Home Show opens Friday

Transcription

2 — Indiana Gazette Home Builders Supplement, Tuesday, March 13, 2012
MATT HELMAN, left
worked recently to install
tile around a fireplace in
a house being
constructed near
Blairsville by Don Huey
Custom Builders. The
picture at right shows
the curving staircase
built for the house.
TOM PEEL/Gazette
A
&
A
Con
stru
ctio
WHAT’S INSIDE
n
Matt Houser, Owner
208 Skyline Drive, Indiana, PA 15701
www.aacustomconstruction.com • PA 1518
Building & Remodeling Over 30 Years
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• WARRANTY GUARANTEE
• ALL PHASES OF HOME CONSTRUCTION
• Custom Built Homes • Room Additions • Garages
• Roofing • Siding • Soffit and Fascia
• Custom Decks • Finished Basements
• Elaborate Trimwork
A & A Construction specializes in all phases of home
construction and remodeling including custom built homes,
room additions, garages, roofing, siding, soffit & fascia and
gutters. We also do interior construction such as remodeling
kitchens and bathrooms, finished basements and sunroom
enclosures. In addition, we are skilled in elaborate trim work.
We can turn a plain room into a dramatic showroom.
Call for an appointment to discuss your construction needs.
Estimates are provided free of charge.
Look for our booth at the 2012 Home Show.
Construction picture for 2012 appears brighter.......Page 3
Metal roofing gets closer look .................................Page 7
CCC’s Harold Wilson heads IABA in 2012................Page 9
Home Show opens Friday ........................................Page 10
How to go about finding the right contractor...........Page 12
End of sprinkler rule saves home buyers money.....Page 13
Some tax credits still available.................................Page 14
Residential building permits ....................................Page 16
Commercial building permits...................................Page 17
Guide to Home Show exhibits..................................Pages 20-21
Planning to redo or renew your kitchen?.................Page 22
Put some kitsch in drab kitchen?.............................Page 23
New-home trends can be a guide for remodeling....Page 26
Creating a beautiful bedroom...................................Page 29
Brick industry tries to buck trend.............................Page 30
Choosing a countertop.............................................Page 31
Cantilevered factory house overlooks Pittsburgh ....Page 33
Designing the perfect space for a big TV .................Page 37
About the cover
The 2012 president of the Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association
is Harold Wilson, part-owner of Community Craftsmen
Contractors Inc., which built the house in the two pictures on the
cover. The house is located along Route 286 south of Saltsburg.
Read more about him and his company on Page 9.
Indiana Gazette Home Builders Supplement, Tuesday, March 13, 2012 — 3
“IT LOOKS like it’s going to be a busy year.”
Don Huey,
Indiana contractor
Area home builders expect
brighter construction season
By RANDY WELLS
[email protected]
It’s no secret that 2011 was
not a banner year for home
construction in Indiana County.
But as spring weather returns, several local contractors
are forecasting a busier building season during 2012.
“I’m actually lining up jobs.
The phone is starting to ring,”
said Tony Busija, an Indiana
contractor who believes the
mild winter weather has
prompted more people to
think about home fix-up and
addition projects.
And Busija said he is looking
forward to this weekend’s Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association Home Show at the
S&T Bank Arena. Last year’s
home show generated a couple months of work for him.
Busija has worked in the
building and remodeling business about 10 years, and his
own remodeling company will
mark its first anniversary in
April.
He and his crew specialize in
projects like roofs, siding, soffit and fascia replacement on
homes throughout Indiana
County. Now, he said, is “not at
all” too early for home owners
to be planning remodeling or
building projects.
Warren Peter, owner of Warren Peter Construction Inc.
and this year’s president of the
Pennsylvania Builders Association, agreed that the business
outlook for builders this
spring is much more positive
than last year.
More people are asking for
quotes on construction projects and consumer confidence
seems to be improving, Peter
said. Also helping to improve
the situation is the fact that in-
terest rates are low and proposed 2012 state building
codes — that would have increased construction costs for
some home owners — have
been deferred and the state
will continue to operate under
the 2009 codes until 2015.
In addition to preparing for
some new home construction,
Peter also has remodeling
projects, new room additions
and new garages in his planning mix for this year.
Peter has six employees,
about half what he normally
has, but hopes to add more
Continued on Page 4
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Housing outlook brighter in 2012
Continued from Page 3
people to his construction
team this spring as orders
come in.
His crew works mainly in Indiana and Armstrong counties.
Frank Kurcsics, president of
K.F. Construction, Indiana,
said his crew of 12 employees
was so busy last year with remodeling and additions that
they’ve had little time to work
on their company’s new storage building nearing completion along Route 119 North in
Rayne Township.
“We were extremely busy —
jammed,” in 2011, Kurcsics
said, with both residential and
commercial renovation and
addition projects.
Last year his crew built room
additions, garages with rooms
above them and sidewalks and
did excavating work. This
spring they’re completing a
major renovation with new offices and a conference room
inside Falcon Drilling’s build-
ing in Rayne Township.
“More people are fixing up
what they have” rather than
building new, Kurcsics said.
And his company has the diversified equipment and skills
to take on almost any construction project from excavating foundations to installing roofs.
One new expense Kurcsics
said he encountered this year
is a 30 percent jump in the
price of drywall.
K.F. Construction works
mainly in a 50-mile radius
around Indiana, and most of
its projects are in Indiana
County.
A&A Construction, of Indiana, did 32 residential roof replacements last year.
“We have roofs left over from
last year” to do in 2012, said
Matt Houser, the company
owner.
Houser and his five full-time
employees specialize in roofing — which comprises about
50 percent of their work — fol-
lowed by siding, room additions and garages. Most of the
projects are in Indiana County,
and he anticipates he’ll be
busy enough to keep his crew
working 5½ days a week
through December.
“We’re doing well. We’ve actually sold all of the (remaining) lots in Pleasant Hills,”
near Old Route 119 and Hamill
Road, White Township, said
Karen Vehovic, in charge of
sales administration for the
Indiana office of Bastian
Homes.
The 35-year-old company
builds homes in five states and
has four offices in Pennsylvania.
“New construction has been
busiest for us,” Vehovic said.
“We’ve been busy all winter,”
aided by the relatively mild
weather. Most families considering new homes are looking
for 2,300 to 2,500 square feet of
space, she said.
“A lot of our remodeling has
been adding master bedrooms
and family rooms and garages
with living space above,” she
said.
“It looks like it’s going to be a
busy year,” said Don Huey,
owner of one of Indiana’s
biggest building and remodeling companies. Renovations
and room additions top the
list of projects for his 80 employees, but he also has construction of a couple new
homes on his schedule, he
said.
One other part of the equation that often drives construction and remodeling
projects is the availability of
mortgage and fix-up money at
lending institutions. And there
apparently is no problem
there this spring.
Scott Cramer, a home mortgage consultant at First Commonwealth Bank in Indiana,
said 30-year mortgage rates
now are lower than 15-year
rates were in 2011. Interest
rates on a 30-year loan are
Continued on Page 5
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Outlook
brighter
for 2012
now around 4 percent or
less, he said.
Cramer said that while
money is available to loan,
requirements for loans are
now stricter than they were
a few years ago. Applicants
are being asked to more
fully document their financial qualifications for loans,
he said.
And Jeff Cramer, chief
lending officer at 1st Summit Bank, also with an office in Indiana, agreed that
mortgage rates are favorable, lower now than at this
time last year.
“We have lots of money to
lend. It’s a borrower’s market,” Cramer said. With interest rates where they are
now, homeowners, he said,
“should be doing things
they’ve been putting off.”
HERMAN HELM,
working for Griffith
Plumbing and Heating,
put in a condensing line
for the air conditioner in a
home under construction
by Bastian Homes
along Hamill Road
in White Township.
TOM PEEL/Gazette
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DAVE GRAHAM, left, of Warren Peter Construction, installed
hardwood flooring in a home being built by the company in
the Hunter’s Creek development near Shelocta. Below, Ed
Rombach, with Rombach Brothers Painting of Saltsburg,
painted the garage door of the new house near Shelocta.
TOM PEEL/Gazette
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As price of traditional shingles
rises, metal roofs get closer look
By RANDY WELLS
[email protected]
One of the things representatives of
Lezzer Lumber Co. will be doing at this
spring’s Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association Home Show is advising homeowners that when it comes to roofing materials, they have options.
Maybe not as many as in some parts of
America where slate, terra cotta and copper are possibilities.
Around Indiana County, asphalt shingles are still the No. 1 choice for topping
off a building. But one other material —
steel — is gaining in popularity as the
price of petroleum-based shingles continues to climb.
