cedar valley parade of homes - 2012

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Craig Larsen Construction 4128 Wynnewood Dr

Kugler Construction 4414 Blair Ridge Rd

LGC Homes 4103 Wedgewood Dr

LGC Homes 4127 Wedgewood DrVisit the Parade of Homes Online at: www.wcfcourier.com and www.cedarvalleyparadeofhomes.com

Tickets available for $10 at all the Homes.

2012 Parade of Homes

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CEDAR VALLEY

HOMESP A R A D E O F

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NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION & REMODELS

Wednesday, September 19 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Friday, September 21 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 22 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, September 23 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

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Caras Rd

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Crabapple Ln

Teton RdWilliam Dr

Country Ln

Partridge Ln

Red Tail Dr

W San Marnan DrKamille Ct

Trent Ln Westcheste

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Pinehurst Ln

Dakota Dr

Thrush Dr

SunnysideCountry Club

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Quail Ridge Rd

W 12th St

Wild Horse Dr

Blair Ridge Rd

W 8th St

W 18th St

Pheasant Dr

Wynnewood Dr

Fieldstone Blvd

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Birdsall Park

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River Ridge Rd

Timberledge Dr

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Greenhill Rd

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Alvarado Ave

Greenhill Rd

Progress Ave

Elmridge Dr

University Ave

Orchard Dr

Lilac Ln

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Spruce Hills D

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Briarwood Dr

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Harting & Hunemuller Contractors, L.C. 3836 Trent Ln

Skogman Homes 1921 Partridge Ln

Skogman Homes 4808 Yellowstone Dr

Skogman Homes 4816 Yellowstone Dr

Fouts Construction 4736 Luxley Dr

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www.WCFCourier.com

sPonsored BY:

www.veridiancu.org

2013 HBANEIS C H O LARSH IPThe Home Builders Association of Northeast Iowa helps the next generation of professional home builders master their craft, donating thousands of dollars to deserving students each year.

The Board of Directors, HBANEI, offers qualified students up to $1,500 to pursue a major course of study in the home building trades or related industry. The scholarships are awarded to students who will attend a local college or university in the Northeast Iowa area.

To be eligible for a scholarship from HBANEI,

students should meet the following requirements:

• You must be a high school senior or current

college student

• Be enrolled in an approved major of the home

building trades or related industry

• Be a resident of the state of Iowa

Scholarships are paid directly to your school in your

name after your enrollment has been verified.

A scholarship committee appointed by the Board

of Directors, HBANEI, reviews all applications and

awards the scholarships.

Mail your request for an application to:

Home Builders Association of Northeast Iowa

P.O. Box 1857, Waterloo, Iowa 50704

Deadline for all submissions is April 26, 2013.

For additional information, call us at (319) 233-0565.

Scholarship application may be made online at our

website: www.cedarvalleyhomebuilders.com.

SPECIAL THANKSTO THE 2012 CEDAR VALLEY PARADE OF HOMES COMMITTEE FOR MAKING THE EVENT A SUCCESS

Committee members: Bill Kugler, Reed Hunemuller,

Sam Runyan, Bruce Radue, Sheila Kerns

TO OUR SPONSORS

Members of the Home Builders Association of Northeast Iowa have been extremely busy this summer building a variety of homes for you to browse through during this year’s annual Parade of Homes. If your future includes building a new home or remodeling an existing home, the Parade of Homes gives you a golden opportunity to discuss your project directly with the builder and subcontractors who could potentially be doing your work.

I would personally like to invite you to the 2012 Cedar Valley Parade of Homes sponsored by the Home Builders Association of Northeast Iowa, Veridian Credit Union and Courier Communications. Please make sure to mark your calendars for the following dates and times.

Wednesday, September 19 - 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Friday, September 21 - 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.Saturday, September 22 - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday, September 23 - 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Proceeds from the parade are used in part to award scholarships for local students pursuing careers in construction-related fields. Congratulations to our 2012 scholarship winners:

Austin Javellana (Iowa State University)Ethan Mangrich (University of Northern Iowa)Moises Castillo (Iowa State University)

From all of our members and numerous subcontractors we would like to thank you for making the 2012 Parade of Homes a success.

