Laker springhome 2014

home

Spring 2014 • Complimentary

home • Spring 2014 • 1

2 • home • Spring 2014

”

25 Country Club Rd., Unit 302, Gilford, NH 603.528.2798 • www.belknaplandscape.com

— Robert L. Moultonborough

I was walking the property yesterday and concluded that it is one of the most beautiful natural settings that I have ever seen here.

It is a peaceful space for us to co-exist with the natural surroundings. The work you do here is an integral part of the setting that we all enjoy so much. Thanks for the work you do for us.

“

Offering inspired designs that grow long term relationships

It would be our pleasure to serve as your Lakes Region guide.

Marketing The Lakes Region Worldwide 3 Main Street | Meredith | 603.677.7012 | FourSeasonsLakesRegion.com Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

home • Spring 2014 • 3

Liv in

By

Ka

thi

Ca

ldw

el l

-H o

pp

er

gW hat You B

eliev

e

There is an old saying about the cobbler’s son; the cobbler spends so much time fixing other people’s shoes that his own child goes shoeless. It holds true of many professions: it is sometimes difficult for health care workers to get exercise and eat a healthy diet and one wonders if a mechanic puts off tuning up his own car.

Those who work in the field of design and décor believe the spaces we inhabit should reflect our personalities and be beautiful and comfortable.

However, do design professionals really walk the walk? It is one thing to renovate and decorate a client’s home, but quite another to spend a lot of time and funds on one’s own living space.

A designer who certainly lives up to the advice she gives her clients when it comes to living in a well planned, beautiful home is Patty Cooke of Wentworth Style. Patty lives and maintains an office in Wolfeboro and her home is a completely renovated 1860s farmhouse full of light, cheerful colors, eclectic and beautiful furnishings…and a smart and highly livable floor plan.

“The house has many of the lines of a Greek Revival style which can be found on many floor plans of NH farmhouses of the period,” says Patty.

When one sees the “before” photos of the house, they might think Patty and her husband were crazy to take on such a project. “The house had good bones and had been structurally well maintained,” she recalls.

It needed a redo but they were working with a solid structure when they purchased the home in 2004 and began renovations a year later.

“We did the renovation in phases. It was a summer home for us at first, but we knew we would be moving here full time once our kids were in college. I grew up summering in the area, and we moved here from Massachusetts full time in 2010,” she says.

The basic design for the home was planned so that it could be an

Luxury Real Estate

ALTON- Embrace Lake Winnipesaukee: Light-filled contemporary hugs the shore providing views from most rooms. Cooks will love the new granite & maple kitchen. Coveted sandy beach. 40’ dock. Landscaped.

Call 569-3128 $1,890,000 (4313023)

TUFTONBORO- Winnipesaukee waterfront with incredible 131ft SANDY BEACH at $872,000. Southwest facing, 6.0 acres, garages for 4+ cars. Built in 2000 with 2,328 sqft. WHAT A PACKAGE and VALUE! Call 253-9360 $872,000 (4176451)

WOLFEBORO- Beautiful 3-bedroom waterfront home offers year-round enjoyment, unobstructed lake views, access to large sandy beach. Knotty-pine interior with open feeling, woodstove and nice deck.

Call 569-3128 $599,000 (4229401

NEW DURHAM- Merrymeeting waterfront threebedroom camp with kitchen, living and dining area, woodstove, deck, dock and raft plus a waterfront shed and beautiful views. Includes back lot.

Call 875-3128 $425,000 (4269494)

MOULTONBOROUGH- Rustic 3-bedroom log cabin perched on a knoll with preferred southwest views and 101 feet on Lake Winnipesaukee. Great summer getaway with lots of potential.

Call 569-3128 $400,000 (4248122)

TAMWORTH- Great House in Chocorua Ski and Beach Club community with water access to Moore Pond with boating, swimming, etc. A wonderful yearround vacation community.

Call 569-3128 $184,900 (4191637)

C

elebrating our 60th anniversary

A tradition of trust-60 years of Maxfield Real Estate in the Lakes Region

MaxfieldRealEstate.com Maxfield Real Estate has been bringing people and homes together for over 60 years. Explore the thousands of properties now being offered in the Lakes Region and beyond from the comfort of your own home.

MaxfieldRealEstate.com is the go-to site for buyers and sellers, with a wealth of information and resources to meet all your needs. Just one more reason why Maxfield is simply the best.

Land and Acreage WOLFEBORO- WATERFRONT LOT– Build your dream home on this peaceful and tranquil 1+ acre parcel with 160 ft of waterfront on Sargents Pond. $120,000 (4048863)

Call 569-3128

15 Railroad Ave., Wolfeboro 569-3128 / Junction Routes 25 & 25B, Center Harbor 253-9360 108 Main St., Alton 875-3128

4 • home • Spring 2014

ALTON- Here’s a deal! Two lots side by side offered at $10,000 apiece. Great water access community in the heart of the Lakes Region and just down the road from Alton Bay. Call 875-3128 $10,000/ea. (4323517, 4323520)

open/close house. This means that when any or all of their three children are home from college, the house can be opened up to accommodate the larger number of people. When the kids are away, that part of the house can be closed off to save energy.

Patty faced an original farmhouse full of old appliances, outdated wallpaper and other issues when the renovations began. “We repurposed such things as old doors because they had great hardware. Many of the lights now hanging in the kitchen and dining room were found in the barn. We had the pieces rewired. All window and door jam woodwork is original too.”

In an effort to update but stay true to the house’s history, the couple set out to make it work better for today’s living, but always with a nod to its past. “I tell my clients that the biggest thing when starting a renovation is to figure out what you want it to be when you are done.”

Patty certainly followed her own advice when tackling her home’s renovation. “Adding a fireplace was a challenge, but it was something we really wanted. We had to face some issues when the old chimney collapsed but we installed a new flue with a double-sided gas fireplace, which we love.”

Espousing the rule she uses with clients, which is to include a few “wow” unique and unexpected things in home design, Patty points to the light-filled kitchen with a window high up on a wall and an antique oar stair rail as unusual items in her own home.

“Not everyone can have a huge kitchen,” she says, “but people should do their best to maximize the space they have. Comfortable chairs in the kitchen are a must.”

Indeed, Patty’s kitchen has a comfortable easy chair and a rocker beckoning visitors to sit and chat. For extra cooking and prep space, Patty had a useful and beautiful kitchen island made with a Vermont slate top.

Before determining which size island she wanted, Patty used large cardboard cutouts on a table in the center of the kitchen, switching out the various cardboard tops until she settled on the correct size. Then, she had the kitchen island designed to the size that fit the space and her particular needs.

“I also designed the home with special furnishings in mind,” she continues.

In Patty’s home, that meant a break in one wall to fit the tall clock passed down to her husband from his grandmother.

Along with the other renovations in the home, Patty tackled a big issue structurally. “The floors front to back of the house had a 10 inch slope and there were four different floors which we fixed.” Patty recommends using as few different floor colors or designs as possible, saying, “I wanted all the floors to be the same.”

Part of the renovation also included the barn, which was transformed into a beautiful family room, bedroom and guest room space. Each room is filled with light and decorated with antiques. Patty chose some pieces over the years and some pieces, such as the clock, are family heirlooms.

Let Our Success Be Your Success!

Randy Parker (603)455-6913

BEST OF THE LAKES REGION!

Jane Mooney (603)986-2594

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE

SQUAM LAKE

STUNNING VIEWS

WOLFEBORO Elegant Waterfront Home radiates with sophistication! Set on 350’ shoreline. Graceful, open floor plan with gorgeous water views, sweeping porch, luxurious master suite, plus guest and bunk houses. $5,500,000 (4173550)

TUFTONBORO Once in a lifetime opportunity for lifelong memories! An incredible property of 98+ acres, 822’ shoreline, crib dock, and boat house. Main cottage with large stone fireplace plus guest cottage. $4,500,000 (4235252)

CENTER HARBOR Breathtaking and private 4 acre lot on Squam Lake offers expansive 395’ of stunning waterfront. Abuts conservation land.

A perfect spot for your lake retreat! $3,850,000 (4173550)

MOULTONBOROUGH Lakes Region Elegance at its Finest! Magnificent 7800sf retreat, boasting thoughtful attention to detail, luxurious master suite, open floor plan, panoramic views, privacy on 62 acres. $2,500,000 (4218962)

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE

LAKE WINNIPESAUKEE

ALTON Exceptional lake front home, spectacular, views, covered boat slip, gorgeous grounds, rich & welcoming interior! Beautiful master suite, gourmet kitchen, incredible family room with bar.

Simply magnificent! $2,195,000 (4184069)

WOLFEBORO Exceptional & dramatic custom Adirondack home, beautiful shoreline, 40’ dock, fantastic swimming, spectacular sunsets. Every luxurious amenity thoughtfully included for the discerning buyer. $1,895,000 (4219402)

WOLFEBORO Wonderful, traditional and private home on Lake Winnipesaukee with 200’ sandy beach, permanent dock, protected setting and outstanding views. Top-of-the-line appliances, expanded master suite, and guest quarters. $1,895,000 (4234964)

ALTON Beautiful Winnipesaukee property, room for all, gorgeous waterfront entrance with decks, patios, lawn, sugar sand beach & permanent dock, vaulted living room with fireplace, cherry kitchen & master suite. $1,375,000 (4254214)

www.LakesRegionLuxury.com 15 Railroad Avenue • Wolfeboro, NH 03894 • 800-726-0480 home • Spring 2014 • 5

The things Patty and her family love most about the new home renovation are the light and the sight lines. “I love that our home is a mix of old and new.

I am not a country person, meaning I don’t like the calico/country look, but I love the architecture of old homes.”

The homes, however, must work for today’s living, which is why Patty repurposed old lighting found in the home’s barn for use in the house today.

Other repurposed items include the extra long and comfortable dining room table that was crafted of old boards from the home’s barn.

Clients who are having trouble envisioning what the renovation of their old home can look like have only to see Patty’s beautiful house. Each room ® is light filled and comfortable as well as unique and attractive. It is an old farmhouse that works wonderfully for today’s modern living.

Diamond Vibe is a unique line brought to you by Diamond Cabinetry. For over 30 years, Diamond has “I would advise those with a desire to decorate to know when to stop and ® ® Looking forDiamond more Diamond ooking for more ? ? colors and styles; more wood grain and laminate not overdooptions; it. Peopleand should be impatient but wait for the right items that offered more designer-inspired morenot brilliantly Diamond Vibe is a unique line brought to you by Diamond Cabinetry. For over 30 years, Diamond has they really want to decorate their homes. And art work matters – don’t settle amond Vibe is a unique line brought to you by Diamond Cabinetry. For over 30 years, Diamond has offered more designer-inspired colors and styles; more wood grain and laminate options; and more brilliantly engineered conveniences that capture the visual and practical vibe of thefor times.