Jay McCombs, a sales representative at
Lezzer Lumber, said the price of material
for either a shingle or steel roof is about
the same — roughly $95 to $100 a square
for shingles and $85 to $95 a square for
steel roofing. (A square of either covers
100 square feet of roof.)
“WE DEFINITELY have more people
looking at it (metal roofing),
considering it.”
Jay McCombs,
Lezzer Lumber Co.
According to some local contractors, an
advantage of steel as a roofing material is
that it goes on faster, reducing the labor
cost.
“We definitely have more people looking at it, considering it,” McCombs said of
metal roofing.
Like the cost of gasoline, the price of petroleum-based shingles can fluctuate during the year and has risen about 15 percent from this time last year, McCombs
said.
And because of a manufacturing allocation, shingles are sometimes in short supply by late summer, he said.
With steel roofing, there are many color
options and profile choices, some offer
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One disadvantage of steel roofing, in
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stick to the metal and slides off to create
piles in front of exterior doors. Small
blocks of material, often called snow
guards or snow blocks, can be attached
near the lower edges of metal roofs to prevent avalanching of snow and ice, holding
it back while it melts gradually or falls off
in small amounts.
Matt Houser, owner of A&A Construction in Indiana, replaces a lot of roofs but
usually recommends asphalt shingles
rather than metal roofing, especially for
buildings that have many peaks and valleys.
Steel roofing manufacturers, in his
opinion, have not mastered flashing kits
and ridge caps to make metal roofs as
water-tight as shingle roofs.
“That’s why I stay away from them,”
Continued on Page 8
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Metal roofing getting a closer look
Houser said.
But he also noted that there are fewer
shingle manufacturers today than there
were a few years ago.
“There are not enough shingle manufacturers to go around,” he said. So now
he has to order shingles a week or two before he needs them rather than just assuming he will be able to pick them up at
a supplier a day or two before he plans to
install them.
Tony Busija, owner of Busija Remodeling, in Indiana, has done considerable
roofing work in the past decade and has
installed some metal roofing. But he considers himself primarily a “shingler.”
When installing a metal roof, he insists
on removing the old roof first, rather than
installing the metal over an existing roof.
Not removing the old material causes too
much weight to accumulate on the roof
trusses, in his opinion.
“The flashing, for me, is a big issue” with
metal roofs, Busija said, adding that the
flashing around chimneys seals tighter
with shingles than metal roofs.
Dave Fairman, owner of Fairman’s Roof
Trusses, near Creekside, sold metal roofing for many years.
That part of his business is now handled
A PHOTO
provided by
the Metal
Roofing
Alliance
(www.metal
roofing.com)
shows an
example of
metal shingle/
slate used in
residential
roofing.
by Innovations of Home, along Route 119,
south of Marion Center.
A majority of metal roofing being sold
now is for garages and similar buildings,
he said, but he has seen some increase in
its use for residential applications.
Depending on the preferences of the
homeowners and contractors, steel roofing can be installed over old shingles, re-
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ducing the cost of labor and eliminating
the expense of disposing of the old shingles, Fairman said.
According to Fairman, prices of steel
roofing vary mainly by two factors: The
gauge, or thickness, of the metal, and the
type, either with exposed fasteners or the
standing seam variety, with clip fasteners
that are out of sight.
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Wilson heads up
IABA for 2012
By NICOLE ROSER
down, Wilson said lately they
have been doing more remodeling jobs, including kitchens,
Since beginning his career in bathrooms and family rooms,
the construction business in and putting up student hous1975, Harold Wilson, part- ing.
Regardless of the job, Wilson
owner of Community Craftsmen Contractors Inc., has said, he enjoys seeing the finished product and seehelped to build more
ing expressions of satisthan 400 custom homes
faction from the new
in and around Indiana
home owners.
County.
“It’s great to see the joy
Wilson, the 2012 presithey are having while
dent of the Indianathey are getting ready to
Armstrong Builders Asmove into their new
sociation, said he began
home,” he said.
his career by working for
In addition to Wilson
a construction business,
and Barto, CCC employs
where he learned the
HAROLD
approximately 10 contrade.
WILSON
tractors, depending on
In 1980, he and his
how big the project is
partner, Steve Barto,
both helped to establish CCC, and how much work they have.
Wilson, who has been a memwhich specializes in new
ber of IABA for more than 30
homes.
But, with the economy being
Continued on Page 10
[email protected]
A FIREPLACE
stretching
from floor
to ceiling
highlights
the house
built by
Community
Craftsmen
Contractors
Inc. along
Route 286
south of
Saltsburg.
TOM PEEL/Gazette
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Wilson heads
IABA in ’12
years, also served as president in 1990. He
is also a board member for the state association.
In his role as IABA president, Wilson
said, he is responsible for heading the association.
This year, he said, IABA is focusing on
getting more membership, which is open
to all builders. Membership can be obtained at any time.
In order for members to be president,
Wilson said members must “run through
the chairs,” meaning hold other offices
that help prepare members for the position.
“I enjoy being involved and talking to
other builders and remodelers, and keeping up to date with changes and codes, he
said. “All of these good things.”
Wilson is the husband of Vicki and the
father of three daughters: Melanie, Megan
and Melissa.
For more information on the IndianaArmstrong Builders Association, contact
Dick Clawson at (724) 349-2327 or go to
www.iabuilders.com.
THE
ANNUAL
Home
Show
turns the
S&T Arena
into a
showcase
for both
consumers
and
exhibitors,
This photo
is from the
2011 show.
JAMES J. NESTOR/Gazette
By NICOLE ROSER
[email protected]
Whether you are looking to build, remodel or improve your home, the 33rd
annual Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association Home Show is the one-stop
shop for all home enhancement needs.
The show, which will be held from 5 to
9 p.m. Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday
and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the S&T
Bank Arena at the White Township
Recreation Complex, will feature updated electronic systems and high-tech
ideas, new energy efficiency ideas and
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the latest in building and remodeling, according to Dick
Clawson, executive officer of
IABA.
Admission is $3 for adults,
and free for children 16 and
under with a paying adult. A
concession stand will be open
at the center, and free parking
will also be available.
With approximately 135
booths and 100 exhibitors on
display, various areas of the
building industry will be represented with contacts on site
to provide information and
answer questions, Clawson
said.
“Consumers will be able to
compare side by side and go
back and forth to compare
products,” he said.
According to Harold Wilson,
of Community Craftsmen
Contractors Inc. and the current president of IABA, consumers will also benefit from
getting new ideas and seeing
new products. He also said
If you go ...
WHAT: Indiana-Armstrong
Builders Association Home
Show
WHEN: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday,
noon to 9 p.m. Saturday
and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: S&T Bank Arena
PRICE: $3 for adults; free
for children 16 and under
with a paying adult
contractors benefit, too, because many of them get the
opportunity to arrange projects, and it helps to keep their
name out there.
Wilson, a participant of the
show for more than 30 years,
said in addition to gaining
business, he also enjoys seeing
and talking to his past clients.
“It’s great to spend time talking to them and catching up
on what they have been doing,
and learning what changes
they have made throughout
the years,” he said.
Since the show’s debut 33
years ago, Clawson said, a lot
has changed, and it’s amazing
to see the changes each year.
“It’s the same exhibit, but
with new and better products,” he said. “I think we serve
the community well by putting this together. We have
some really good memories,
growing from 40 booths to
135.”
The show also averages a
great consumer turnout, according to Clawson, who said
they see anywhere from 3,600
to 4,000 people each year.
“It’s a nice steady crowd,” he
said. “And the place is heated,
well-lit and comfortable.”
Wilson and Clawson both
agree that the show has been
built to last.
“This is long-term, we will
always be around,” Clawson
said.
KEY ROLES
TWO MEN active with
the Indiana-Armstrong
Builders
Association also
hold key
positions
in the
Pennsylvania
Builders
PETER
Association. Warren Peter, of Warren Peter Construction Inc.,
was elected as the
2012
PBA
president.
Richard
Clawson,
executive
officer of
CLAWSON
the local
association, has been reelected as PBA treasurer.
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How to find right contractor for job
By HEATHER BLAKE
[email protected]
Choosing the right contractor
may seem confusing to a consumer, but it doesn’t have to be —
if you know what to look for.
Melissa Etshied, public relations
director for the Pennsylvania
Builders Association, said the two
most important things they advise
consumers to do are to go through
their local builders association and
check the state attorney general’s
website for information about a
specific contractor.
“Those are the two big things we
advise people to do right up front,”
Etshied said. “(Also), get references
and have a clearly written contract.
