Comfortable House

With so many available options for hardwood flooring, today’s busy and environmentally responsible consumer wants information – accurate information – to simplify the process of selecting a new hardwood floor.

Be a knowledgeable consumer and get the facts about U.S. hardwoods. They are “green,” exceptionally beautiful and can last a lifetime.” Here are some of the things you’ll want to know to make the right choice for hardwood flooring.

Know the Facts and Shop with Confidence

• A solid hardwood floor will provide decades of extraordinary beauty, durable service and flexibility. Remember, solid hardwood flooring can be refinished for changing tastes or excessive wear. It may initially cost a little more, but as trends evolve, it can too.
• Hardwood floors are non-toxic and trap no allergens such as mold spores and dust. Simple maintenance — dust mopping, sweeping or vacuuming — will keep hardwood floors looking great and allergen-free.
• U.S. hardwoods are truly sustainable. The US Forest Service, in a 2008 report, verified that the average annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than average annual removals. The volume of hardwood timberland in American forests is almost double that of 50 years ago.
• U.S. hardwoods are an all-natural, carbon-negative material. They have no emissions for methane, nitrogen oxides and other particulate matter and they are homegrown. Being regionally sourced further minimizes their carbon footprint.
• When considering a particular U.S. hardwood species, pay attention to its hardness rating scale, referred to as the Janka Scale. For high traffic areas, consider Oak, Maple, Cherry and Ash, species with higher hardness ratings.

Which One?

Pre-finished solid hardwood flooring is just that – already sanded and sealed, by the manufacturer, with at least four coats of ultraviolet-cured urethane resin. It offers consistent quality, quicker installation and immediate gratification, meaning you can walk on it as soon as it is laid. Time and money saved during the installation typically off-set the initial higher material cost.

Unfinished solid hardwood flooring must be sanded and sealed on-site. While it does offer more color choices, it requires extensive preparation. The sanding process is messy; significant drying time is required after each sealing application requiring up to five days for completion. While the initial material cost is lower, remember the additional finishing cost.

Engineered flooring, consisting of a plywood base that’s covered with a 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick layer of wood, works well in bathrooms and basements where light moisture might be a concern. It is almost always pre-finished. Because the top layer is so thin, it can’t be sanded more than one to three times and usually requires a professional to do it. Keep in mind that the less expensive choices cannot be sanded at all due to the very thin top layer.

Don’t be Misled by Lookalikes

The least expensive flooring option is laminate. It looks like wood, but it’s really a printed paper that is affixed to a wood-chip base or high-density fiberboard, covered with a clear surface layer to absorb daily impact. Its issue is that it can’t be repaired or sanded when scratches or dings occur.

Tropical woods, not native to the U.S., are being renamed and falsely marketed as favorite hardwoods. Be careful. Brazilian Cherry is jatoba and Chilean Cherry is lenga. Neither is Cherry. Tasmanian Oak and Australian Heritage Oak are eucalyptus, not Oak. Malaysian Oak is rubber wood and Australian Cypress is pine. When in doubt, visit www.HardwoodInfo.com to review the U.S. hardwood Species Guide.

Bamboo flooring is being called hardwood. It is not. Bamboo is a grass grown typically in tropical regions of the world and it is not carbon negative. To make flooring, the grass is glued together under tremendous pressures of up to 1,200 pounds per square inch. Glue content can range from three to 20 percent, and often contains urea formaldehyde, which is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Manufacturers approximate it could last only 30 years. And because it is typically manufactured in Southeast Asia, shipment to U.S. shores increases its carbon footprint, significantly. (See the attached chart for additional information)

As you contemplate your home improvement projects, make choices based upon the facts, not hype. Choose nature’s quintessential “green” material, U.S. hardwood, for flooring, furniture, mouldings, millwork and cabinetry that will last.

As the green movement has infiltrated the home improvement sector, companies are continually developing more products and projects for you to “green” your home. A simple, budget-friendly project is incorporating a rain garden in your yard to help filter stormwater pollutants coming from your home.

A rain garden is typically located in a low-lying area in your yard. It collects rainwater and slowly filters it through the ground versus directly into storm sewers and local lakes and rivers. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these gardens are an increasingly popular way to help reduce natural and human-made pollutants carried by rainfall or melted snow.

Benefits of Rain Gardens

No home renovations are providing 100 percent return on investment in today’s real estate market, according to the annual “2009 Cost vs. Value Report” conducted by Realtor Magazine and Remodeling. Therefore, it doesn’t make sense for homeowners to spend a lot of money on expensive remodeling projects. Instead, it’s a great time to consider low-cost, minor renovations, such as landscaping a rain garden.

“With a rain garden, homeowners not only beautify their property with plants, but are being environmentally friendly as well,” said Mark Munley, vice president of sales and marketing for Firestone Specialty Products. “They are also a source of food and shelter for birds and insects like dragonflies, which help eradicate pesky mosquitoes.”

Installing Your Rain Garden

To define a location for placement, you should first determine the end of your backyard’s existing drainage pattern. If the drainage pattern is not noticeable, note the course of runoff and areas where water collect after a storm. Choice locations to capture the most stormwater are close to downspouts from your roof, sump pump outlets or near paved driveways.

The EPA suggests a good “rule of thumb”, to determine the size of your rain garden, is to take 30 percent of the area which the garden will be collecting water from, whether that is a roof or driveway. Don’t be detoured from building a rain garden if you do not have enough space to accommodate the formulated size. A rain garden, no matter how small, can still help your local water resources.

According to Rain Gardens of West Michigan, an environmental education program focused on stormwater education, you should install your rain garden down-slope and at least 10 feet away from the building’s foundation to ensure it won’t build up too much water that can lead to leaks in your basement. “Many homeowners are installing an environmentally friendly liner under their rain gardens to give their homes the added protection they desire,” said Munley.