I look forward to seeing many of you browsing the homes and planning for the future.

Check us out online at www.cedarvalleyhomebuilders.com.

Kyle LarsonPresident

CEDAR VALLEY


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WWW.CEDARVALLEYPARADEOFHOMES.COM CEDAR VALLEY PARADE OF HOMES 1

OFFICERSPRESIDENTKyle Larson

1ST VICE PRESIDENTJake Smalley

2ND VICE PRESIDENTVic Schrage SECRETARYSheila Kerns TREASURER

Craig Fairbanks PAST PRESIDENT

Ron McCartan

DIRECTORSJared Honermann

Max Kline Bill Kugler

Zach Stuart Brad Trees

Deb Waterman Bob Manning

David Martinson Reed Hunemuller

Scott Cessna

TABLE OF CONTENTS

House Contractor Page

1 Craig Larsen Construction 10 4128 Wynnewood Dr Cedar Falls

2 Kugler Construction . . . . . . . . . . . .144414 Blair Ridge Rd Cedar Falls

3 LGC Homes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184103 Wedgewood Dr Cedar Falls

4 LGC Homes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224127 Wedgewood Dr Cedar Falls

5 Harting & Hunemuller L.C. . . . . . .263836 Trent Ln Waterloo

6 Skogman Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .281921 Partridge Ln Waterloo

7 Skogman Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 4808 Yellowstone Dr Waterloo

8 Skogman Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 4816 Yellowstone Dr Waterloo

9 Fouts Custom Homes . . . . . . . . . .404736 Luxley Dr Waterloo

The 2012 Parade of Homespublication is a supplement of

2012 BOARDOF DIRECTORS

100 East 4th St Waterloo, IA 50701(319) 291-1448

PUBLISHER . . . . . . . . . . . . David A. Braton

AD DIRECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tara Seible

EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melody Parker

PROJECT MANAGER. . . . . . . . Sheila Kerns

PROJECT ASSISTANT. . . . . . . . Lisa Boleyn

GRAPHIC DESIGN . . . . . . . . Emily SmesrudCHECK OUT OUR FOLDOUT MAP ON THE BACK COVER!

CEDAR VALLEY


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w w w . c e d a r v a l l e y p a r a d e o f h o m e s . c o m

2 CEDAR VALLEY PARADE OF HOMES WWW.CEDARVALLEYPARADEOFHOMES.COM

Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pmEvening and Saturday Appointments Available

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A+ Plumbing - Waterloo, IA (319) 233-3512

Chad’s Plumbing - Dunkerton, IA (319) 822-3131

Curran Plumbing, Inc. – Waterloo , IA (319) 233-0353

Crystal Plumbing & Heating – Waverly, IA (319) 352-3241

Dalton Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling – Cedar Falls, IA (319) 266-3513

Davis Plumbing – LaPorte City, (319) 239-3939

Elliot’s Plumbing & Heating – Tripoli, IA (319) 239-5810

G & G Plumbing – Waterloo, IA (319) 232-9842

Hudson Hdwe – Hudson, IA (319) 988-3231

Independence Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling – Independence, IA (319) 334-7008

Plumbing Concepts – Waterloo, IA (319) 833-0523

Wades Plumbing & Heating – Aplington, IA (319) 347-2453

Waschkat Plumbing – Waterloo, IA (319) 234-3456Look for ourfixtures inmany of theParade Homes!

We have partnered with the area’sbest plumbers and offer one-stop shopping!


Your Masonry Landscape Source

A special thank you to Kugler Construction andBear Creek Landscapes for their extensive use of Allan BlockClassic Harvest at 4414 Blair Ridge Rd in Cedar Falls!

110 Dunham PL · Waterloo(319) 233-8421

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Survey: Americans willing to face risks that come with owning home

By the National Association of Home Builders

Despite the ups and downs of the hous-ing market, home owners and nonowners alike consider owning a home essential to the American Dream.