Watch out for unusually low bids
— be aware if one looks incredibly
low.”
Etshied said word of mouth is another way to find out which contractors are right for the job.
“Use someone whose references
you can check or whose work you
can see,” she said. “Also look at how
Before you sign the contract
Here are some things the
PBA recommends looking
for and being aware of when
choosing a contractor:
n Call your local builders
association for a list of its
members.
n Ask the contractor if he
or she belongs to the PBA.
n Take your time and
investigate contractors
carefully before hiring them.
n Ask for an insurance
certificate to verify current
workers’ compensation and
general liability insurance.
n Ask for references and
talk to others who have had
work done by the contractor
about his or her quality of
work, and ask to see the
contractor’s work yourself.
n Always insist on a
written contract and written
change orders.
n Make sure the
contractor has a permanent
business location and a
good reputation with local
banks and suppliers.
n Be specific about start
and end dates.
❏❏❏
Also be aware of your
rights as a homeowner, as
spelled out by the Office of
the Attorney General:
n A home improvement
contractor must provide you
with a copy of the complete
contract free of charge.
contract may be rescinded
without penalty within three
business days of the
signing date, except as
provided under law for
emergency situations.
contract is not enforceable
against a consumer if it
does not include all of the
information required by law.
n A contractor may not
demand or receive any
payment for a home
improvement before the
home improvement contract
is signed.
For more information,
visit ww.iabuilders.com,
www.attorneygeneral.gov
or www.Pa Builders.org.
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How to pick a contractor
long they have been in business, and will
they be around and able to be contacted
if you need them.”
She added that those contractors listed
on the attorney general’s website are respected professionals in communities
who are invested in their work.
“They’re not fly-by-night individuals,”
she said. “Not just anyone gets approved
for membership. They have to complete
an application and be approved.”
The Home Improvement Consumer
Protection Act, which went into effect
July 1, 2009, offers protections to consumers who hire contractors for home
remodeling projects. Contractors who
perform home improvements totaling
$5,000 or more per year are required to
register with the Office of the Attorney
General and obtain a Home Improvement Contractors registration number,
which must be displayed on all contracts, estimates, proposals and advertisements distributed within Pennsylvania.
Dick Clawson, executive director of the
Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association, added that if a consumer is having a
new home built and the person hired
does only new homes, he or she does not
need to have an HIC registration number. One of the main requirements of the
Home Improvement Contract registration program is that contractors provide
proof of liability insurance and workers’
compensation if there are other employees on the job, Clawson said.
He said the contractors belonging to
the HIC program continue to support it.
“It keeps the honest people there,”
Clawson said, adding that he has gotten
consumer complaints about contractors
but those consumers didn’t ask for an
HIC number, therefore accepting the risk
of being taken advantage of.
“We do see articles in the newspaper
where the attorney general has gotten
people for fraud, and it’s nice that they
publicize that,” he said. “Unfortunately,
it’s usually been the elderly that seem to
be the ones that get taken advantage of.”
If a consumer were to call in with a
complaint against a registered contractor, Clawson said, he will notify the individual.
“If it’s one of our guys, they’re reputable and they will go solve the problem,” he said, adding that 99 percent of
the time the complaints are directed at
someone who doesn’t belong to the program.
“WE NOT only had builders on
our side, but consumers as well
because it also affected them.”
Melissa Etshied
PBA public relations director
PBA: Ending
sprinkler rule
cuts home cost
By HEATHER BLAKE
[email protected]
The Pennsylvania and Indiana-Armstrong builders associations were victorious last April in having the sprinkler requirement for new single-family homes
rescinded after it became law for only a
little more than three months.
Part of the negotiations about deleting
the sprinkler rule from the building code
was that the builder is required to offer
the consumer the option of putting in a
sprinkler system, along with a price
quote, said Dick Clawson, executive diContinued on Page 14
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HOME
OME
AARMSTRONG
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IIMPROVEMENTS
PA#062748
PBA: Ending rule cuts home cost
rector of the Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association.
The mandate became law
last January despite vigorous
efforts from the Pennsylvania
Builders Association and
builders associations throughout the state, such as the IABA.
Firefighters and other groups
had pushed for the mandate,
saying the sprinkler systems
would improve safety.
Deletion of the sprinkler requirement from the code has
saved between $7,500 and
$12,000 and a few extra days’
work for each new house,
Clawson said.
“Other requirements would
have been what it would take
to support the sprinkler system,” he said, such as a separate waterline and separate
meter for city water and a
“300- or 400-gallon jug up in
the attic” for well/septic water.
Clawson said when home-
owners found out the requirement was there, they were unhappy about being forced to
take it.
“It’s the old row houses in
Philadelphia, Harrisburg and
Pittsburgh that are tinder
boxes, dry wood now that are
so close together that burn,”
he said. “There’s so much fireproof and fire-retardant material in the houses today that
the new ones aren’t going to
burn that fast.
“The adage is that ‘smoke
detectors save lives and sprinklers save property,’” Clawson
added. “You can have a smoldering fire, smoke that’s going
to trigger that smoke detector,
and that might smolder for (a
few) hours until it gets to the
170-some degrees it takes to
trigger the sprinkler, so the
people are going to be long
gone if the smoke detectors
work.”
Melissa Etshied, public rela-
tions director for the Pennsylvania Builders Association,
said the PBA was pretty confident in its fight to have the
sprinkler requirement repealed.
“There were some scary moments,” she said. “We not only
had builders on our side, but
consumers as well because it
also affected them.
“We knew there were
enough people in government
who were affected by it who
were hearing from their constituents.”
Etshied said the PBA gathered stories from throughout
the state from people who
were or would have been affected by the mandate, and it
was “very helpful.”
“It was a complete grassroots effort,” she said.
In addition to having the
sprinkler mandate rescinded,
the builders associations were
also successful in stopping im-
plementation of the 2012 International Residential Building Codes in the state and reverting to the 2009 codes. Etshied said there were a lot of
little changes that would have
cost homeowners a lot more
money.
“Just the top 10 code
changes would have translated into an additional $15,000
for the average home,” she
said.
In addition, the Uniform
Construction Code Review
and Advisory Council has
voted to send a recommendation to the Legislature further
amending the UCC to extend
the adoption cycle for new
building codes from every
three years to every six years.
Etshied said she thinks the
Legislature will follow through
on the recommendation but
didn’t think any decision was
going to be made until around
April.
Tax credits still available for some projects
With the new year under
way, you may be thinking
about needed home improvements and how you’ll use your
credit to fund them. While it’s
important to understand your
credit before making major
home improvement decisions,
you should also consider another kind of credit — tax
credits for energy efficient
home improvements.
For the past few years, the
federal government has of-
fered tax credits for certain
home improvements aimed at
increasing a home’s energy efficiency. While the most popular and generous tax credits,
such as the one that allowed
you to claim up to 30 percent
of improvements such as a
new roof or hot water heater,
have expired, you can still get
credit for other significant energy-efficient improvements.
According to EnergyStar.gov,
you can claim a tax credit for
30 percent of the cost of installing a geothermal heat
pump, small wind turbine or
solar energy system in your
home. The credit has no upper
limit and applies to both existing homes and new construction, but not to rental properties. This credit is good until
Dec. 31, 2016.
