyn Terlouw, of Kitchen Concepts in Newton, points to one of the kitchen cabinet designs popular in remodeling lately. She said simpler designs are still big sellers, although materials and designs vary in different regions of the U.S.

18

Home & Garden • September 2015

GARAGE | continued from page 15 sheet metal. What also made his list was a cherry picker to pull engines and a transmission jack.

“From there you just find what you have to have and go buy it,” Hoffman said.

Although his list is nearly complete, the certified Dodge/Chrysler mechanic said it took time to assemble his dream garage. But there is still one item he has not put a check mark by — a four post vehicle stacker.

“It’s about storage,” Hoffman said. “If you have enough ceiling height, if you have an old classic car, you can put it up in the air and drive a daily driver underneath it. This allows you to pull it in and out easily. It kind of keeps it from getting scratched up and beat up in the garage.”

Safety — To keep safe in a garage, Hoffman said there are a few must-haves for common and emergency use. A fire extinguisher, he said, is the most important piece of safety equipment along with protective eye wear.

But keeping used oil and antifreeze contained in marked, sealed barrels or drums is also important.

Also, an “explosion proof ” cabinet is important to keep break cleaners, corroborator cleaners, paints and combustibles away from heat.

For at-home mechanics wanting to add some shine to their garage, Hoffmann said he would shy away from a polished floor.

“They’re dangerous. If you get antifreeze, break fluid, engine oil or anything like that on a polished floor you can slip a fall on it pretty easily if it doesn’t get cleaned up right away,” Hoffman said.

He said some of the newer, polished floor covers look good but he questions their durability. Hoffman recommends a standard concrete floor.

Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@newtondailynews.com

Mike Mendenhall/Jasper County Tribune Dodge Garage owner Rob Hoffmann stands in his garage the Prairie City downtown square. Hoffmann said organization and safety are his top two tips for homeowners wanting to up the ante in their personal garages.

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