With every inch of something you might notmeticulous really want but rather wait to find things you fered more designer-inspired colorsthat andcapture styles; grainvibe andoflaminate options; andofmore brilliantly engineered conveniences themore visual wood and practical the times. With every inch meticulous love,” she says. workmanship by a lifetime warranty. workmanship backed bybacked a lifetime warranty. ngineered conveniences that capture the visual and practical vibe of the times. With every inch of meticulous “People should put their personalities into their homes and the homes should fit how they live as well as be functional,” says Patty. ® orkmanship backed by a lifetime warranty.

Anyone who has had the privilege of visiting Patty’s home can attest that she puts her advice to work in her living space with light, antiques, wow factors you by Diamond Cabinetry. For over 30 years, Diamond has and her distinct personality. tyles; more wood grain and laminate options; and more brilliantly (To see more of Patty’s work, visit www.wentworthstyle.com.)

Looking for more Diamond ?

d?

sual and practical vibe of the times. With every inch of meticulous

Published by The Smiley Publishing Group, LLC, P.O. Box 119 Wolfeboro Falls, NH 03896 | 603-569-5257 | thelaker.com

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Dan Smiley

Publishers of home, The Laker and Dining Out in the Lakes Region.

ADVERTISING Jim Cande

Smiley Publishing Group, LLC. assumes no financial responsibility for typographical errors. Advertisers will please notify the management immediately of any errors which may occur.

PRODUCTION MANAGER Gina Lessard

© 2014 All Rights Reserved.

No reproduction in part or whole without express written consent.

Cover Photo Courtesy of www.LakesRegionLuxury.com

PRODUCTION Thomas Caldwell TJ Governanti CIRCULATION Kathy Larson

6 • home • Spring 2014

www.mmgins.com

Local is Better!

We’re neighbors!

Visit or call your local office for a free quote today!

New Hampshire’s largest independent insurance agency

The Cross Difference 

Family Owned for Generations



LOCAL Insurance Specialists and Personal Service



Multiple DISCOUNTS Available



Proud Tradition of Servicing Clients Large and Small

AUTO ♦ HOME ♦ RECREATIONAL ♦ BUSINESS www.crossagency.com

Wolfeboro 17 Bay Street 569-5696 Meredith 45 State Rd, Rt 25 279-8122

Laconia 155 Court Street 524-2425 Alton 150 Main Street 875-1211

home • Spring 2014 • 7

The Lakes Region

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Concord ONCORDCONCORD

ss from Target) (Across258 fromSheep Target)Davis

5$5005 5

Rd., Rte 106

$$ 00 $OFF00$00

$5 00 OFF OFF OFF

EEP DAVIS 258ROAD SHEEP DAVISConcord, ROAD NH AD ORD, NH 03301 CONCORD, NH 03301 01 228-8561 AD )01228-8561 (603) 228-8561 61

1 Hooksett CONCORD OOKSETT HOOKSETT

(Across from Target) YPASS (Behind K-Mart) ROUTE 28 343 BYPASS (Behind K-Mart) Londonderry Tpke, Rt. 28 By-pass d K-Mart) SHEEP DAVIS ROAD DONDERRY TNPK 258 343 LONDONDERRY TNPK Hooksett, NH CONCORD, NH 03301 NPK K-Mart) SETT, NH 03106 HOOKSETT, NH 03106 (603) 228-8561 06 PK 627-6855 ) 627-6855 (603) 627-6855 06 55 HOOKSETT

Any Purchase of $50 or More Any Purchase Any P

Any Purchase Any Purchase of $50 or More of $50 of $50 or More of $50 or More Any Purchase

ROUTE 28 BYPASS (Behind K-Mart) 5 NISQUAM WINNISQUAM 343 Winnisquam LONDONDERRY TNPK M 04 DANIEL 304 DANIEL HOOKSETT, NH 03106 MTER HIGHWAY Daniel Webster Hwy. WWW.OSBORNESAGWAY.COM WWW.OSBORNESAGWAY.COM WEBSTER304 HIGHWAY (603) 627-6855 WWW.OSBORNESAGWAY.COM Y ONT, NHBELMONT, 03220 NH 03220 Belmont, NH WWW.OSBORNESAGWAY.COM 20

Y

WINNISQUAM

)0527-3769 (603) 527-3769 304 DANIEL 527-3769 69 WEBSTER HIGHWAY 9 BELMONT, NH 03220

or OFF

www.osbornesagway.com

or o or or or00 $ OFF OFF $1 00 $ 00 OFF 00 00 OFF $ $$15 00 OFF $$ $00 OFF $100 $ $OFF 00 00 OFF OFF OFF of $50 or More

1 1 1 15 151515 OFF OFF00 OFF $ 00 $ 100 $1 00 OFF OFF OFF OFF $ 00 OFF OFF $ 00 00 $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 1 OFF OFF OFF $ 00 $ 1 1 OFF OFF OFF $ 00 $ 00 1 1 11 1 11 1 WWW.OSBORNESAGWAY.COM

Agway 4 Stage Agway 4 Agway Stage 4 Stage Agway 4 Stage Lawn Program LawnAgway Program Agway 4 Stage Lawn Program 4 Stage Our 4 simple applications Our 4 simple applications Lawn Program Our 4 simple applications Lawn Program Lawn Program eliminate the guesswork andthe eliminate guesswork and (603) 527-3769

you pay ..............$59.99 mail-in-rebate ....$10.00 Final Cost ......................... $49.99 liminate theapplications guesswork and Our 4 simple Our applications Our44simple simple applications elimigive you professional care givelawn you professional lawn care eliminate the guesswork and 5,000 Sq. Ft. Program ive you professional lawn care nate te guesswork and give you liminate the guesswork results atand a fraction of theatcost. results agive fraction of the cost. you professional lawnat care professional lawn care results esults a fraction oflawn the cost. ive youatprofessional (102-12837, 12839, 12841, Each stagecare combines juststage theresults Each combines at aoffraction of the a fraction thejust cost. the Each stagecost.

Each combinesofjust esultsstage at a fraction thethe cost.of nutrients, Each combines just the 12843) right amount weed right amount ofstage nutrients, weed combines just the right amount ight amount of nutrients, weed

you pay ............$149.99 mail-in-rebate ....$20.00 Final Cost ....................... $129.99 15,000 Sq. Ft. Program (102-12838, 12840, 12842, 12844)

Agway SowAgway Lactation Sow Lactation Agway Sow Lactation Any Purchase 16%16% pellets Agway Sow Lactation Pellets 16% Pellets Agway Sow Lactation 16% Pellets16% Pellets of $100 or More 16% Pellets With this coupon only. Cannot be combined Agway Sow Lactation

With this coupon only. Cannot be combined ach stage combines justand the prevention. right amount nutrients, With this coupon only.

Cannot beonly. combined ofprevention. nutrients andofweed control weed control control and With this coupon only.

Cannot be combined this coupon Cannot be combined withWith other offers.

Expires 4/30/14. with other offers. Expires 4/30/14. control and prevention. ontrol and prevention.

Rebate effective 2/1/14 through 4/30/14.

Limit 2 4/30/14. rebates per 2household.

Rebate effective 2/1/14 through 4/30/14.

Limit 2 rebates per household.with other ight amount of nutrients, weed prevention. with4/30/14. other offers.

Expires 4/30/14.

Rebate 2/1/14 through Limit rebates per household. offers.

Expires 4/30/14 with other offers.

Expires effective through 4/30/14.

Limit 2 rebates per household.

Rebate effective 2/1/14 through 4/30/14.Rebate Limit 2effective rebates per household.

With this coupon only. Cannot be combined ontrol and prevention.

Rebate effective 2/1/14 through 4/30/14. Limit 2 rebates per household.

$ OFF

Agway Chick Starter/ Agway Chick Starter/

$ OFF

with other offers. Expires 4/30/14.

$ OFF

Agway Egg Egg Layer Layer Feed Feed Agway

Agway Chick Starter/ Agway Chick Grower Crumbles (choose Mash,Feed or Pellets) GrowerStarter/ Crumbles Layer Agway Egg Layer Feed hick Starter/ (chooseEgg mash, crumbles orCrumbles pellets) (choose medicated or unmedicated) Agway EggAgway Layer Feed Grower Crumbles (choose medicated or unmedicated) Grower Crumbles (choose Mash, Crumbles Pellets) (chooseorMash, Crumbles or Pellets) ick Starter/ rumbles (choose Mash, Crumbles or Pellets) Agway Egg Layer Feed With this coupon only. Cannot be combined With this coupon only. Cannot be combined (choose medicated(choose or unmedicated) medicated or unmedicated) with other offers. Expires 4/30/14. with other offers. Expires 4/30/14. ted or unmedicated) rumbles or this Pellets) coupon only. Cannot be combined With this coupon only. Cannot be combined (choose Mash, CrumblesWith

th this coupon only.With Cannot combined With this coupon only.With combined this be coupon only. Cannot be combined this be coupon only. Cannot be combined ted or unmedicated) withcombined other offers.Cannot Expires 4/30/14 . Cannot be combined With this coupon only. Cannot be

with other offers. Expires 4/30/14 th other offers. Expires 4/30/14. with other offers.

Expires 4/30/14. ires 4/30/14.

Cannot be combined ires 4/30/14.

with other offers. Expires 4/30/14. with other offers. Expires 4/30/14. with this othercoupon offers.only.

Expires 4/30/14.

With Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 4/30/14.

8 • home • Spring 2014

Agway Classic Agway Classic 12%Agway Horse Feed Classic Agway Classic 12% Horse Feed Agway Classic (choose pellets or(choose textured) Pellets or Textured)

OFF

Any Purchase Any P Purchase AnyAnyPurchase of $100 or More Any Purchase of $10 of $100 or More of $100 or More of $100 or More

this coupon only. Cannot be With thisWith coupon only. Cannot be

with any other offers.

12% Horse Feed Horse Feed combinedcombined Agway Classic With this coupon only.

Cannot be 4/30/14.

With this cou with Expires any other offers.

With this coupon only. Cannot12% be combined 12% Horse Feed With this coupon only.

Cannotwith be any other offers. with(choose other offers.

Expiresor 4/30/14.

Pellets Textured) (choose Pellets or Textured) combined combined wi Expires 4/30/14 (choose Pellets oronly.

Textured) 12% Horse Feed combined with any other offers.

With thisWith coupon Cannot be combined With this coupon only.