You can also get a credit of
up to 30 percent of the cost of
residential fuel cells, up to
$500 per 0.5kW of power ca-
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While the initial cost of these
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Depending on the type of
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Residential building permits
Municipality
Armagh
Armstrong Township
Banks Township
Blacklick Township
Blairsville
Brush Valley Township
Buffington Township
Burrell Township
Center Township
Cherry Tree
Cherryhill Township
Clymer
Conemaugh Township
Creekside
East Mahoning Township
East Wheatfield Township
Ernest
Glen Campbell
2009
2010
2011
3
20
4
12
NA
6
10
30
15
0
6
6
13
0
3
13
0
0
2
15
7
4
NA
14
6
26
28
2
27
7
15
0
9
6
0
3
1
17
5
3
NA
10
NA
19
23
1
NA
11
11
0
3
9
1
4
Municipality
Grant Township
Green Township
Homer City
Indiana
Montgomery Township
North Mahoning Township
Pine Township
Plumville
Rayne Township
Saltsburg
Shelocta
Smicksburg
South Mahoning Township
Washington Township
West Mahoning Township
West Wheatfield Township
White Township
Young Township
2009
2010
2011
5
26
4
45
12
8
20
1
5
3
0
0
1
5
3
16
73
10
4
22
4
23
14
2
16
1
23
2
0
0
6
7
1
25
60
4
3
15
7
45
11
5
8
2
15
6
1
2
5
7
2
22
63
5
NA means figures were not available
County municipalities not listed have no permits issued
Source: Municipalities and the Indiana County Office of Planning and Development
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Commercial building permits
Municipality
Armstrong Township
Banks Township
Blacklick Township
Blairsville
Brush Valley Township
Buffington Township
Burrell Township
Center Township
Cherry Tree
Cherryhill Township
Clymer
Conemaugh Township
East Mahoning Township
East Wheatfield Township
Glen Campbell
2009
2010
2011
8
NA
4
NA
1
0
15
9
0
0
5
3
2
0
1
3
1
2
NA
0
0
10
7
0
0
5
0
1
2
1
0
2
0
3
0
1
14
5
0
NA
1
3
1
2
0
Municipality
Grant Township
Green Township
Homer City
Indiana
Montgomery Township
North Mahoning Township
Pine Township
Plumville
Rayne Township
Saltsburg
South Mahoning Township
West Mahoning Township
West Wheatfield Township
White Township
Young Township
2009
2010
2011
0
1
0
28
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
6
55
0
0
0
4
23
1
2
1
0
3
2
1
0
1
51
0
2
3
3
39
0
1
2
0
4
1
1
0
2
65
1
NA means figures were not available
County municipalities not listed have no permits issued
Source: Municipalities and the Indiana County Office of Planning and Development
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ARAcontent
KNOWING THE cost of a project before starting it can help you
better manage your credit.
Some tax credits
still available
Before launching a significant home repair or improvement, it may pay to consult
with your tax accountant to
see what, if any, portion of the
cost may be deductible. And,
as you do home repairs
throughout the year, keep receipts and discuss the improvements and possible deductions with your accountant when he or she is preparing your tax return.
Knowing ahead of time
which, if any, tax credits or deductions your home improvement may qualify for can help
you make a better decision
about how to use credit to
fund the work. Since how you
use credit affects your overall
credit score, knowing the cost
of a project before starting it
can help you better manage
your credit.
To learn more about tax
credits for energy efficient
home improvements, visit
www.EnergyStar.gov.
To learn more about tax deductions, visit www.IRS.gov.
You can find a list of regional
tax credits, rebates and savings at energy.gov/savings.
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109
EXIT
ENTRANCE
98
97
96
EXIT
95
94
93
91
90
EXIT
89
88
87
86
85
84
83
82
EXIT
81
119
118
116 1
108
2
3
107
4
106
6
ENTRANCE
5
111
105
124
7
122 123
121
120
117
9
130
132
104
119
FRONT
ENTRANCE
126 TICKETS
10 11 12 13 14
103
102
101
131 (Outside)
112
115
(Outside)
125 127 128 129
LOBBY
MAIN
EXIT
8
30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
100
INDIANA-ARMSTRONG BUILDERS ASSOCIATION HOME SHOW 2012
110
EXIT
99
79
Is Celebrating
Its 37th
Anniversary
62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47
80
Friday 5-9:00pm; Saturday Noon-9:00pm; Sunday Noon-4:00pm
MARCH 16-17-18
HOME SHOW
33rd ANNUAL
63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78
92
Building
Today
For A Better
Tomorrow
Indiana-Armstrong Builders Association
# 49 - Rustic Acres/Interior Worx - (724) 349-1720
# 50 - Indiana Printing & Publishing Co. - (724) 465-5555
# 51 - Corte Masonry Supply - (724) 465-2790
# 52 - Dynamic Ceramic & Concrete - (724) 465-9001
# 53 - Sky Satellite - (724) 354-2008
# 54 - Arone Lumber & Hardware Company - (724) 479-9219
# 56 - Debnar’s Pools, Spas & Lawn Equipment - (724) 459-7460
# 58 - Tony’s Small Engine Repair - (724) 254-4541
# 59 - Northeast STIHL - (724) 254-4541
# 60 - Northeast STIHL - (724) 254-4541
# 61 - Northeast STIHL - (724) 254-4541
# 62 - Mumau Building & Remodeling - (724) 479-0202
# 63 - Mumau Building & Remodeling - (724) 479-0202
# 64 - Culligan Water - (724) 465-5611
# 65 - Culligan Water - (724) 465-5611
# 66 - C.E. Davis Contracting, LLC - (724) 354-2389
# 67 - C.E. Davis Contracting, LLC - (724) 354-2389
# 72 - Dynamark Security - (724) 349-3113
# 73 - Maplecrest Custom Homes - (724) 388-9699
# 74 - Shirey Overhead Doors - (800) 227-4161
# 75 - A Better Choice Inc. - (800) 343-2357
# 76 - Burke & Sons, Inc. - (724) 465-2648
# 77 - Burke & Sons, Inc. - (724) 465-2648
# 78 - Best Window & Door Company - (814) 536-1422
# 79 - George Cummings Landscaping - (724) 463-7645
# 80 - Pine View Masonry - (724) 464-8974
# 81 - Long’s Home, Inc.- (724) 459-5044
# 82 - Zorko’s - (724) 397-2611
# 83 - Anderson’s Heating & A.C., Inc. - (724) 465-8923
# 84 - Anderson’s Heating & A.C., Inc. - (724) 465-8923
# 85 - Kinkead Aggregates, LLC - (724) 479-2006
# 86 - McCullough Electric & Security - (724) 840-6178
# 87 - Mike Barnhart Construction - (724) 479-8545
# 88 - Kosko Wood Products - (814) 427-2499
# 89 - Appleridge Stone - (724) 459-9511
# 90 - Ted Moreau Garage Door Sales & Service - (724) 349-6141
# 91 - Ted Moreau Garage Door Sales & Service - (724) 349-6141
# 92 - Interstate Window & Doors - (800) 338-9997
# 93 - Kraus, USA - (724) 355-1070
# 94 - Lezzer Lumber - (724) 349-2281
# 95 - Lezzer Lumber - (724) 349-2281
# 96 - Superior Walls by Collier Foundation Sy - (888) 817-5537
# 115 - Luther Ford Lincoln - (724) 479-8083
# 117 - Innovations of Home - (724) 397-4900
# 119 - Dirt Dudes Janitorial Services, LLC - (724) 840-0417
# 120 - Risinger Landscaping, Supplies & Excavating
(724) 463-0344
# 121 - Risinger Landscaping, Supplies & Excavating
(724) 463-0344
# 122 - Hoff Chiropractic - (724) 479-0442
# 123 - Krevel Supply - (724) 254-0403
# 124 - Ecologic - (724) 599-7573
# 125 - Gorell Factory Outlet - (724) 465-1843
# 126 - Booth Tickets, IABA - (724) 349-2327
# 130 - Rustic Ridge Workshop - (814) 845-7646
# 131 - Kurtz Lawn Furniture - (814) 743-5140
Email us at: [email protected]
or Visit us Online: iabuilders.com
(724) 349-2327
# 97 - Riverview Homes, Inc. - (724) 567-5647
# 98 - Indiana Area School District
# 99 - Loebrich Contracting/Sunsetter Awning (814) 539-6236
# 100 - Loebrich Contracting/Sunsetter Awning (814) 539-6236
# 101 - Knepp Fencing/Lezzer Lumber - (724) 349-2281
# 102 - Mark George Construction - (724) 349-2552
# 103 - M.C. Alarms - (814) 938-7749
# 104 - Cherry Tree Builders - (814) 743-6799
# 105 - St. Pier Group LLC - (724) 465-4700
# 106 - Furniture World Carpet One - (724) 349-1000
# 107 - Furniture World Carpet One - (724) 349-1000
# 108 - Sharp Paving, Inc. - (724) 354-3232
# 109 - Indiana County Technology Center - (724) 349-6700
# 110 - Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office (412) 565-3526
# 111 - Total Asphalt Management Systems (724) 388-1374
# 112 - A Z Structures, Inc. - (724) 254-1002
To be awarded Fri, Mar 16 - 9pm; Sat, Mar 17 - 3, 6, & 9pm; Sun, Mar 18 - 4pm
Winners of Prizes Need Not Be Present to Win. No Purchase Necessary
PRIZES TOTALING $1500 IN HOME SHOW CASH