That’s the key fi nding of a survey of people likely to vote in 2012 that was con-ducted on behalf of the National Associa-tion of Home Builders by Public Opinion Strategies of Alexandria, Va., and Lake Research Partners of Washington, D.C.

“The survey results show that Ameri-cans see beyond the immediate housing market to the enduring value of hom-eownership,” said NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nev. “An overwhelming 75 percent of the peo-ple who were polled said that owning a home is worth the risk of the fl uctuations

in the market, and 95 percent of the hom-eowners said they are happy with their decision to own a home.”

“Homeownership is worth the risk, pure and simple,” said Neil Newhouse, a partner and co-founder of Public Opin-ion Strategies. “Almost three-quarters of those who do not currently own a home, 73 percent, said owning a home is one of their goals. And among younger voters who are most likely to be in the market for a home in the next few years, the percent-ages are even higher.”

One of the more striking aspects of the survey results is the intensity of senti-ment among potential voters, accord-ing to Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners. “People believe over-whelmingly that owning a home is an anchor to the American Dream,” she said.

“It’s an anchor to your retirement, and it’s an anchor to your personal economic well-being.”

Among the other survey results:Homeownership and a retirement sav-

ings program are considered by voters to be their best investments.

80 percent of homeowners would advise a close friend or family member just starting out to buy a home.

Saving for a down payment and closing costs is the biggest barrier to homeownership.

Americans believe that owning their own home is as important as being suc-cessful at their job or being able to pay for a family member’s education.

“Owning a home isn’t just a policy to people,” said Lake. “It isn’t just a com-modity to people. It is a core value.”

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LGC HOMES - 4103 WEDGEWOOD DR CEDAR FALLSLGC HOMES - 4127 WEDGEWOOD DR CEDAR FALLS

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Décor That Will Make Your House Feel Like Home

Remodeling kitchens, baths can improve home value By The National Association

of Home Builders

If you want to change your home, your other option besides remodeling is to fi nd a new one. But more and more American families are deciding to stay put and improve their existing home. Here are some of the reasons:

Remodeling allows you to customize your home to meet your needs and desires. The only similar, but much more costly alternative, is to have a brand new custom home designed and built.

Remodeling means that you don’t have to give up a familiar neighborhood and schools.

Remodeling is a more effi -cient use of your fi nancial resources. According to the American Homeowner Foun-dation, selling your home and

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moving typically costs about 8-10 percent of the value of your home. And much of this goes into moving expenses, closing costs, and broker com-missions — items that have no direct impact on your home’s quality.

Remodeling can be stressful, but few experiences are more stressful than moving.

While there are many reasons that people choose to remodel, the bottom line is that remod-eling makes your home a more enjoyable place to live. The intangible value of this plea-sure needs to be considered, along with any resale value you hope to gain.

But there is no doubt that, as far as improving the sale of your home, all remodeling projects are not created equal. The general rule of thumb is that any remodeling project

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that brings your home up to the level of your neighbors’ is a worthy investment. But it doesn’t pay to be the most expensive house on the block — real estate experts recom-mend a remodeling investment should not raise the value of your house to more than 10-15 percent above the median sales price in your neighborhood.

Each year, Remodeling mag-azine conducts its “Cost vs. Value” report to assess which remodeling projects create the greatest return on investment. Not surprisingly, kitchens and baths regularly come out on top. These are two of the most used rooms in the home, and they receive the most scrutiny from potential buyers.


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Tips for choosing quality home builderBy The National Association of Home Builders

Once you have thought about the type of house you want, you will need to find a builder.

Contact your local home builders’ association to obtain a list of builders who con-struct homes in your area. You can find your local HBA at nahb.org/findanhba. You also can look on Move.com, NAHB’s official new homes listing website.

Look in the real estate sec-tion of your local newspa-per for builders and projects. Looking through the ads and reading the articles can help you to learn which builders are active in your area, the types of homes they are building, and the prices you can expect to pay.

Make a list of builders who build the type of home you’re looking for in your price range.