Cannot be Expires 4/30/14. Expir this coupon only.With Cannot combined this be coupon only. Cannot be combined

(choose Pellets or Textured)

With this coupon only.

Cannot be4/30/14 combined with other offers.

Expiresoffers. with other Expires 4/30/14. with other offers. Expires 4/30/14. with this othercoupon offers.only.

Expires 4/30/14.

With Cannot be combined with other offers. Expires 4/30/14.

Expires 4/30/14. combined with any other offers.

Expires 4/30/14.

n: ‘It’s Disney World, Only It’s Real’ The Lakes Region will see a surge in Baby Boomers choosing to retire here over the next 10 years, predicts Frank Roche of Roche Realty Group. With 37 years’ experience in real estate, Roche has become a cheerleader for the area and has pored over the demographics and economic statistics to see where the trends lie.

Lake Winnipesaukee has been rated number one in the country for restaurants and cultural and recreational opportunities by the MacMillan Guide. moneyrates.com has rated New Hampshire number one in the country for affordable taxes; the FBI lists the state for the lowest crime rate in the country; and the state ranks highly for the lowest poverty rates and the best place to raise children. The Morgan Quitno Group has rated New Hampshire No. 1 for livability for the past five years, Roche says.

“I’m certainly attracted to [the Lakes Region],” said Roche, “and I highly recommend it to everyone.”

A Baby Boomer himself, Roche believes those of his generation want to come north from the big cities and retire in a place that many of them have experienced on vacations or during childhood. “We’re blessed with four seasons, proximity to the ocean and scenic drives through the mountains, a regional airport that can accommodate jets and an international airport just down the road in Manchester. With the Big Lake, we’re on a par with Lake Tahoe, and people will gravitate toward it,” he said.

During a telephone interview on his way to the office after a day of skiing at Loon Mountain, Roche said day trips to go skiing or to spend a day at Rye Beach or on the coast of Maine are possible, with a return home the same day. “The Lakes Region is within a two-hour drive of everything you could want — except Florida,” he said, adding that he would not want Florida. Places like Disney World create scenes with fake mountains and streams — things that exist in

abundance in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

With 77 million Boomers, 60 million of whom are within an eight-hour drive of the Lakes Region, there is big demographic that gravitates to Cape Cod, the coast of Maine, or the Lakes Region. The Cape has traffic problems in the summer and a lack of things to do during the winter, while those in the Lakes Region are able to travel easily with no shortage of things to do.

There are 273 lakes, ponds, and rivers to enjoy; the 780,000-acre White Mountain National Forest for camping and hiking; shopping within a short drive; and a chance to visit Vermont or even Canada on day trips.

Meanwhile, there are major local venues such as the Bank of NH Pavilion at Meadowbrook that attracts major musical acts — including groups like the Moody Blues which are a Boomers favorite. For those with classical tastes, there is the New Hampshire Music Festival. There is the Winnipesaukee Playhouse, The Barnstormers, and Interlakes Summer Theatre for plays and musicals. And, of course, the Gunstock Mountain Resort for skiing and numerous opportunities for boating, from inexpensive canoes and kayaks to luxury and performance boats.

“Retirees are leading much more active lives now than they used to, and most want to live near their families and grandchildren. Lake living allows them to come see you,” said Roche. “The lakes are more user-friendly than the ocean,” he added, saying the crowds and the weather create problems for those on the ocean, and it’s more intimidating to go out on the water. Here residents can have their boats in front of their homes and take to the water whenever they wish.

Many of those retiring here have visited the Lakes Region as children and they remember the good times they had and have pleasant memories of the small towns and lakes they experienced. Having pursued careers near the hub of employment, they gravitate to the peace, quiet, and crime-free atmosphere of

Improve, Protect, Beautify Get Your Home Ready for Summer To Do...

new windows & doors siding & trim roofing 3-season porch addition insulate/weatherize refurbish deck & dock with maintenance-free products

r remode6l blown-in insulation complete exterio mainten&a additions , 6 im custom building ding & tr si nce-fre s, ow e including wind 6 io custom sun n de&cscreen at iz er k and rooms th ea w n/ io at dock ul 6 ins custom porch enclosures doors, 6 siding specialists

6 replacement windows & doors 6 blown-in insulation 6 custom building & additions www.howlandhomeimprovement.com 6 custom sun & screen rooms home • Spring 2014 • 9 6 custom porch enclosures 6 siding specialists

*we offer the strongest warranties in the business visit us on the web:

6 replacement windows & doors

family owned & operated since 1946

the Lakes Region, Roche said.

With Mill Falls Marketplace in Meredith and the Taste of the Lakes Region event allowing people to sample the fare of the finest restaurants, there is plenty to enjoy; not to mention the fall foliage, warm lake temperatures in summer, winter skiing and snowmobiling, pond hockey, triathlons … “Every year there’s something new,” he said.

And it is not just those with memories of the Lakes Region who want to move here, Roche said. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombing, people are looking to get away from the cities, and the Lakes Region offers a pristine atmosphere for peaceful living. New York and New Jersey have the highest tax rates in the country, and New Hampshire with its fourth-lowest overall tax burden “is in their in-basket,” Roche said, although he admits that New Hampshire property taxes are high.

“You’ll find the Marriotts, NABISCO executives, and those from R.J. Reynolds with homes on the lake,” he said. “Life is pretty darned good, and the income levels are pretty good.”

He went on cite statistics that show New Hampshire ranks fifth for median income level.

Home buyers come from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maryland, Florida, and California to find homes in the Lakes Region. People in California who went there for the technology jobs have made their money and seen their homes appreciate in value so they can comfortably retire in the Lakes Region. Buyers also come from Canada and Europe, thrilled to discover the hidden jewel that is the Lakes Region. And there is not a housing development on every corner.

“We take it for granted,” said Roche, “but if you live in DC and are dealing with that traffic all the time, this looks pretty good.”

Many people will start with the purchase of a small vacation cottage and get a taste of what it’s like to live in the Lakes Region; then, when retiring, they will look for something that will suit their needs for later in life, where they won’t get bored. “Florida is like the Bronx with a beach in front of it,” said Roche. “Here they can go out canoeing or kayaking, and enjoy a long life ahead of them, and they won’t get caught by an alligator or water snake.”

LLC

SPRING IS FOR PLANTING! The Local Agency Offering family and business protection for over 100 years

Annuals • Perennials • Herbs • Trees Shrubs •Vines and Ground Covers

Get A Quote Online At www.averyinsurance.net

Soils • Mulches •Cast Stone Statuary • Pottery Foliage •Birdseed • Gift Certificates Open Year Round • Summer Hours 8-5 Daily

www.spiderwebgardens.com • spiderwebgardens@ne.twbc.com 252 Middle Road • Tuftonboro, NH • (603) 569-5056

We are proactive in protecting your home and your precious possessions.

21 S. Main Street Wolfeboro, NH 603.569.2515 800.759.7579

7 Islington Street Unit 102 Portsmouth, NH 603.766.3733

Second Homes • Island Property • Personal • Business • Life & Health

WINDERMERE- MOULTONBORO-$2,900,000

CHESTNUT COVE - ALTON- $2,890,000

Captivating lakeside residence boasts 500’ of sparkling Winnipesaukee frontage & the most incredible panoramic views looking out to the center of the lake & several mountain ranges. Due west exposure, sunsets, 1.42 acres, breakwater dock, stone patio, synthetic-grass putting green & low-maintenance landscape with wild blueberries along the entire shoreline. Views from every room, brilliant sunroom & guest suite above the 2-car garage. Special features: Endless pool with exercise room, 90’ deck facing the water.

Impressive Adirondack on Winnipesaukee featuring a Boathouse with viewing deck above. Main house has over 6900SF of dramatic flair, 6 bedrooms, 7 baths, Great Room with stone fireplace, gourmet kitchen, screen porch, spa room, game room with Pub & 8 seat Home Theatre. Special features: apartment over garage & guest cottage. This high caliber property has all the bells & whistles you desire. Located in an area of comparable homes within minutes to downtown Wolfeboro.

HEARTHSTONE - CENTER HARBOR - $2,495,000 One of the most remarkable properties in the Lakes Region, Hearthstone is a classic New England country estate consisting of 28 acres, expansive views of Squam Lake & Sandwich mountain range. Designed by Royal Barry Wills Architects, 7500 SF of elegant living space, extensively restored, 6 fireplaces, 6 bedrooms, 7 baths, master suite with den & Carriage house for multiple cars. There are riding trails, orchards, gardens & fields with total privacy yet only minutes to Center Harbor village & Winnipesaukee.

Ellen Mulligan, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 32 Whittier Highway, Center Harbor, NH 03226 Office: 603-253-4345- ext. 124 | Cell: 603-387-0369 email: ellemulligan@metocast.net 10 • home • Spring 2014

MOULTONBORO NECK- $1,550,000 Very private Winnipesaukee residence with 204’ of frontage, SW exposure for all day sun, vast lake views & spectacular sunsets. Custom-built open in design with hardwood floors, stone fireplace, exposed beams, cherry & granite kitchen, Master suite with sauna, whirlpool tub, deck & views. Special features: 2 lofts, guest suite above garage, circular deck at water’s edge, ample docking system, landscaped lot with flowering shrubs, perennial gardens, stonewalls & meandering paths to waterfront sitting areas. End of road privacy & low taxes!

www.ellenmulligan.com

Marble...Perfect

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

There is nothing quite so beautiful as marble. Whether it be marble floors, walls, a countertop or marble in a spa-like home bathroom sanctuary, this attractive stone symbolizes grace and fine home design.

For those who have marble in their home, they have come to realize that, like anything else, marble requires maintenance. However, unlike homeowners who have wood or tile floors, those with marble in their home may not know where to turn to have the marble cleaned and maintained.

That’s where Marble Perfect can help. Located in the Lakes Region but serving customers all over New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine, Marble Perfect’s name really says what it does: it makes marble perfect (as well as cleaning many other special surfaces in the home).

Ken and Marci De Melis, owners of Marble Perfect, know a great deal about cleaning marble and other surfaces. “We started the business five years ago,” says Ken. “We had moved to the area and were looking for a new business. I had worked for a stone guy when I was a kid, so I had some skills working around marble. And I knew that not many people have the special skills for this type of work.”

Ken goes on to say that many people have no idea that marble and other stone can be brought back to its original beauty (marble, like other surfaces, dulls and becomes dirty with wear and tear). “They assume that stone is maintenance free. In reality, granite is the stone requiring less maintenance and marble and

travertine need more attention because they are softer stones. We restore stone that might have been put in a home or other building anywhere from a year to 100 years ago,” he explains.