# 1 - Good News Realty - (724) 463-9000
# 2 - Warren Peter Construction Inc. - (724) 349-9078
# 3 - Everdry Waterproofing - (724) 538-3898
# 4 - Community Craftsmen Contractors Inc. - (724) 349-4041
# 5 - First Commonwealth Bank - (724) 459-4682
# 6 - Leaffilter N of PA, Inc./Gutter Protec - (800) 290-6106
# 7 - Anderson’s Chimney Sv & Fireplace Shop - (724) 349-5768
# 8 - Inovations of Home - (724) 397-4900
# 9 - Nature’s Blend Wood Products - (724) 763-7057
# 10 - IndianaCountyForSaleByOwner.Com - (724) 479-2850
# 11 - Everlast Insulation, Inc. - (724) 463-1012
# 12 - H2O Restoration, Inc. - (724) 354-3222
# 13 - H2O Restoration, Inc. - (724) 354-3222
# 14 - Cherry Tree Builders - (814) 743-6799
# 15 - Bath Fitter - (814) 946-1942
# 16 - Bath Fitter - (814) 946-1942
# 17 - S. Misner Construction - (814) 749-0584
# 18 - PA Basement Waterproofing Inc. - (800) 511-6579
# 19 - America Dream Mortgage - (724) 464-2274
# 20 - T.J. Construction - (814) 743-6167
# 21 - Davis Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning - (724) 465-6722
# 22 - Davis Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning - (724) 465-6722
# 23 - Busija Remodeling - (724) 422-7835
# 24 - L&L Overhead Doors - (724) 840-3841
# 25 - L&L Overhead Doors - (724) 840-3841
# 26 - CSC Construction - (724) 349-1505
# 27 - Bastian Homes Inc. - (877) 708-7887
# 28 - Armstrong Home Improvement, LLC - (724) 697-4794
# 29 - Marion Center Bank - (724) 397-5582
# 30 - Schroth Industries - (724) 465-5701
# 31 - John’s Handyman - (724) 664-5177
# 32 - Dixon Landscapes - (724) 422-7546
# 33 - Sides Run Construction - (814) 951-5986
# 34 - J.J. Kennedy Concrete, Inc. - (866) 699-3835
# 35 - REA Energy Cooperative, Inc. - (724) 349-4800
# 36 - REA Energy Cooperative, Inc. - (724) 349-4800
# 37 - Indiana First Savings Bank - (724) 349-2810
# 38 - All Star Garage Door Sales & Service - (724) 479-8687
# 39 - Handyman For Hire, Inc. - (724) 465-0297
# 40 - Hideaway Cable - (724) 388-5619
# 41 - D. King Construction, Inc. - (724) 465-5379
# 42 - Kuzneski-Lockard, Inc. - (724) 349-1924
# 43 - A&A Construction & Home Improvements - (724) 463-1060
# 44 - ProTech Design Group - (724) 397-9652
# 45 - ProTech Design Group - (724) 397-9652
# 46 - C&C Lumber Company Inc. - (814) 495-4712
# 47 - Best Window & Door Company - (814) 536-1422
# 48 - S&T Bank - (724) 427-2002
(497 East Pike, Indiana, PA)
To find your way around the exhibits at this year’s Indiana-Armstrong
Builders Association Home Show, use the following guide.
Exhibitors Schedule for the S&T Bank Arena
at the White Twp. Rec Complex
Planning to redo or renew kitchen?
Upgrading the kitchen is on
many homeowners’ “to do”
list. And for good reason. A
minor kitchen remodel ranks
fourth on the list of the top 10
home improvement projects
that deliver return on investment, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2010-11 Cost
vs. Value Report.
But whether you’re in it for
the investment, or just to
freshen up the space in your
home where people spend the
most time, a new kitchen look
could be a fun improvement
to your house with a lot of impact. Some may start with a
weekend project and a $40 can
of paint, while others will
jump into a $50,000-plus remodel. Either way, one thing is
for sure — you can’t go wrong
with a beautiful, highly functional kitchen.
A SIMPLE REFRESH
If time or budget constraints
limit you to changing just a
few basic elements of the
ARAcontent
A KITCHEN faucet has a lot of influence on the overall style of the
room where many people spend the most time.
kitchen, focus on things that
make the most impact. Even
novice do-it-yourself homeowners can complete many of
these items on their own:
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■ Paint the walls. Painting
always tops the to-do list
when a mini makeover is in
order. It’s an affordable, highimpact way to change the
décor of a kitchen. If you’re not
changing out cabinets or
countertops, be sure to select
a color that complements
those major elements.
■ Add new accessories.
Switching out the small décor
details in a kitchen can make
the room feel entirely new.
Maybe it’s replacing bar stools
at the island, reupholstering
pillows or a bench cushion, or
even hanging a few new pieces
of art or photos on the wall.
■ Change the faucet. Often
underestimated, the kitchen
faucet has a lot of influence in
the overall style of the room.
Choosing a more up-to-date
pull-down or pull-out faucet
not only improves the look of
the room, but can add significant convenience and functionality.
“Faucets in the kitchen are
much more than what they
used to be,” says Kevin
McJoynt of Danze, a manufacturer of decorative plumbing
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Put some kitsch
in drab kitchen
By SARAH WOLFE
For The Associated Press
Kitchens have become so serious. All that granite, dark
wood and stainless steel. The
heart of the home these days is
more like a sleek and severe
shrine to haute cuisine.
But kitchens don’t have to be
as stressful as an episode of
“Top Chef.” Designers are increasingly turning to retro,
whimsical touches like coffee
cup wallpaper, bright vintage
dishware patterns, and colorful appliances and electronics
to bring the fun back into this
increasingly
streamlined
room.
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“I think we’re reaching back
to simpler times, when America was kind of on track and
things were looking up. ... It’s
something that hits an emotional chord,” says Rosanna
Bowles, founder and owner of
the Seattle-based Rosanna
Inc. tableware line.
Here are some fun and simple ways to put the “kitsch”
back into your kitchen.
Non-electric
WALLPAPER
AND WALLCOVERINGS
Ditch the staid neutrals in
favor of a fun wallpaper, says
Gina Shaw, a designer with
200 OFF
$
a Culligan® HE Water Softener
Redo or renew kitchen?
faucets and fixtures. “They
play an important role in setting the décor and focal points
of any kitchen.”
A FULL REMODEL
Homeowners throughout
the country are staying in their
homes longer than they once
did. Because of that, significant remodeling projects tend
to rise to the top of the priority
list.
If you’re in it for the long
haul (or even to ensure you get
that return on investment), a
complete kitchen remodel
could be for you.
When the entire room footprint is your canvas, the possibilities are exciting. While a
contractor is recommended
for most of these projects,
make sure you’re involved in
exploring the options that will
help you use this space as
wisely as possible (yet provide
beautiful décor in the
process):
■ Install display shelves.
This hot kitchen trend is an
eye-catching alternative to
hanging wall cabinets. Taking
down cabinets is a pretty simple task for two and hanging
the shelves is even easier.
■ Evaluate the flow of the
work spaces. Adding more
water sources to your room
could improve efficiency and
ease. Consider a simple, yet
beautiful faucet on the island
for prep, a pot filler by the
stove to help while cooking,
and a hard-working faucet at
the main sink for cleanup.
■ Mix and match your surfaces. Replacing countertops
is one of the most noticeable
changes to any kitchen venue.
Quartz surfaces are a popular
choice, providing a unique
combination of quality, hygiene and a look of natural
stone. Selecting a lighter color
surface for the perimeter and a
darker, bolder color for the island is a great way to add another design element to the
room.
Manufacturers offer a wide
range of faucet styles in various functional designs, according to McJoynt. So,
whether you’re looking to enhance a traditional décor, add
sleekness to a contemporary
professional-grade room, or
something in between, leveraging faucets and other elements can help set the tone for
the entire room.
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Put some kitsch in drab kitchen
Pennsylvania-based York Wallcoverings.
The company’s new Bistro 750 collection features a savory mix of fanciful fruit,
cutlery, kitchen utensils and coffee cups
in cheery colors like teal, salmon and
lime.
“We really wanted to create wallpapers
that would work in today’s kitchens,
where families gather, eat, drink and socialize — a fun, bistro atmosphere,” Shaw
says.
Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri,
hosts of HGTV’s “Kitchen Cousins,” introduced a retro feel in one of their recent
kitchen makeovers by attaching paneling
from Inhabit Living in a basket-weave
pattern to the walls.
“After you install the panels, you can
caulk the seams, sand them down a bit,
put some primer on and add a big pop of
color,” Carrino says.
APPLIANCES
Also big in kitchens right now are retro
appliances that look like they belong in
grandma’s 1950s kitchen but run like their
modern-day cousins.
Carrino and Colaneri brought some
quirk to a country kitchen by installing a
retro range and hood set from Coloradobased Big Chill, which offers fridges,
stoves and even dishwashers in any color
but stainless steel, accented by chrome
trim.