Adding a PondGard™ Rubber Liner from Firestone Specialty Products, Indianapolis, Ind., to the side of your garden that faces your home will minimize the risk to your foundation. PondGard Rubber Liners are formulated to be environmentally safe for plants and animals while remaining resistant to damaging aging conditions such as cracking and splitting, even in exposed applications. PondGard liners are available in a variety of sizes and conform to nearly any shape in order to fit many designs.

The next step is to start digging out your selected area creating a berm or slight walls, which helps contain the rain water. You will need to fill your rain garden with a substance that allows water to filter down to the liner. Choosing the right substance depends on the type of soil you have—sandy or silty soil or clay—but common fillers are loose gravel laid on the liner, followed by a layer of sand and topped with top soil. If desired, you can add mulch or peat moss to finish off the look.

You should test the amount of water your garden can potentially filter by filling it with water and seeing how long it takes to seep out. A typical rain garden should retain water for a few hours after rainfall. If your garden is not retaining enough water, add additional PondGard Rubber Liners to achieve your desired results.

According to the Low Impact Development Center, an organization funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, typical soil mixture should be washed, sharp sand; double-shredded, hardwood mulch; weed seed-free topsoil and peat moss.

Adding Your Personal Touch

Choosing the plants for your rain garden is a means to add a creative and colorful touch to your property. According to the Mid-America Regional Council and the EPA, native plants are recommended for their ability to thrive in their native climates. To guarantee your plants will flourish – water them everyday until maturity; at that point they should no longer require watering between rainfalls.

With the green movement in full swing, it is easier than ever to lessen your family’s impact on the environment. By installing an inexpensive rain garden with a PondGard Rubber Liner, you will directly decrease the amount of pollution your family home attributes into your local water resources. Also, check your local municipalities to see if they offer any incentives for installing a rain garden on your property.

For more information about Firestone PondGard Rubber Liners and to find your local distributor, please visit our Web site at www.firestonesp.com.

We rely on fences to serve an array of different purposes. They keep children and pets safe, offer privacy from nosy neighbors, transform yards into outdoor entertainment centers, and add beauty and value to property. Choosing the right fencing can be a bit perplexing when you see the myriad of fencing options available. However, as long as you know your landscape and stay focused on your purpose, you’ll be able to get off the fence and take action.

When fence-shopping, consider these ten factors before purchasing:

Stick to the mission. Once you know your goal–child safety, pet containment, privacy, entertainment, aesthetic enhancement, or multi-purpose–stick to the mission by picking fencing that best serves your goal. For safety, choose fencing with pickets close enough together so a child or dog can’t stick their head through and become trapped or strangled. For privacy or noise reduction, choose a taller, solid fence.

Know the lay of your land. Know your landscapes intimately–their hills, valleys, and slopes–no matter how small. They can cause big installation problems and impact your fence’s appearance. For yards with many ups and downs, avoid disasters by using stair-stepped fencing, which ensures a level fence.

Ditch the high maintenance. Wooden fences are charming until they weather, warp, and rot from the elements or lack of diligent annual maintenance. Wood requires frequent sealing to keep it viable. Vinyl or virgin vinyl (non-recycled) fencing withstands harsh elements and offers carefree maintenance. Extremely durable, vinyl requires only occasional power-washing. Choose vinyl containing titanium dioxide (TI02) to prevent UV damage. An example is Triple Crown™ Fence manufactured by Royal Outdoor Products, a pioneer in vinyl fencing, since 1982. Our new Triple Crown™ Signature Series provides a rich, wood-grain texture for a natural wood appearance with the convenience of vinyl.

Know your posts and gates. All fences require posts. For vinyl posts, thicker may be better, but beware–some companies use foaming agents to boost wall thickness without boosting strength. Choose vinyl posts with wall thickness in the .135 to .150 range. If you need gates, remember that steel reinforcement inside the gate hinge-posts is key; most gates are too heavy for vinyl alone to accommodate.

Consider your climate. In frosty, northern climates, use concrete to anchor fence posts. Planting posts 36-inches into the ground prevents heaving during cold snaps. In humid, rainy areas, wood is more susceptible to water damage, so vinyl is a better choice. High quality vinyl fencing, such as Royal Outdoor Products’ complete Triple Crown Fence line and Triple Crown Signature Series, won’t blister, peel, crack, or turn brittle, even when installed in extreme hot or cold climates.

Don’t reinvent the fence. While do-it-yourself fencing is popular, the results are often surprising (not in a good way). Installing fencing is no walk in the park. Get professional help. Enlist a fencing contractor before purchasing anything. The results are worth the cost.

The proof is in the fencing. Check out a company’s installations in person. Reputable companies often have customer sites where you can see completed fences firsthand.

Get neighbors on board. Make sure your fence doesn’t block your neighbors’ view. As a courtesy, talk to them before choosing fencing, so you don’t wind up feuding later. Getting the neighbor’s input can make them more agreeable to whatever fencing design you ultimately choose.

Don’t zone out on building codes. Check with your municipality about local zoning ordinances and building codes. Your fencing project may require a permit.

Know your warranty rights. A limited lifetime warranty is common for fencing. But warranties typically only protect against structural failure, so unless your fencing collapses, you can’t make a claim. For added protection, get an installation warranty from your contractor.

For more information on fence planning, contact: Royal Outdoor Products, P.O. Box 360, Milford, IN 46542-0360. Phone: 1-800-488-5245. Fax: 1-877-725-3325. Web Site: www.royaloutdoor.com.

Royal Outdoor Products offers a complete package of vinyl deck, fencing, railing systems, columns and full trim which can be custom configured to suit all style applications.