According to Ken, stone requires a skill set and special cleaning tools. Some marble floors have a build-up of waxes applied by homeowners who assume wax will make the marble shine. Ken and his crew carefully remove dirt and old wax and shine the marble until it is a thing of beauty.

“We specialize in stone that has already been installed,” Marci adds. Marble is a soft stone that requires attention a few years after installation no matter where it is – whether on a floor, walls, as part of a fireplace or when used for countertops.

Marble Perfect’s crew has cleaned marble and other stones in homes, churches, government buildings and banks, to name but a few of the places their skills are utilized.

In order to learn the correct way to clean and do stone maintenance, Ken received special training on the latest methods and equipment in the business.

“I spent 2008 training and doing a few jobs. In 2009, the business took off and has doubled every year. We have six full-time employees and we are always busy,” says Ken. (Marble Perfect is an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified firm with multiple trained technician designations. They are also a Certified Stone and Tile PRO Partner.

Hydro Max II Series Boatlifts • Touchless Cover • Seasonal Docks • Crank-Up Docks • Breakwater Repair • Boat House Repair

Marine Design & Construction 17 Bay Street • Wolfeboro, NH 603-515-9032 • www.nedockandbarge.com 1-855-NEDOCKS

Permitting • Custom Dock Welding • Dock Hardware • Mooring Hardware • Ladders and Stairs • Paddle Boards and Kayaks home • Spring 2014 • 11

To cover the many things the company does would include a lengthy list.

Information on the website www.marbleperfect.com states, “For over a decade we have been helping our customers clean and restore their fine stone and tile floor surfaces. We use cutting edge technology that will produce cleaning results on your tile and grout like never before. When cleaning any stone floor we use the most scientifically advanced cleaning products, no acids, no strippers, and no harsh chemicals. The floor is then machine or hand scrubbed. Finally, the new SX-12 floor-cleaning tool, connected to a hot water extraction system is used, achieving maximum soil removal and best overall cleaning results.”

Marble Perfect cleans many flooring surfaces including marble, granite, travertine, flagstone, slate, terrazzo, brick, concrete and all-natural stone.

Further, the company’s crew can clean and seal, or color seal grout; polish, color, or pattern stamp concrete; clean, sand, and recoat hardwood and clean, sand and coat decks.

A recent job in a private home included complete restoration of an extra-

Thinking of selling?

Find out what your home is worth in today’s market.

The master bathroom floor was mixed marble, the border and center inset was a high honed polished finished and the rest of the floors was high honed finish, The restoration on this floor made the marble look like the day it was first installed 7 years ago. The home owners were delighted with the results and are now having other stone areas refinished in the home. large shower and replacing 26 cracked tiles in a kitchen as well as restoring a 100-year-old marble fireplace. The clients were thrilled and amazed to see once-beautiful stonework come back to life.

After the cleaning process, the crew applies a penetrating invisible sealer that will not affect the look of a stone surface floor but will ensure protection from foot traffic and wear and tear. “Some people have us back every few years to repolish and seal marble and other stone surfaces,” Ken says.

Heavily-trafficked commercial locations call Marble Perfect sooner than customers with a private home because banks and government buildings are likely locations to have marble, granite or other stone on walls or floors that

Smiley

Home Appraisal 20 Years Experience • Flexible Evening & Weekend Scheduling Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser in NH & NY Accepting new clients including Lenders, Attorneys & Realtors.

SMILEY 603-520-0720 Home Appraisal Lisa Smiley • SmileyAppraisals@aol.com

New Hampshire’s Best Rustic Furniture and Mattress Gallery!

Major Brand Mattresses at Warehouse Prices!

•Brand Name Mattresses •Full Warranty Included •Choice of Firmness ...at unbelievably low prices!

PlyMoutH – 757 Tenney Mtn. Hwy. Just west of Wal-mart, across from Sears 603-238-3250

n!

Now Ope MeReditH–Mill Falls Marketplace Across from town docks, Rt. 3 & 25 603-279-1333

O P E N DAI LY 9 A M - 5 PM • S U N DAYS 10 A M -4 P M

Smiley

Home “The Appraisal One-Stop Trailer Shop” Route 3 • Winnisquam (next to Pirate’s Cove)

888-350-6500 • 603-524-4344 Cargo Trailers - Motorcycle - Open and Enclosed Car Hauler Utility Equipment - Snowmobile - ATV - Dump Body - Landscape - Race Trailers

If you need a trailer, chances are we have it!

Exit 20 off 93 Take Route 3 North, 4 Miles on Left • Over 2.5 Acres of Nothing but Trailers for Every Need 12 • home • Spring 2014

receive greater wear and tear.

Granite, according to Ken and Marci, is very popular presently for kitchen countertops because it gives a warm feeling to the room. “It is durable, but it does need to be sealed every five years,” Ken explains. “Homeowners who choose a lighter color granite will notice that it darkens with use over time.”

Ken adds that color sealing of grout is now in big demand for the company.

“It makes the grout look like new and it makes it uniform and gives it a big cosmetic difference.”

Marble Perfect has the skills to restore Corian countertops and they also have a process to remove scratches from stainless-steel surfaces for commercial and residential settings. (These days, stainless-steel appliances are popular in kitchens, but other stainless-steel surfaces include the interior of elevators in offices and hotel lobbies.)

Marci and Ken also offer top-notch carpet cleaning services through MilliCare Textile and Carpet Care. The MilliCare system uses a combination of low-moisture and extraction.

The carpet cleaning services are a natural extension of the work Ken and his crew does with Marble Perfect: cleaning and refreshing surfaces of all sorts.

“We clean upholstery, office cubicles and carpets for offices, commercial clients and homes,” says Marci. She adds that the carpets they clean are dry by the time they finish a job; there is no waiting for carpets and upholstery to dry.

Those with marble and other stone in their homes or commercial properties must check out the Marble Perfect website for many helpful articles on how to care for stone, such as caring for soapstone, testing stone for kitchen countertop usability, color sealing grout and other helpful information.

For homeowners and others with marble that has become dulled or scratched over the years, help is on the way. With the care and skill Marble Perfect puts into restoring stone surfaces, a shining, just-like-new marble (or other stone) floor or countertop has become a reality.

(For information on Marble Perfect, visit www.marbleperfect.com or call (603) 393-2776. For information on carpet cleaning, visit www.millicare.org or call Marci at (603) 393-2776.)

Spring is Just Around the Corner

Enjoy Newfound Lake One Of The Cleanest Lakes In The Country.

Country Lakes Realty

459 Lake Street, Bristol, NH 03222 603-744-5411 Toll-Free: 800-342-9767 Fax: 603-744-5934 Visit Our Website: countrylakesrealty.com

Redecorate for Less!

Creating a High-End Designer Look or Just Want Durable Beautiful Flooring That Can Handle Everything a Busy Family Can Dish Out?

We Have It All And It’s On Sale Now! In-Stock Laminate, Tile, Carpet and Area Rugs for Every Budget!

Expert Installation • Shop-at-Home Service • FREE Estimates •

Heckman’s Flooring

2000 Centre Street, (Next to West Lake), Wolfeboro, NH Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-1 • 569-6391

www.heckmansflooring.com • heckmansflooring@myfairpoint.net

9 North Main Street Downtown Wolfeboro, NH 603-569-6159 • www.theartplace.biz

Our summer brochure is a Lakes Region Tradition! List now to ensure placement.

Wicker Colonade, Limited-Edition Print by Peter Ferber

We Bring the Beauty of the Lakes Region into Your Home Year-Round!

Original Art, Limited-Edition Prints, Regional Artists, Antique Prints, Custom Picture Framing

Losing vaLue?

High Meadow Farm • Exceptional home on 170 Acres North Sandwich - $1,450,000 249 Whittier Highway - Route 25 Center Harbor, New Hampshire Office (603)253.8131 Toll Free (800)834.5759

We’ll Turn iT inTo Cash! r t e . 1 2 5 rV & M a r in e inc.

“Brokerage Specialists” Buy * Trade * Sell * Consign

1-800-ConsiGn

Free Pickup Anywhere in New England www.consignsales.com

home • Spring 2014 • 13

Join For 2014!

Kingswood Golf Membership Has Never Been More Affordable!

First Year Introductory Offer • Free 5 Pass Cart Booklet • Free Lesson with PGA Pro

ur Get Yo n O e Gam NOW!

Membership Programs • NEW Member Specials: $999 First Year • NEW Family Membership: 2 Adults and Children $1,699 First Year • 40 or Under No Initiation, Reduced Dues • You join, Your Spouse Plays First Year at Reduced Rate • ”Get-A-Group” 4 Join for Dues of 3

“Junior Friendly” Family Club • Junior Program Expanded for Young Players up to Age 21 • Children/Grandchildren Free After 3pm • Golf School with ON COURSE Junior Program • 5 Sets of Tees for a Range of Challenges • Active Membership: Leagues and Tournaments For Men, Women & Children

“The Total Golf Club Experience”

www.kingswoodgolfclub.com • 569-3524

Aging In Place

By Richard Springer “Getting old isn’t for sissies!” my grandmother used to say as she struggled up the stairs more each year.

But these days the aging scenario is changing. There are new treatment perspectives emphasizing prevention and the benefits of staying in the home — “aging in place.” There is also a growing array of new care products. As medical care and equipment improve, people are able to continue living longer at home.

This gives them lives of greater independence and self-expression. A few extra years in one’s home provides an enormous benefit in comfort and savings as opposed to costly institutionalized care — long or shorter term. Families can continue to interact and socialize and life goes on.

Aside from the usual shorter rehab episodes, the key to well-being is attention to common-sense prevention measures. It’s not much good to leave the hospital only to return almost immediately as a “frequent flyer” in the ambulance due to a fall at home. Such homes are unprepared for a longer life environment. These homes are called “Peter Pan homes,” designed and kept as if no one grows beyond 65 years with the accompanying needs.

Denial is a common obstacle for us all, but it can be super costly and painful.

RL Safehome provides Home Safety Surveys to assess safety conditions when making a service call. This is not always easy, as everyone considers themselves expert on their own home and change is regarded with suspicion. Our approach is to see things from their view while also bringing in the concerns of family members. The best stamp on these messages is often a joke while we share our own experiences and people we know. I tell the story of one client who was fixing up a grand house for her husband after a stroke. There were tennis courts and a horse paddock outside and sailing trophies displayed. I was pointing

CHRISTOPHER P. WILLIAMS ARCHITECTS, PLLC PO Box 703 • Meredith, NH 03253 • 603-279-6513 www.cpwarchitects.com

Providing architectural design services since 1984 for carefully crafted, environmentally sensitive buildings

Custom Stone Work Garden Design Installation & Maintenance

ELLIS & Co. 603.630.9115 www.ellisnco.com

14 • home • Spring 2014

out the need for hand rails along hallway steps and the many useful grab bar positions when she exclaimed, “I see — just like on the boat!” She totally got it and made the connection.