“It looks like a classic car. ... It’s like having a Bosch or Frigidaire with that kind of
dependability but you’ve got that cool,
retro feel to the whole thing,” Carrino
says.
Kitchenaid and some small manufacturers also now make blenders, mixers
and other appliances in funky colors like
pistachio and tangerine to add panache
to countertops.
COUNTERTOPS
Speaking of counters, don’t think you’re
Mid-century Modern lines,
says Bowles.
Even a quirky red polka-dotted cookie tray or serving
piece, as featured in Bowles’
new Flea Market Chic collection for spring, can dress up
an otherwise traditional allwhite table.
Those looking to save
money can look to family heirlooms, Bowles says. “Shop either your mother’s closet or
your grandmother’s closet and
you’ll find amazing things,”
she notes.
ACCENTS
Atlanta-based artist Jordan
Sandlin and her husband, Jeff,
have embraced the kitchen in
their mid-century, split-level
home by doing away with its
Associated Press
old “buyer-friendly” neutral
A WALLPAPER design of pears in white and coral
color scheme in favor of
robin’s-egg-blue cabinets, red
adorns the kitchen pictured in this image from York
Formica countertops, vintage
Wallcoverings.
light fixtures, and plenty of
relegated to granite, solid surface or lami- thrift store and estate sale finds.
nate choices. Try something fresh and
A collection of screen-printed serving
unique like the Motivo embossed collec- trays dating to the 1950s line the wall
tion by California-based CaesarStone, above the kitchen cabinets, while a recent
which is primarily advertised as a wall find — an original, signed Charlie Harper
treatment but which Carrino used as a print of two white eagles set against a light
surface for kitchen countertops.
gray background — dresses up a barren
“We saw it and bought it on the spot,” he wall.
said. “We designed it into the first kitchen
A red-and-white, 1950s formica table,
we could find. It is absolutely gorgeous.”
vinyl chairs, old bourbon bottles and vinThe collection comes in lace and croco- tage plates further separate their kitchen
dile patterns, and adds texture to a space from today’s pack of “granite-covered
by combining matte and glossy finishes in kitchen monstrosities,” the couple says.
an unusual way, Carrino said.
Jeff Sandlin said they hoped to transform the room “from a bland space with
DISHWARE
no identity to one we hoped would be
Carry the kitschy feel to your cupboards better called a ‘kitsch-en.’ We feel that our
and display shelves with dishes bedecked kitchen is a space that defines our home
in whimsical floral or bird patterns, and and design style, while declaring our englassware in Depression-era hobnail or joyment and respect for the past.”
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New-home trends
can help to guide
remodeling work
ARA content
ADDING AN extra bathroom can add more than 50 percent to the
resale value of your home.
A significant shift in consumer preference in new
home purchases is the latest
byproduct of the still-struggling economy. The residential
construction market is shrinking and so are houses.
Homebuilders expect newly
constructed
single-family
homes to average just 2,150
square feet by 2015. That’s 10
percent smaller than previously, according to the National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB), which conducted the survey.
To maintain this compact
size, luxuries will be out and
practicality will be in. Formal
living rooms are going by the
wayside, NAHB says, making
way for smarter, multi-function layouts.
What we’ll see more of: eatin kitchens that eliminate the
need for a separate dining
room; and great rooms that
can accommodate entertainment as well as home office
space.
Homeowners looking to remodel existing homes — that
they will someday put up for
sale — would be wise to pay
attention to these new home
construction trends, which
signal what the competition
will look like down the road.
Choose the right improvements today, and you may be
better positioned to sell your
home when the economy
picks up.
Keep the following tips in
mind if you’re thinking of inContinued on Page 27
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Trends can guide remodeling work
vesting in an addition or a significant remodel:
■ Choose your remodeler with care: Select a professional contractor with experience, knowledge of local codes and a
good reputation for quality work, says the
National Association of the Remodeling
Industry (NARI).
NARI calls this the single most important step in your project.
■ Focus on tried-and-true performance: Remodel to your needs, of course.
But before you finalize your decisions, research the improvements that will likely
bring you the highest return on your investment.
A minor kitchen remodel should return
more than 70 percent of its cost at resale,
according to the 2010-2011 Remodeling
Magazine Cost vs. Value Report. Adding a
bathroom pays back more than 53 percent.
■ Practicality makes perfect: During the
latest housing boom, remodels were all
about big and bold.
Now there is less emphasis on luxury
and appearances-for-appearances-sake.
Take advantage of that trend with a focus
on practicality in your remodeling proj-
CHOOSE YOUR remodeler with
care: Select a professional
contractor with experience,
knowledge of local codes and a
good reputation for quality work.
ect. You’ll make your home more competitive at resale, and your dollars will stretch
a lot further.
■ Multi-function broader appeal: For
today’s busy families, efficiency is essential.
Can you repurpose an existing room to
make life easier? Add a laundry room to
save going downstairs?
Increase the size of your kitchen, so you
can convert the dining room to a guest
suite? If you’re thinking of creating a family room in the basement, complete the
project with a convenient bathroom addition.
NEVER ENOUGH BATHS
If you’ve ever waited in frustration for
your turn in the bathroom, you know that
just about every home could use a spare
bath.
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In an up-flush system, waste and water
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This technology is also different from
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Steps to creating beautiful bedroom
By MARY CAROL GARRITY
Scripps Howard News Service
Is your bedroom suffering from decorating neglect? Try these easy steps for
turning it into the restful retreat you deserve.
Before you think about fun stuff like colors and fabrics, make sure your bedroom
is fully functional. Start by drawing up a
floor plan that works for your daily life.
For instance, if two people are going to
share the bed, you don’t want one side of
the bed pushed up against a wall, making
it difficult for the person on the inside to
get out of bed easily.
As you think through your floor plan,
determine which pieces of furniture will
stay, which will go and what you need to
add to make the room work better. If your
room feels tight and cramped, consider
paring down your furnishings. For example, if you have a TV in your bedroom
that’s housed in a large cabinet, replace
the cabinet with a console table that eats
up less room.
If your room is large and lofty, you might
need to add a few larger pieces of furniture to ground the space.
Many new homes have lots of built-in
storage in closets, minimizing the need
for dressers in the bedroom. But I still encourage customers with large spaces to fill
to add a dresser, armoire or bookcase to
give the room some visual appeal and balance.
After 12 years, I’m redoing my bedroom,
so I’m going through the same process
myself. The doors and windows are configured in such a way that there is really
only one place I can put my bed — right in
front of the window. Since I can’t use a
large headboard to anchor my bed in the
space because it will cover up the window,
I’m going to anchor my bed in an unusual
way. I’m going to place a mirrored screen
on either side of the bed, then put bedside
tables in front of the screens. Can’t wait to
colors and pattern. He intuitively knows how much
bright color and strong
pattern will fill a room with
energy but not overwhelm
the senses.
His knockout bedding includes a bright orange quilt
and zebra-pattern Euro
shams.
In my bedroom redo, the
window panels will be
made out of a linen fabric
that sports a muted animal
print in shades of camel
and cream. The bedding
will take its cue from the
drapery panels, and will be
a soft, textural mix of different shades of cream and
camel.
When you pick your color
palette for your bedroom,
make sure it’s something
that warms your heart.
Once you have the right
furniture in the right
places, and your bedding
and window coverings are
magnificent, it’s time to
finish off the space with interesting art and accents.
If you have a collection,
feature a few choice pieces
SHNS photo courtesy of Nell Hill’s
on your bedside table or
PAIRING THE bright orange quilt and zebra-pattern Euro
dresser top. Or work in a
few special family heirshams made this bedding a knockout combination.
looms. How about some
see how it turns out!
snapshots of family and friends?
I think that picking out textiles, like bedFinally, fill the walls of your bedroom
ding, window coverings and upholstered with fabulous artwork. In my newly refurnishings, is one of the most fun parts of decorated bedroom, I’m going to feature a
redesigning a bedroom.
montage of tasteful nudes, mixing classic
And “fun” is the optimal word when styles with pieces that are more contemyou’re talking about my friend Rich’s bed- porary. I’ve been collecting the art
room. You can’t bask in the tangerine glow through the years; now I’ll have a place to
of his bedding ensemble and not smile. hang the works all together in one draRich is a master at designing with bold matic grouping.
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Brick industry tries to buck trend
By JENNIFER GISH
More survey results
Albany Times Union
ALBANY, N.Y. — Just a reminder: The third little pig —
in an attempt to thwart a wolf
with an amazing lung capacity
— did not build his house out
of cultured stone.
But he also wasn’t building
in 2012.
The Brick Industry Association, a Virginia-based industry
group, has launched a campaign to highlight the virtues
of brick, from the green aspect
of being able to recycle it to its
ability to stand up to fire. The
campaign — which aggressively goes after other building
materials with promotional
materials with wording like
“Fiber cement siding: Don’t
believe the hype” — comes at
a time when brick is facing serious competition from other
contenders.
While a May 2011 poll by
Professional Builder, a trade
magazine, showed that 16 per-
More results from the May
2011 Professional Builder
magazine survey:
n 87 percent said they use
fiber cement siding, a
composite product that can
imitate the look of wood
siding, clapboard or
shingles, on at least some of
their new homes, while 13
percent use it on all the
homes they build.
cent of the 268 builders surveyed still use brick on all the
homes they build (the highest
of any material), builders say
brick is losing its appeal.
“I would say it’s died off a
bit,” says John Witt, president
and designer at Witt Construction in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
“We don’t see a lot of requests
n Nearly three-quarters of
respondents said they use
wood, brick or stone on at
least some of their homes.
n More than 82 percent of
builders said they are using
stone veneer on at least
some of their projects. Brick
veneer also is quite popular,
with nearly a quarter of
respondents using it on
selected projects.
for brick. We’re doing a lot
more stone and high-end
vinyl.”
Although a brick’s color
doesn’t fade, the material’s
popularity has in the last 10 to
15 years, Witt says.
While clients used to choose
brick as at least an accent material on their homes, natural
and cultured stone (a manmade material that looks like
slabs of natural stone) are becoming the most common
choices.
People seem to like a look
that suggests something you’d
find on a mountain hike rather
than the uniform rectangles
brick offers, Witt says.
“The cultured stone is more
popular than brick,” says
Joseph Bordeau, sales coordinator for Bordeau Builders
Inc. in Ballston Spa, N.Y. “It
has a lot more variety of colors. It has a lot more varieties
of shapes.”
The Brick Industry Association says brick has a 100-year
lifespan, with no annual
cleaning required. It’s noncombustible, resists penetration — even by a wind-blown
2-by-4 moving at up to 80 mph
— and homes built with it use
1 to 2 percent less energy than
homes clad with vinyl siding.
Bordeau says older clients
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Brick industry
battles trend
still ask for brick, while most of the middleaged and younger clientele prefer stone.
But there are places where brick is still being
used in new construction, Witt says.
“It’s kind of a more Southern tradition.
Down in Texas, you see a lot of brick. I think it’s
been popular on the newer commercial buildings,” he says, adding that brick is a good
product, because it’s maintenance-free, even
if it’s not trendy.
“The brick is nice because it fits in with a lot
of the older buildings that have been built in
and around downtowns. You see a lot of the
condos in Saratoga Springs have been built
using brick.”
Costs for both are higher than vinyl siding —
which the Brick Industry Association points
out should be cleaned annually, tends to fade
in the sun, cannot be recycled easily and
comes with only a 25- to 50-year lifespan.
And Witt says installing natural stone is even
more expensive than building with brick. The
prevalence of brick in the South may have to
do with lower labor costs, he says.
“I see brick always being around,” Witt says.
“I just think its uses are going to be more popular for the multifamily and commercial
buildings.”
Choosing a countertop
Tile has always been a popular material for bathroom countertops, but
homeowners often complain about
the need to clean the grout. These
days, however, tiles are coming out in
much larger sizes, which eliminate
the need for numerous grout lines.
Maintenance: Grout lines need regular maintenance and cleaning. The
tiles can be easily cleaned with any
household detergent.
Cost: For plain-colored tiles, $2 to
$40 per tile. For hand-painted tiles, $5
to $75 per tile.
GRANITE
Long-lasting, stain-resistant and
beautiful, granite is the Rolls-Royce of
countertops. It is the most durable
and easiest to care for of any of the
natural stone materials.
Maintenance: Granite countertops
need to be sealed every six months to
a year. Clean countertops with warm
water and a liquid detergent. Avoid
abrasive cleaners.
Cost: From $75 to $200 a linear foot,
installed.
SOLID-SURFACE MATERIALS
Designed to look like natural stone,
solid-surface is one of the most popular countertop options available.
Known by brand names such as Corian, Staron, Gilbraltar and Avonite, this
easy-to-maintain synthetic product
can be molded to fit any design specification.
Maintenance: Being nonporous, it’s
easy to clean.
Cost: $75 to $150 a linear foot, installed.
MANUFACTURED QUARTZ
Manufactured quartz imitates the
look of limestone, granite or marble,
but is more resistant to scratches and
stains. Made up of 90 percent quartz
particles, this synthetic composite
comes in a wide variety of colors and
thicknesses.
Maintenance: Practical for the bathroom, quartz is durable, easy to clean
and doesn’t require sealing.
Cost: From $110 to $250 a linear
foot, installed.
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Bo 48
Cantilevered house keeps couple
close to their Pittsburgh factory
By JOYCE WALDER
New York Times News Service
PITTSBURGH — When Bob Zielinski, a
former Marine who owns a glass manufacturing company here, and his wife,
Kim, showed contractors plans for the
house they wanted to build — a 53-footlong glass-and-steel wedge cantilevered
over their factory — the contractors said
they couldn’t do it. You’d have to get guys
who build bridges and do highway work
to create the support system for something like that, they said.
So, that’s exactly what the Zielinskis did.
It took three years to build, but the
Emerald Art Glass House (named after the
Zielinskis’ company, Emerald Art Glass)
now hovers above the factory in the South
Side neighborhood, overlooking the
Monongahela River, railway line and
bridges.
Eric Fisher, the couple’s architect, says
proudly that the cantilevered extension is
three times the length of the one at Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. And that it recalls the tradition of the owner living over
the shop.
The Zielinskis offer other reasons for the
design. They raised two children in a traditional home in the suburbs and wanted
something different. They wanted to be
near their business. They also thought
some privacy would be nice.
“I don’t want to be right on top of my
neighbors, I don’t want to hear them
fighting, I want a little peace and quiet,”
says Bob Zielinski, who has the I-knowwhat-I-want-and-damned-if-I’m-goingto-settle attitude of a self-made man. “I
start looking around South Side to build a
house, I can’t find anything I like. You’re
paying $200,000 or $300,000 to be packed
TONY CENICOLA/The New York Times
THE 53-FOOT-LONG glass-and-steel house built for Bob and Kim Zielinski relies on a
cantilever system that lets it jut over their glass manufacturing plant, at left.
right into the neighborhood.”
Come at the house straight on, driving
across the river up to the door of the factory on Josephine Street, and you might
not notice it, for the factory is two stories
high and the house is set so far back. But
walk a half-block down the street, past the
neighboring wood-frame houses, and
look up, and it will stop you in your tracks.
The house looms over the street like a
big industrial arm. There is no way it
should fit in, and yet it does. For this is not
just Steeltown, it’s the City of Bridges —
446, by one count. But try to find the door,
and you face an obstacle: There isn’t one,
at least not one you can easily get to. The
Heron Hollow Stonery
driveway is hidden behind a tall wooden
fence and gate.
“I like that people don’t know how to get
in,” Bob Zielinski says, opening the gate
and driving a reporter in with his Jeep.
Zielinski, who is 53, grew up in Pittsburgh, the oldest of six children. He
joined the Marines at 17 and then tried
various jobs, from carpenter to cheese
factory worker. Nothing interested him
until he began dating a woman who did
stained-glass repair. Zielinski asked her to
teach him, and from that point on, “I was,
like, addicted,” he said.
He started his company in the midContinued on Page 34
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A Home
Rt. 119, 6 Miles North of Indiana
email: [email protected]
Phone: 724-465-5684
Fax: 724-465-9893
Home’s owners keep close to plant
1980s, and today it has 16 employees and clients like Armani Exchange and De Beers
Jewellery.
Kim Zielinski, who is 54,
grew up in Michigan. School
didn’t interest her much, she
says; she wanted to get out
and work. She did a number of
jobs, like cleaning house and
bartending. She and Bob
Zielinski met after she moved
to Pittsburgh. They married in
1985, raising her children from
her first marriage, Melissa,
now 33, and Cass, 32.
They wanted to spend the
next chapter of their lives near
their business, but were hoping for a radical departure
from the traditional homes
they had lived in. The hilly lot
they owned behind the factory
was not very large, so building
a house on top of the factory
made sense. For inspiration,
they drove along the rivers,
photographing old steel structures; the one they liked most
•
THE ZIELINSKIS’
home offers a
panoramic view
of Pittsburgh’s
South Side,
overlooking the
Monongahela
River, railway
line and bridges.