Many times people have been meaning to get around to doing some things but not sure what the options are. You have to pick your battles. Oftentimes, however, we learn from clients and their own solutions to common situations.

On first starting out in the business, a lady told me her habit of leaving the stairlift chair faced out and open at the top step to act as a sort of “safety gate” at night.

“The worst thing happens is he winds up sitting in the chair when making a wrong turn for the bathroom!” she said. One 92-year-old lady told me her younger sister of 84 had called and asked her, “What’s the secret?” “You know what I told her?” she said. “Move it or lose it!” Then she tossed a rag down and stepping on it with a sparkle in her eye, began to dance and foot scrub the floor.

“See?” Then she admitted, “But I want you to put new batteries in that stairlift because those stairs are too much!”

Safety conditions are important for reasons beyond just the one person. We often install a grab bar to provide support and leverage for family and caregivers while maneuvering awkward situations. And I know we have saved at least a couple bridge and tea clubs; as people find it more difficult to get up stairways to friends’ homes, they often just drop away with vague excuses. But once a stairlift or porch lift is installed, they begin coming back happily.

It’s amazing, also, how useful a good handrail is on a porch — my pet peeve is slippery granite porch steps without a railing in sight! And while you’re approaching the porch and doorway, how about an inexpensive, batterypowered motion detector light to guide the way. The batteries last a year and the lights can be screwed on to trees or sides of houses. Push-button door closers hold the storm door open with a touch of the foot or elbow — it’s like having a personal valet.

There are so many useful and handy items of modern “longer life gear” to keep the days going right. More are being devised all the time with the wave of boomers coming through. We are constantly researching these and they are

DAVID M. DOLAN ASSOCIATES, PC Land Surveying - Consulting - Permitting

603-253-8011• www.dolansurvey.com PO Box 1581• Center Harbor, NH 03226

Property Surveys Shoreland Permitting ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys Construction Surveys As-Built Surveys FEMA Elevation Certificates Land Use Consulting Subdivision Design & Planning Topographic Surveys Federal, State and Local Permitting

Relax & We’ll Do The Rest...

Design & Build Decks & Docks

Homes Remodeling

603-875-4734 • www.oiconstruction.com

MARBLEPERFECT NATURAL S TONE & TILE CARE DECORATIVE CONCRETE

Hard & Soft Surface Specialists You Can Depend On Us For: Marble, Granite, Travertine, Flagstone, Slate, Terrazzo, Natural Stone, Brick and Concrete: Cleaned, Honed & Polished, Restored and Sealed

Tile & Grout Cleaned, Sealed Grout Color Sealer Stainless Steel Restored Like New

Concrete Polishing, Color Dying Decorative Concrete Overlay Concrete Pattern Stamping Epoxy Flake & Quartz

Fine Quality Wool Rugs Cleaned Premium Quality Carpet Cleaning For Your Upholstery, Leather Fabrics and Fiber Protection

603-393-2776 • www.MarblePerfect.com • www.MilliCare.info home • Spring 2014 • 15

Now Open in Our New Location! at Ippolito’s Furniture

Providing superior service and product knowledge is ColorShed’s dedication to our customers.

Visit the area’s original interior design center & showroom since 1974.

• Flooring • Stone Counters • Ceramic Tile • Window Treatments • Upholstery • Area Rugs

Exclusive Heirloom Quality Persian Rugs. Hand Knotted.

100% Silk & Wool. Certificate of Authenticity

603-279-6581

193A Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith

a popular destination at the showroom. There are the various stand-up cane models, leg lifters, motion lights for rollators and walkers, all kinds of longhandled bathing and dressing kits. Also handy are the accessories for Scooters, walkers and Powerchairs. Floor- to-ceiling poles, straight or looped, are helpful in bathrooms or by lift chairs for balance when rising, and by beds for getting up.

Walk-in baths are wonderful pain and stress relievers and don’t have to cost so much. A Tub Cut or bath lift seat can be an inexpensive solution to bathing obstacles. On the automatic side, stairlifts come in a wide variety to fit almost any situation: straight or curved stairs, narrow or steep, indoor or outdoor, sitting or standing. Some are hinged to allow passage at doorways and passageways and have auto turn seats.

One person got a stairlift to run down the stairs and another to continue outside to his boat dock to take the grandkids fishing.

Porch lifts are also batterypowered to give security during a power outage.

They use much less space than a ramp while sharing a deck space with a stairway.

Many of our clients share new, ingenious finds for practical. longer lifestyles and have become friends.

For more information on home safety aids visit www.

RLSafeHome.com or call 603-601-7105.

From The Sun to the LAKESHORE & Everything in Between

Design Build • Drainage • Septic Systems • Site Work Landscaping • Solar installation •Permeable Pavers • Hardscapes

603.528.4151 • www.tech-20.net 16 • home • Spring 2014

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper New Hampshire folks are pros at dealing with the cold. We – and those that came before us – know how to keep our homes warm during long, harsh winters. Often the need for heat remains a priority right into the spring and we face it with some grumbling but an overall philosophical attitude.

We know how to handle wood stove heat and pellet stove heat and all the other kinds of heating that make wintertime bearable. As a born and bred New Hampshirite, I grew up with wood heat supplemented by a kerosene stove. Looking back on it, the kerosene stove that held pride of place in my parent’s living room could have done some pretty hefty damage and caused quite a house fire had my father not been so adept at tending the fire. (Today, such a stove would probably not be allowed in new home construction, but in the 1960s, it was up to the homeowner to use whatever means necessary to keep the home warm.)

With the advent of chalet and ranch style home construction in the 1970s, electric baseboard heat gained popularity. At the time, it was a cheap source of heating a home and it did away with the need for wood stoves, stacks of wood and kindling and other sources of heating fuel, such as messy coal.

My home, which was originally constructed in the early 1970s, is a case in point. When we moved into the home (in 1987), it had electric baseboard heat with a woodstove for backup. Electric heat was expensive by the late 1980s but it didn’t bother us. Looking back on it, I realize we were living in a fool’s paradise, basking in our first-time-home-buyer’s glow. We never gave a thought to the expense of electric heat or the work involved in running a

wood stove for backup heat.

After one winter of high heating bills and another of suffering with aching backs from stacking wood, we had received a painful initiation into homeownership as it related to heating.

In the early 1900s, a new fangled device, the Monitor Heater, came on the market. “They are supposed to be great,” enthused my husband. He went on to say he chatted with a friend in the grocery store about Monitors. “Jim just put in a Monitor and it runs forever on a tank of kerosene.”

“Kerosene?” I squealed in horror. Visions of the smelly kerosene stove of my childhood came rushing back. “No way,” I said. “Kerosene stoves are outdated and they make the whole house smell. And they aren’t safe.”

My husband was quick to assure me this was not the kerosene stove of my childhood, but rather a super quiet, efficient form of heating a home on a tank of K-1 (kerosene fuel held in a tank outside the home.) I had to admit I liked the idea of a heating method that would be inexpensive and run a long time on a tank of fuel.

“Okay,” I said hesitantly. “We can look into it.”

That was all it took for my husband to begin searching for a Monitor Heater. The handy little heaters were cropping up everywhere at the time and we took the plunge and purchased one. After a relatively quick service call, the installer had our new Monitor up and running. Although located on the split-level basement portion of our home, we immediately noticed the entire house felt much warmer than the expensive electric baseboard heat.

Over the years, we loved the Monitor and when, due to old age, it finally

MARIne cOnSTRucTIOn

m the From Sun to Everything in Between Thethe SunLakeshore to the LAKEand & Everything in Between!

Docking Systems • Barge Services • Site Work • Boathouses • Solar Installations Shoreland/Wetland Permitting • Landscape • Septic Systems • Docks ....

603.293.BOAT• www.divermarine.com • 1934 Lakeshore Rd., Gilford

Docks Boat Lifts Dock Systems Dock & Marine Supply Super Store nowMaterials Open!

Mooring Supplies Lighting Landscaping home • Spring 2014 • 17 Accessories and Marine Supplies

Thank You!

We know it’s been a tough Winter. We want to extend a special thank you to all our friends, neighbors and customers who went the extra mile and cleared that path to the fill pipe. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Wolfeboro Oil Company 30 Center St, Wolfeboro

569-3568

18 • home • Spring 2014

died this past fall, we were dismayed. As winter approached, we relied heavily on the second Monitor we had installed about seven years ago on the upper level of our home.

But when our serviceman was cleaning our one existing Monitor, he broke the bad news that the heaters are not to be made any longer. “You will have to go with a Toyatomy,” I thought he said. With his head stuck in the inner workings of our one existing Monitor heater in a quest to clean it and keep it running as long as possible, it was difficult to catch exactly what he was saying.

“Can you spell it?” I asked. After he spelled it out, I looked up the sort of heater to which he referred and it was indeed a newer, spiffier, more efficient version of the older Monitors. The price tag was not outrageous, but just more than I wanted to spend at that moment to get a second heater.

After some chilly days in our home (it is amazing how much added heat that old Monitor emitted!), we started to face the fact we would need to ante up for a heater. Although we got used to a much cooler house – in the 64-degree range – everyone else found it to be “freezing!” When my kids were home for Christmas vacation, they bemoaned the colder temperature; my mother-in-law, who says she is “always cold,” dramatically made her point by sitting next to the remaining working Monitor heater with her coat on and the hood on her sweatshirt up.

Luckily, after Christmas as winter sets in, our guests are few and far between and my husband and I withstood the colder temperatures in our home, knowing that eventually we would figure out the supplemental heating issue.

One day while browsing through a home improvement store, I thought I came up with a most brilliant solution. “Why,” I reasoned with myself, “do we need to purchase a new Monitor-like heater? The older, defunct Monitor really only heated our basement level (where my home office is located). Why not spent only a few hundred dollars on one of the handy little fake electric fireplace models?”

The electric heaters were on display on the showroom floor and each

promised a good heating range. Being thrifty (and I now realize, stupid), we chose a modest little electric heater with a wooden frame and glass front protecting a fake fire effect.

“It will heat up to 400 sq. ft.,” my husband said as he read the signage.

“That will work really well and our electric bill probably won’t go up any more than the amount we’d spend on K-1 fuel for a new Monitor.”

The fireplace, which came in a huge box, was relatively easy to assemble.