TONY CENICOLA/The New York Times
was a steel building on concrete pillars that jutted out
over the Monongahela.
But when they showed the
photos to architects, their
ideas, Kim Zielinski says, were
awful.
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would I want to look into my
shop? I just spent the whole
day there.’”
Fisher, who had started his
own firm, Fisher Architecture,
a few years earlier, studied the
Bastian
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“One architect just made a
section of our factory roof flat
and put a traditional house on
top of it,” she says. “One did a
house where one section was
glass, and we could look down
into the factory. I said: ‘Why
Contact Aleta Dubose or Karen Vehovic At The
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Close to factory
foot house. The entry is a highceilinged garage with a playful
1950s-style air-raid shelter
sign in front of a commercial
elevator. On the second floor is
a TV room and a gym. The
third floor is a cantilevered
great room with an open
kitchen and, a few steps up, a
living and dining room offering a panoramic view. A second set of stairs leads up to the
couple’s bedroom.
Ask them about favorite moments in the house, and the
answer varies. Bob Zielinski
loves to sit at the far end of the
living room at night, where he
can see out while ironwork
prevents neighbors from seeing in. Kim Zielinski likes to
watch the shadows on the
glass wall in the bedroom.
“Something’s always moving,” she says. “You see things
that you really didn’t notice
before, that you didn’t really
pay attention to, even the way
the clouds come in.” It “almost
feels like it breathes,” she adds.
“It’s wonderful.”
picture, and then suggested
something different: building
the spine of the house on the
lot behind the factory and
cantilevering a section over
the factory roof. At one of their
first meetings, Kim Zielinski
recalls, he drew a sketch for
her on a paper towel. “I was
very calm, but my whole insides, there was like a party
going on. I went out to the factory and said to Bob, ‘We have
our architect.’”
Bob Zielinski refused to give
him a budget. “I just said,
‘Build it, and when we run out
of money, we’ll stop and make
some more,’” he says.
Fortunately, they never had
to do that. Acting as the contractor, Bob Zielinski brought
costs down to about $225 a
square foot. Construction
challenges included digging
two 7-foot-wide holes 35 feet
into bedrock and filling them
with concrete and steel to support the cantilevered sections
of the five-level, 6,900-square-
Having too many bills
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FlexChoice Variable Rate:
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A recent non-promotional APR
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* The second APR will vary with Wall Street Journal Prime Rate (currently 3.25%)
current as of January 3, 2012, with a maximum of 18.00% and a minimum of 2.99%.
Offer is based upon loans less than $500,000, a review of your credit, and a loan to
value (LTV) up to 90% on an owner-occupied primary residence. A minimum of
$10,000 in new money and a First Commonwealth Bank checking account is required
to obtain this rate and terms. No application or closing costs apply; however, an
appraisal may be required with an estimated cost to the borrower of $200 to $500.
An Early Termination Fee of $350 applies if your credit line is paid off and closes
within 36 months of date of credit agreement for any reason, including the sale
of your home or if you refinance. An Annual Fee of $25 will be charged to your credit
line annually. Homeowner insurance is a requirement of lines of credit secured by home
equity. Insurance need not be purchased from First Commonwealth Insurance Agency to
obtain credit. Other rates and terms are available. Consult your tax advisor about the
deductibility of interest. Offer subject to change or withdrawal at any time and may
not be used with any other offer from First Commonwealth Bank.
You’re invited to the 33rd Annual
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Saturday, March 17, 12 noon-9pm
Sunday, March 18, 12 noon-4pm
at the
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offering many new ideas for your home
PRIZES TOTALING $1500 IN HOME SHOW CASH
To be awarded Fri, Mar 16 - 9pm; Sat, Mar 17 - 3, 6, & 9pm; Sun, Mar 18 - 4pm
Winners of Prizes Need Not Be Present to Win. No Purchase Necessary
Donation $3.00...Under 16 FREE
if accompanied by a ticket holder
Show
Celebrating our 37th Year
724-349-2327
Email: [email protected] • Online: www.iabuilders.com
“Building Today for a Better Tomorrow.”
Designing perfect
space for big TV
By DEBBIE ARRINGTON
Sacramento Bee
Thinking of a television purchase? Or dreaming of a complete home theater? Either
way, take these steps into consideration. This advice comes
from Leon Soohoo, owner of
Paradyme Sound and Vision in
Sacramento and Roseville,
Calif.:
1. Plan your space. Family
rooms often double as media
rooms, but those spaces also
likely will have other activities
going on at the same time the
TV is on. That means the TV
will need to have a high-quality display in a well-lit room.
Your TV should be in a place
where it won’t have bright
lights or sunlight from windows reflecting directly on the
screen; that cuts down on
viewability. Will viewers be
watching the screen at an
angle? That also impacts your
TV choice.
Want
a
wall-mounted
screen? Although lighter than
sets in years past, today’s flatpanel TVs still are heavier than
a painting. A 32-inch flatpanel set ranges from 25 to 60
pounds, depending on model.
That weight needs sturdy wall
studs and a special mounting
bracket. And that flat-panel set
needs to be connected to a
cable or satellite box, DVD
player and other components;
those wires will have to go
somewhere — such as inside
the wall.
2. Screen size impacts viewing distance. Today’s flat-panel
LCD TVs can be viewed much
closer than their big-screen
rear-projection counterparts
without losing picture quality.
TV DISPLAY
SHNS photo courtesy of Nell Hill’s
FLAT-SCREEN TVS are not just for family rooms but can fit in
elsewhere throughout the home. The secret to decorating
effectively with flat-screen TVs is to incorporate them into
existing displays so they become just another element in a
roomscape.
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Designing right space
for flat-screen TV
But you still want your eyes and
neck to feel comfortable while
watching.
As a general rule, seating
should be at a distance at least
1½ to 2 times the diagonal
width of the screen. For example, seating for a 60-inch TV
should be 7½ to 10 feet away
from the screen.
Optimum placement of the
screen should be eye level while
seated. A TV above the fireplace
looks impressive, but it is best
viewed while standing.
3. Consider sound as well as
screen. What good is a great picture if the audio is awful? Most
flat-panel TVs have tiny speakers and need some sort of boost.
That may come from sound
bars (attached to the TV), thin
surface-mount speakers, inwall speakers or traditional
stand-alone speakers. Remember: A room’s acoustics will impact your video experience. If
you’re inclined to play latenight movies loud, think about
soundproofing, too.
4. Get connected. Today’s (and
tomorrow’s) TVs do a lot more
than
channel
broadcasts.
They’re interactive home-media
hubs with instant access to the
Internet to download movies
and shows. Manufacturers are
making models that operate like
smartphones with downloadable apps.
While wireless television is beginning to become available,
most consumers will need to
keep their TVs wired — at least
for now — to get that access
while maintaining high-quality
video performance.
5. Don’t forget the remote.
That all-important clicker can
do more than change channels;
it can control all the other components of your media system.
Consider a smart universal remote that can control the works
— not just the TV.
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Some terms to learn before heading to the store or
browsing for bargains online:
3DTV: Similar to three-dimensional movies in theaters, 3DTV is expected to
be the next wave in home
theaters. Like its theater
counterparts, 3DTV requires special glasses to see
its full effect. The video uses
two full-resolution images
— one for your left eye, one
for your right — that flash
back and forth rapidly.
Wireless, battery-powered
“active shutter” glasses
have lenses that darken and
lighten in coordination with
the screen’s flashing images,
controlled by an “emitter”
usually built into the TV.
HDTV: High-definition television. Although this term
is often used to describe all
digital TVs, true HDTV
broadcasts are defined as
1,080-line interlaced (1080i)
or 720-line progressive
(720p). A popular format for
Blu-ray discs, 1,080-line
progressive (1080p) now is
an established standard for
HDTV screens.
LCD: Liquid crystal display,
one technology used in flatpanel TVs. A liquid crystal
solution is sandwiched between two transparent panels to form the display
screen. When backlit, a pattern of transparent and
dark crystals forms the picture.
LED: Light-emitting diode.
Used in some LCD TVs, this
technology allows for more
energy efficiency and provides better color accuracy
than fluorescent-backlit
LCD TVs.
Plasma: Another technology used for flat-panel TVs,
the plasma is ionized gas.
Two transparent glass panels sandwich a thin layer of
thousands of pixels, made
up of gas-filled cells. An
electrical current makes the
gas glow, creating a picture.
A typical plasma screen
may contain 2 million pixels.
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