Once it was set up in the less-than-warm basement, we stood in front of our new electric fireplace and watched as the heat began to blow through the vent on the front of the unit. Controlled by buttons on the fireplace or by a remote control, it seemed so easy. Warm air wafted around our legs and the cheerful little fake fire in the grate was admittedly hokey, but kind of cute.

“Let’s leave it on high heat for a few hours and really warm the place up,” I suggested.

Returning a few hours later, I was startled at how cool the room was; glancing at our room thermometer, it was a low 55 degrees. “Hmmm,” I thought. “Maybe we don’t have it turned up high enough?” I pushed buttons on the remote and reread the how-to-use manual.

It turned out there was only one temperature – on or off. “What we seem to have is a space heater in a wooden frame and a $350 price tag,” my husband said in frustration.

We spent a few days trying to decide what to do with this problem. “Do we return the heater? I guess we should,” I said, not daring to glance at the huge box still sitting in the room. We both knew, without actually saying it, that it would mean taking the heater apart, getting it back in the box and dealing with the aggravation of returning it. Not an easy task but one that would be necessary.

“Maybe it would work in our bedroom?” my husband suggested. We quickly dispelled that idea when we thought about the cathedral height ceiling of that room. “If this thing won’t heat a small basement room with a low ceiling, it sure won’t heat a bigger room,” I said.

As of this writing, the fireplace still sits in our basement taking up space

!

CENTRAL VACUUMS We Sell The Best!

Beam Cana Vac New Tone Vaccu Made Astro Vac Electrolux H.P. Vacuflow We Fix The Rest

• Convenience • Extra Power • Bag or Bagless • New & Existing Homes

Special Wholesale Pricing

by Electrolux

Through May 31, 2014 with this ad!

Sales Service Installation 100 Chestnut Hill Road • Rochester 603-332-5572 • 1-800-439-3395 4-Color – Dark Blue: PANTONE 451PC

Light Blue: PANTONE 299PC

Get More Features, More Value and Mower Savings!

Services, LLC Heating

Air Conditioning

Refrigeration

Honda Lawn Mowers — Very SMART. HRR216VKA MSRP $479 1-Color – Black: C:0 M:0 Y:0 K:100

$399*

Residential • Commercial Farmington, NH •

3

YEAR Regular

+1

YEAR Extended

4Manufacturer’s YEAR Warranty†

603.755.4900 • Joyshvac@msn.com

Through May 31

• Simple, Variable Speed Control Adapts To Your Stride. • Money Saving 3-in-1 System With Clip Director.® Mulch, Bag Or Discharge — Without Tools Or Costly Attachments!

• Adaptable Quick-Fold Handles For Convenient Storage & Transport.

• Reliable Honda GCV160 Engine.

• Time Saving MicroCut® Twin Blades. Spend Less Time Emptying Bag Thanks To Finer Clippings.

“The best golf in the Lakes Region” 22for $70 00 for $80.

Mon-Thurs after 11am • 18 Holes with Cart and •Deli Sandwich Monday-Thursday 18 Holes with Cart emailToaddress required redemtion receive discount fill in thefor following: Name: Name: ___________________________ Email: ___________________________ Email:

Not valid on holidays or with any other coupon or Not valid holidays with with other promotion.

Expires 10/2013 LKRH01

coupons. Expires 6/30/14 • LKRH

www.ridgewoodcc.net

258 Gov. Wentworth Hwy Route 109 Moultonboro, NH

(Located near Frog Hollow) Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5 • Sat 8-3 wolfeboropowerequipment.com

603-476-5930

Offers subject to Dealer participation and product availability. *Minimum Advertised Price. †The Honda One Year Extended Warranty Event offer is good on all Honda HRS, HRR and HRX Series purchased March 1st through May 31st, 2014. See your Authorized Honda Power Equipment Dealer for full details.

Please read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment and never use in a closed or partly enclosed area where you could be exposed to poisonous carbon monoxide. Connection of a generator to house power requires a transfer device to avoid possible injury to power company personnel.

Consult a qualified electrician.©2014 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

home • Spring 2014 • 19

E.M. E.M.Heath Heath Inc Inc

Route 25 E.M. Heath Route 25Inc Route 25 E.M. Heath Inc Center Harbor 03226 Center Harbor NH 03226 Center Harbor NH NH 03226 Route 25 603-253-4381 603-253-4381 603-253-4381 Center Harbor NH 03226 603-253-4381

and not producing much more than a cute little fake fire feature and blowing out a warming heat…if you remember to stand no more than a foot away from the heating source and are only concerned with warming your legs and feet.

What have we learned from this home heating misadventure?

First and foremost, research thoroughly what you are buying. Make sure and measure the sq. ft. you want to heat and talk to a store rep about the product. Had we taken the time to really talk to a store salesperson we would have discovered that this particular fireplace was decorative and not much else. Admittedly we bought the fireplace after Christmas when the sales force was busy packing away leftover holiday decorations but it would have been worth nabbing a salesperson and talking over the purchase.

My husband is a big believer in Consumer Reports but I have never relied overly much on the advice of someone in a far-away test kitchen. But perhaps this would have been helpful. Reading online reviews on the store’s website is one thing, but getting a less biased set of opinions would have been better.

Speaking of sq. ft, make sure you really know how to measure the sq. footage of a room, taking into account the ceiling height. Look at the room – are there drafty windows, cracks where excess cold can enter? Will the fireplace/heater really warm the room efficiently?

The fireplace was supposed to heat 400 sq. ft. and the room is just 286 sq. ft. The fireplace promised 4,600 Btus and we now know that is far too small a number. Btus, in layman’s terms, is the amount of power a heater will push into a space. Using an online calculator, we realized too late that the Btus of the electric fireplace were way too low. Learn how many Btus would be necessary to heat a space.

Professional service and expert Professional service and expert It looks like we will be disassembling the cute little fireplace and repacking advice from your local Benjamin advice Benjamin Professional service and from expert your local it toand return to the store. It is not the fault of the store or manufacturer, but Professional service expert advice from your local Benjamin Moore retailer over 60 years.

Moore retailer forfor over 60 years. rather our homeowner lack of knowledge. As with many things to do with Moore retaileradvice for over 60from years. your local Benjamin home repair and home ownership, we have learned by doing, or often we Moore retailer for over 60 years. have learned the hard way.

And the old adage that one gets what one pays for has always held true for any home repairs we undertook. Most often, appliances or labor that

the world is watching.

SAVE BIG WITH METROCAST VIP & HBO® Sign up for a MetroCast VIP bundle, and SAVE BIG off a la carte rates!

VIDEO • INTERNET • PHONE HBO® with HBO GO® for 6 months Then receive HBO with HBO GO at half price for 6 more months!* Plus, get FREE INSTALLATION!*

Call 1.888.395.5203 today! .com *HBO and free installation offer available 3/26/14 through 5/14/14 and is valid for new or upgrading residential customers only in wired, serviceable areas subscribing to a Video-Internet-Phone (VIP) package. HBO offer available to new HBO subscribers only. Promotional offer cannot be combined with other offers. Premium service subscription offers are good only for the time specified; thereafter, standard monthly fees apply. Free standard installation offer applies only to standard residential VIP installations and expires 5/14/14. Valid for standard wired residential installations in MetroCast serviceable areas only; installation of Home WiFi is extra. Savings calculated on 2014 á la carte rates for services. Savings may vary based on VIP package selection. Applicable broadcast, sports and other surcharges/fees, equipment charges (i.e., digital converter, eMTA/modem), taxes, franchise fees, activation fees, and other applicable fees and charges are in addition to the promotional rates. Federal law requires subscription to Basic Service to receive any other level of video service. Digital converter (not included) or CableCARD required to view HBO and other premium services. MetroCast High Speed Internet speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Modem required. MetroCast Digital Phone service requires an eMTA phone modem. MetroCast Digital Phone service not available in all MetroCast serviceable areas. Additional terms and conditions may apply. All new phone subscriptions are subject to a one-time $20 per line phone activation charge. All aspects of MetroCast services, channels and rates are subject to change at any time in accordance with applicable law. Credit check may be required. Services available to residential MetroCast customers in wired and serviceable areas only. All services may not be available in all areas. Other restrictions may apply. Programming and titles subject to change. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. HBO GO® is available FREE with HBO subscription. HBO GO is only accessible in the US and certain US territories where a high speed broadband connection is available. Minimum connection of 3 Mbps required for HD viewing on laptop. Select titles not available in HD. Minimum 3G connection is required for viewing on mobile devices. Available through participating providers. Some restrictions may apply. ©2014 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

20 • home • Spring 2014

is priced low won’t be of lasting duration. We got a very solid, wonderful metal roof a few years ago and we have been happy with it. In that case, we hired the best around, a company that came with a good reputation. It was certainly worth it.

We would have done well to remember that when we congratulated ourselves on saving a buck and thinking we could replace a $2,000-plus Monitor heater with a small electric, decorative fireplace.

So we will be calling the folks who installed our Monitor heater all those years ago and scheduling the purchase of the newer model on the market.

There is nothing like good, warm heat on a cold New Hampshire winter’s day.

As a long-time resident, that is something I should have remembered when I talked myself into thinking I could cut corners and save a buck.

Sometimes, I have to admit, in our quest to solve a big problem with a quick solution, my husband and I can be fools for heat.

COUPON

Casual Cape

Spring Sale

Newly Renovated

Lo

Call us for a free estimate or on-site consultation

524-1300

176 Fair Street, Laconia, NH • Fax: 524-7309 Email: bogoco@metrocast.net • Like Us on Facebook!

• Professional Computerized Designs • Custom Countertops

•IKO Roofing • PVC Decking Granite, Marble, Silestone, Corian, Formica, Cambria •Makita Tools • Custom Millwork Shop •Metal Roofing • Computerized Color Matching for Paint •Cabots Stains • Free Delivery • Valspar Paints • Crane Truck Available Medallion Series • Wood & Cork Flooring •Rockwell Tools

Folding & Adjustable Adirondack Chairs Made in the U.S.A. From Recycled Materials Guaranteed NH Lowest Price In

Casual Cape $199 • Elsewhere $249

rs

cto

tra

con ing 2 v r e d s 187 ate ce per rs sin o e and own ned home w yo & call

•Brosco •Jeld Wen •Kreg Tools •Andersen Windows & Doors • Variety of Hardwoods • Marine Plywood • Dock Hardware

...to name just a few

“We have everything you need from the foundation up”

518 Whittier Hwy • Route 25 • Moultonborough, NH • 603-253-7951 Open 7 Days A Week • 10-5 COUPON

We Are the #1 Kitchen Dealership in New England!

GO GREEN with SOLAR POWER

Custom Cabinetry for Your Kitchen, Bath, Office, Entertainment Center and More

Come in and have Dianne, Carolyn or Philip design your dream kitchen, bath or home office, and join our hundreds of satisfied customers throughout the Lakes Region.

Please visit our Website at www.kitchensnh.com

Fred Varney Company

Visit our expanded showroom on Grove and Center Streets in Wolfeboro, NH

603-569-3565 Showroom Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5 • Saturday 9-1 • Evenings by Appointment

Produce all, or a portion of your electricity with a Solar Photovoltaic System at your home or business!

Payback is Less than 8 Years!

Sample Pricing

6000 Watts .................................$19,500 Federal Tax Credit ...........................-5,850 State Rebate ..................................-3,750 NHEC Rebate* ..............................-2,750 Net Cost ................................... +$7,150

Kim Frase - NH Lic #4146 789 Whittier Highway * Residential rebate. Commercial tax credits and rebate available South Tamworth, NH For More Information 284-6618 | c: 387-0873 284-6618 • www.fraseelectric.com kim@fraseelectric.com home • Spring 2014 • 21

Lakefront Homes F

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Those looking to buy a water views, a 40-foot deep water dock, and a raised sandy beach. The fournew home may be intimidated bedroom, five-bath custom home has 5,888 square feet of space with a fully by the high asking prices of many applianced hickory kitchen with an island lakefront properties. It is not unusual to see listings for Lake and granite countertops. The open living Winnipesaukee homes ranging from $2,500,000 to $5,900,000 room boasts a fieldstone fireplace, a firstand more. floor master suite with Although luxury homes continue to command high prices, it is possible to find many lakefront homes for less than $2 million and some for less than $1 million.

Image-ad -HOMEMAGAZINE 2014:Layout 2 3/19/14 3:41 PM Page 2 Randy Parker of Maxfield Real Estate/Wolfeboro is listing a 13-room beachfront property on 1.31 acres at 200 Springfield Point Road, Wolfeboro, which boasts 200 feet of water frontage, all for $1,895,000. The expanded New England Cape built in 1980 $1,895 has an updated kitchen with sub-zero refrigerator, Wolfe the Laker HOME magazine - 3.6125w ,000x 4.875h Range, and granite counters, opening to a dining and living 2014 room with center fireplace and full lakeside deck. A family room has a large fireplace. There are two guest quarters with $1,895,000 their own entrance, one with its own kitchen and living room.

A balcony off the master bedroom overlooks the beach which walk-in closets, and a master has a 57-foot permanent dock in a protected setting. There is bath with whirlpool tub and an attached garage and the property consists of two lots which separate shower. The lower level has a fireplace and allows for possible additional structures. additional family room over the garage. There is a wraparound deck, French Also listed at $1,895,000 is a nine-room waterfront home at 81 Timber doors, beamed ceilings, and other details that make for an exceptional home.

Lane, Wolfeboro. The house with attached garage is set on .57 acre with long Bobbie Moulton of Melanson Real Estate in Wolfeboro is listing a $1,750,000

603-366-2061

When it comes to AWNINGS

Fri - Mon 10am - 4pm thru April 30 Open Daily 10am - 5pm May 1 - Oct 31

is everything Custom awnings designed, engineered and manufactured for both home and business.

Ask us about the full line of ECLIPSE™retractable awnings.

Let Image Awnings, Inc. create the link between beauty and comfort to enhance your environment.

www.pawsantiques.com • pawsantiques@yahoo.com

603.569.6680 800.339.7273 ImageAwnings.com US Rt 3 • 817 Endicott St. • Weirs Beach, NH At the Meredith Town Line 22 • home • Spring 2014

purchase 5% off your next: 5-OFF-2014 Use coupon code31/14 Exp. 5/

For Less Than $2 Million home at 320 Sewall Road, Wolfeboro, that boasts 13 rooms and has 220 feet of water frontage on .7 acre. In addition to the main house, there is a guest house as well as a detached garage. Off the beach is a sandy-bottom swimming area and there is a crib dock. The house has a balcony and an enclosed porch.

Nearby, at 352 Sewall Road, is a seven-room home on .61 acre right at the shoreline. There is a screened porch, crib dock and seasonal dock, and a 46 x 13 deck on the water.

There also is a bunkhouse at the water’s edge and a studio apartment in the detached garage. The home, which has a dining

area, fireplace, and wood stove, is on town water and sewer and is listed at $1,700,000.

Maxfield Real Estate also lists a $1,375,000 property that features a 10room home on .76 acre at 29 Watson Point Road, Alton. With three levels of living space, the home has a vaulted living room with fireplace, cherry kitchen and dining area, and a large master suite with walkout access to a wraparound deck. There are three additional bedrooms with baths on the second level and a crib room. The property has a sandy beach and a patio at water’s edge.

For $1,250,000, a contemporary, nine-room home at 108 Broadside Road,

Love the outdoor furniture? Come on in because...

You won’t believe what’s inside!

Buy early to take advantage of great savings! $1,750,000 AUTHENTIC WOOD FURNITURE

PINE RIDGE

LAWN & Landscape , l l c

Made in the USA

Monday - Friday 10-6 Sat. 9-6 Sun. 10-5

Specializing in Oversize Moves

DESIGN INSTALLATION MAINTENANCE MASONRY IRRIGATION LICENSED

ARBORIST

398 WHITTIER HIGHWAY, MOULTONBOROUGH, NH FRED PARKS

( 60 3 ) 2 5 3 -6 6 2 2

398 W

PINERIDGELLC.COM

Boat Transportation & Relocation Local or Long Distance Rigging • Paint • Storage Winterization • Shrink Wrapping Fiberglass Repair • Service & Repair 142 Lily Pond Road Gilford, NH 03249

Mention this ad and receive: 10% discount on your next Landscape Project

Offer valid to clients with a signed contract - OFFER EXPIRES 12/31/14

milesmarine@metrocast.net home • Spring 2014 • 23

Point Road in Moultonborough sits on 2.35 acres with 665 feet of water frontage. The sellers built the home in 1978 with a stone fireplace at the center of the open-concept layout. There is a workshop in the basement.

A lake house on 1.52 acres at 180 Dewitt Drive, Alton, is being offered at $892,000. The property boasts a sandy beach, tennis courts, and moorings.

The house features an open kitchen, dining, and living room separated by a stone double-sided fireplace and there are three bedroom suites and separate guest quarters.

A Fenton Varney home at 29 Spruce Road, Wolfeboro, blending comfortable and formal living spaces, is offered at $889,000. Built in 2002, the home has high ceilings on both levels, crown molding throughout, and a grand staircase. Situated on 2.11 acres, the property has landscaped grounds and is within walking distance of Carry Beach.

$1,375

,000

$1,250,000

Wolfeboro, boasts three large decks, 101 feet of shoreline, and protected docking. The home has a large, central family room with a walk-out deck, sunroom, master suite, and two bedrooms upstairs and one down, plus a wine cellar. The house sits on .51 acre.

If a million-dollar home is too pricey, how about a five-room cottage on .4 acre for $975,000? The restored 1957 cottage at 72 Oakwood Road, Wolfeboro, has gardens, a circular drive, and brick walkways as well as a covered, u-shaped deepwater dock and sandy walk-in beach. The cottage has a wrap-around deck and the interior was redone with a European-style entrance, granite counters, and cherry cupboards.

Listed at $925,000, a three-bedroom, year-round ranch at 219 Gilman

Enjoy Your Waterfront!

DESIGN ▪ PERMIT ▪ CONSTRUCT PERMITS TAKE TIME CALL TODAY!

docksource.com

ing Com oon!

S

The Smart Choice.

Cut your mowing time in half with the Toro® zero-turn mower that’s as rugged and tough as it is agile and smooth.

Central NH Divers

UNION AVE ▪ LACONIA

603.293.4000

Boat Lifts, Docks, Hovie Paddle Boards, Dock Hardware, wide selection Marine Supplies and Dock Accessories; swim rafts, slides, flagpoles, swim ladders, cleats, mooring whips, dock boxes, boarding steps & so much more.

24 • home • Spring 2014

Tri County Power Equipment, Inc.

Service & Sales... Where Service comes first!

385D Union Ave., Laconia • 524-4750 www.tricountype.com

SPRUCE UP FOR SUMMER AND SAVE! 10% OFF A NEW US FLAG

WHEN YOU BRING IN YOUR OLD FLAG TO BE RETIRED BY THE AMERICAN LEGION, HARRIMAN-HALE POST 18

FLAGS ★ BANNERS ★ GIFTS Visit Our New Gift and Garden Decor Shop

d n a H y b e d a M Art For The

15 N. Main St. ★ Wolfeboro ★ Open Daily 10-5 1-800-589-8801 ★ www.FlagsOverWinniP.com

$975,000

Property at 9 Baas Drive, Wolfeboro, includes two large, seasonal cottages with seven bedrooms in all, offered at $799,000. The main cottage sits within 30 feet of the lake and has a full-length screened porch. There is a private dock and more than 100 feet of water frontage abutting an association beach which provides another 100 feet.

At $649,000, a home at 1 Pointe Sewall Road, Wolfeboro, includes a fourroom guest apartment with full kitchen and a separate entrance. There is a two-tiered mahogany deck with built-in spa overlooking Wolfeboro Bay. The lot is 1.17 acres in size and is within walking distance of town.

For further information, contact Randy Parker at Maxfield Real Estate/ Wolfeboro or Bobbie Moulton at Melanson Real Estate, or check the listings of other real estate offices listed in The Laker Home.

Authorized Annin Dealer

Garden Totems

by Paula Barry

Garden

Join us June 28 from 11 to 3 to design your own Garden Totem with Paula. for more information check out our web site www.nhcrafts.org/meredith

Jewelry • Pottery • Wood • Baskets • Glass • Fiber • Prints and more...

Meredith Fine Craft Gallery www.nhcrafts.org/meredith • 603-279-7920

home • Spring 2014 • 25

Independently Owned & Operated Bringing you Warmth since 2000 GAS WOOD PELLET STOVES GAS WOOD SYSTEMS PELLET STOVES HOME GENERATOR DUCTLESS AC HOME ON-DEMAND GENERATOR HOT SYSTEMS DUCTLESS AC WATER SYSTEMS ON-DEMAND HOT WATER SYSTEMS

Order Now For Spring

S

owing the seed

Retractable Fabric Awnings Built to Last a Lifetime!

Shade when you need it, sun when you want it!

Wood • Pellet • Gas Stoves

We Service and Install Chimneys & Liners

All Brands of Pellet Stove Service & Repair

456 Laconia Rd., Rt. 3 N, Tilton, NH 603-524-1975 • 800-550-1975 ablestoveshoppenh.com • ablestoves@metrocast.net

While cooler temperatures slowly fade, gardeners across the Lakes Region eagerly await the arrival of spring - and the chance to get outdoors and grow something. If gardening is your passion, you don’t have to wait until the weather is perfect to get started. In fact, working ahead by growing your own seedlings is a great way to ensure your garden is successful throughout the warmer months.

Planting seedlings indoors before transplanting them into the ground is a great use of time and money. Growing seedlings is something homeowners can easily do on their own and save their money to hire professionals for larger projects.

Starting your own seedlings offers many advantages, including the ability to get a jump-start on spring planting. Growing your own plants from seed is less expensive than buying small plants and provides access to a much wider variety of plants.

Because There’s More Adventure Ahead...

Pumps | Tanks | Filters | Sales | Service

Quality Home - Quality Water

STAIRLIFTS: Straight or Curved Indoor & Outdoor

We take pride in our work for home owners who take pride in their home.

Improve your water and air quality by reducing contaminants, including Arsenic - Radon Coliform & E. Coli Bacteria Hardness - Iron - Manganese - pH

www.ThurstyWater.com Water System Certification in NH | Licensed, Certified & Insured

Vertical Wheelchair & Porch Lifts

RLSafeHome

Modern Rehab & Mobility Gear

387 Lafayette Rd. #108 Hampton, NH 03842

Showroom Located off Route 109A in Wolfeboro Phone (603)569-1569 Toll Free (888)551-4545

www.ThurstyWater.com Thursty@ThurstyWater.com

Water For Life

26 • home • Spring 2014

www.RLSafeHome.com

Open Mon. to Fri. 9 to 5 • Open Wed. until 7 pm • Saturday 10 to 2 pm

CAPS, ADA, and ANSI certified. Fully licensed and insured.

ds of spring: How to start your garden indoors Selecting seeds Some seeds can be planted and started indoors, while others need to go directly in the ground outdoors. As you’re choosing seeds for your garden, read the packets thoroughly to ensure the seeds you’re buying are appropriate for indoor planting. Be aware that many vegetable seeds need to be planted directly in the ground.

Most packages will also include information on what time of year to plant, so follow the guidelines for best results. In general, start seeds about six weeks before the last frost date. Check the Farmer’s Almanac Frost Date Calculator to find out when that is in your area.

Choosing containers Seed starter kits are available for easy planting, but any container will do as long as it is about 2 to 3 inches deep and has drainage holes. Egg cartons and paper cups are inexpensive and easy options; be sure to poke drainage holes in the bottoms. Fill your containers with a good soil mix - never use regular soil from your yard. Seeds need just the right texture and mixture of nutrients to succeed. Covering your containers with plastic wrap or plastic lids will help keep soil and seeds moist.

Setting the environment In order to germinate, most seeds need a steady temperature of about 78 F. You can create localized warmth for seeds through use of electric heaters or heat mats placed under containers. You can also try placing containers atop warm appliances, such as a refrigerator, as long as they will also receive ample light in the location. Once seedlings push through the soil, you can move them to a windowsill where they’ll get more natural light.

Caring for seedlings It’s important to provide seedlings with constant moisture, but don’t let the

soil get soggy. If you used plastic wrap or covers, remove them from containers once seeds have sprouted. When leaves appear, begin fertilizing with a liquid fertilizer. Pay close attention to the dosage amounts recommended on the fertilizer packaging; seedlings are fragile. Check on seedlings daily until you’re ready to plant them outdoors.

If your plants begin to bud before you transplant them to the outdoors, wait to move them until they are fully bloomed. If you transplant them while they are buds and cool weather hits, they could get frost bite and die. When it’s time to transplant the seeds, make sure the soil is no cooler than 60 degrees.

Authentic Color | Benjamin Moore®colors can only be made in Benjamin Moore Paint

Bradley’s

22 Railroad Avenue, Wolfeboro Wolfeboro, NH 03894 603.569.3018 (603) 569-3018 Bradley's Hardware 22 Railroad Avenue Wolfeboro, NH 03894 (603) 569-3018

InstallatIon R CENTER HARBO

DOCK&PIER LLC

nboro, NH ke Shore Dr. • Moulto La 3 17 • 25 e ut Ro s.com Just Off w.centerharbordock 603-253-4000 • ww

Bradley's Hardware Hardware 22 Railroad Avenue

Removal

Bradley's Hardware

22 Railroad Avenue Bradley's Hardware Wolfeboro, NH 03894

22 Railroad Avenue (603) 569-3018 Wolfeboro, NH 03894 (603) 569-3018

RepaIRs

We Don’t Just Build Docks...

We Fill Waterfront Dreams!

Custom Docks Designed to Suit Your Specific Waterfront Needs Make Your Lakeside Living Easier, Safer, More Convenient and a Whole Lot More Exciting for the Whole Family

Over 40 Years in Business

Repairs, Custom Welding and Fabrication Work Float & Dock Supplies

Complete line of lightweight easy-to-install DoCks

S w i m F l o at S • B o at l i F t S • a l u m i n u m D o c k S • w o o D e n S e a S o n a l D o c k S • D o c k H a r D w a r e home • Spring 2014 • 27

From the Publisher…

noT JusT A grAin sTore...

$1 Off

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Miracle gro 2 cu. ft. Potting Mix with this ad

This spring & summer look for: • Seeds & Vegetable Plants • Bedding Plants & Hanging Baskets • Garden Tools & Supplies • Soils & Fertilizers • Fencing Supplies • Canning & Food Preserving • Pet Supplies • Poultry Supplies & Feeds • Equine Supplies & Feeds • Livestock Supplies & Feeds Whether farmer, pet owner, backyard gardener or wildlife enthusiast you will find almost everything you need in our stores.

271 Suncook Valley Rd. (Rte. 28) 1010 White Mountain Highway (Rte. 16) Chichester • 603-435-8388 Ossipee • 603-539-4006

www.clarksgrain.com

We’re All About Your Life Outside

Spring Tips for Healthy Lawns, Trees, & Landscapes Lawn & Soil Schedule your spring crabgrass and weed control to protect your lawn and make it lush and green.

Tree & Shrub Pruning Spring pruning removes dead and damaged branches after winter’s harsh weather.

Fertilize Your Landscape Give your trees, shrubs and lawns a healthy start with our natural and specially formulated fertilizers.

Tree • Turf • Garden Land • Forest Meredith 603.279.7400 Concord 603.225.9600 Web chippersinc.com

28 • home • Spring 2014

TM

My name is Dan Smiley and I want to make you happy. This has sort of been my catch phrase for the past 25 years or so. I believe in customer service. Why? Because your time is more valuable than money! You can make more money but you can’t make more time. This is why quality customer service is so important in business. Nobody wants to go through the drivethru again because the order is wrong. Nobody wants to be on hold with the utility because the bill was wrong. It’s easier to keep a current customer happy than it is to find a new customer.

In publishing, you get one opportunity to do it right and you can never bring it back. During my 30 years in the printing, publishing, advertising and direct-mail business, I’ve learned the hard way more than once that I need to do exactly what my other family members in the contracting business repeatedly recommend, “Measure twice, cut once.”

So it was with considerable time measuring and measuring again last summer and fall that I made the determination that purchasing The Laker and the affiliated publications at Panoramic Publishing would be a wise business move. But that was not the number one objective in my mind. There were over 300 similar businesses for sale in the United States. Many of which had much warmer climates. But I chose to purchase this business for quality of life. Our family visited the Lakes Region of New Hampshire over twenty times last year. The more and more I measured, the more I came to believe that this was the place for us to raise our children.

Could I have found a better deal somewhere else? Perhaps. Might I have found better economic conditions outside the northeast? Likely. But I highly doubt that I would have found a more welcoming community. I have had the good fortune to meet nearly 400 people during my first two short months in New Hampshire and I continue to be impressed with the people who call this region home. They’re friendly, honest and have that similar laid-back approach to life that I cherished having in Maine.

I therefore say thank you to all the people who have made this transition in my life possible. To the bankers and economic development people who financed the deal. To Brad and Fran Lipe who had the faith in me to sell me the business they had so painstakingly cared for. Thanks to Dick and Kathy Eaton for having the foresight 30 plus years ago to start this business from scratch.

Thank you to the incredible staff members who continue to work here at The Laker and not abandoning ship when they found out the currents were shifting.

Thank you to the hundreds of clients who have used our publications to promote their business and continuing to Meredith 603.279.7400 do so.Concord Many603.225.9600 thanks to our thousands and thousands of readers who enjoy getting or picking Blake & Benjamin Smiley are excited to up our free become residents of the Granite State. publications throughout the year. Most of all, thank you to my loving wife Lisa for having the courage and strength to believe and support me as we embark on this new and exciting path in the Lakes Region.

Thank You! Dan Smiley, Owner & Publisher

Pontoon Boats

Dare To Compare

You owe it to yourself to find out why Bennington is the #1 pontoon boat sold in the U.S.

You owe it to yourself to test drive a Bennington Boat. All pontoon boats are not created equal.

There is a big difference.

You owe it to your wallet to bring your best price to Channel Marine.

We will compete on price.

Your own peace-of-mind knowing that you have the best pontoon boat warranty in the industry with at least 40% longer duration than other brands.

96 Channel Lane, Weirs Beach, NH 254 Laconia Road, Rt. 3, Tilton, NH

(603) 366-4801 • www.channelmarine.com

Join Club Bennington Today! home • Spring 2014 • 29

Spring Fever APRIL 11, 12 & 13 Laconia Location

SALES EVENT

FREE GAS CARD UP TO

$

1000

WITH EVERY NEW BOAT PURCHASE!

Jet Boats

NH’s Most Respected Name in Boating Since 1919 Serving You at 3 Convenient Locations ROUTE 28A ALTON BAY, NH 603-875-5700

958 UNION AVE. LACONIA • NH 603-524-6661

RT. 102 HUDSON, NH 603-595-7995

www.irwinmarine.com 30 • home • Spring 2014

4 Years

home • Spring 2014 • 31

Get more out of life... unlock the equity in your home.

Home equity financing from MVSB. Whatever you’d like to do, your home could hold the key to financing it. With a home equity loan or line of credit from MVSB you can have access to the equity you have built up in your home. And because rates are so competitive, it may be the most convenient and economical way to borrow for home improvements,

32 • home • Spring 2014

27MVS070_HmEqLines&Loans_7_5x10_ah1.indd 1

to make large purchases, or to cover major expenses like weddings, tuitions or unexpected emergencies.

To unlock the equity in your home, stop by any MVSB office, apply online at mvsb.com or contact a lender at 800-922-6872.

3/19/14 4:36 PM