Local real estate agents also may be able to help you in your search. Ask friends and relatives for recommenda-tions. Ask about builders they have dealt with directly, or ask them for names of acquain-tances who have recently had a good experience with a builder.

Do your homeworkOnce you have a list of build-

ers, how can you find out about their reputations and the qual-ity of their work? The best way to learn about builders is to visit homes they have built and talk with the owners.

Ask builders on your list for the addresses of their recently

built homes and subdivisions. Builders may even be able to provide names of some home owners who would be willing to talk with you.

Drive by on a Saturday morning when homeowners may be outside doing chores or errands. Introduce yourself and say you are considering

buying a home from the build-er who built their home. Talk to several owners, and try to get a random sample of opin-ions. The more people you talk with, the more accurate an impression of a builder you are likely to get. At the very least, drive by and see if the homes are visually appealing.

When you talk to builders and home owners, take along a notebook to record the infor-mation you find and your personal impressions about specific builders and homes. Doing so will help you to make comparisons later.

When examining a home, look at the quality of the con-struction features. Inspect the quality of the cabine-try, carpeting, trimwork and paint. Never hesitate to ask a question.

Talk to other homeowners

When choosing a home builder, you might want to talk to some of the people they’ve built for. Here are some questions you can ask:

Are you happy with your home?

If you had any problems, were they fixed promptly and properly?

Would you buy another home from this builder?

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6 Cedar ValleyParade of Homes www.CedarValleyparadeofhomes.Com

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RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL,AGRICULTURAL, TO DECORATIVE

Follow us on

Learn how to go green without breaking the bankKeeping up with the rap-

idly changing fi eld of green building can be daunt-ing. Build-erBooks, the p u b l i s h i n g arm of the N a t i o n a l Association of Home B u i l d -ers (NAHB)

recently released a new resource, “Green Build-ing Strategies: From Plan to Profi t” to help builders and industry professionals under-stand and apply cutting-edge building science to construct high performance homes, while reducing the impact on the environment.

“Green Building Strategies” is a succinct guide which takes readers step by step

through the entire building process, from design through site development and con-struction, quality assurance, marketing and customer ser-vice. It provides the infor-mation needed to system-atically create green projects cost-eff ectively.

Author Jeannie Leggett Sikora provides practical strategies for moving from conventional construction to green home building. Based on her interviews of experts, fi eld observations, study of independent research and review of product data, she provides easy-to-implement green building options to help builders construct homes with a price tag both they and their customers can aff ord.

“The author condenses comprehensive guidance on the process of building green

into an easy-to-use resource,” said NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “This is a must-read for anyone look-ing to learn more about green home building.”

Green Building Strategies provides helpful illustrations, photos and fi gures through-out the book. It also includes

a glossary and list of recom-mended websites for green building resources.

Green Building Strategies: From Plan to Profi t is avail-able for purchase at www.builderbooks.com/ or by calling (800) 223-2665. Soft-cover/182 pages, $44.95 retail, $39.95 NAHB member, ISBN 978-0-86718-679-6.


Let us ��your dream.For the perfect products for your kitchen or bath, stop

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Do homework before having work doneThe National Association

of Home Builders

Use this checklist to help you select a builder or remod-eler to work on or build your home.

Does the builder or remod-eler have a permanent busi-ness location and a good repu-tation with local banks and suppliers?

How long have they been in the building business? It usually takes three to fi ve years to establish a fi nancially sound business. Will they be around after the construc-tion is complete to service any warranties?

Have you called your local Better Business Bureau? They can alert you to any complaints.

Does the builder/remod-eler have sufficient work-

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ers compensation and general liability insurance? If not, you may be liable for any construc-tion-related accidents on your premises.

Will the builder/remod-eler provide you with names of previous customers? Ask them if they would hire the builder/remodeler again.

Have you seen the builder/remodelers work, both com-pleted and in progress? Check for quality of workmanship and materials.

Are you able to communi-cate with the builder/remod-eler? Remember you will be in close contact with them throughout the construction process and afterward as you live in your new home.

Will the builder/remodeler provide you with a complete and clearly written contract?

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The contract will benefi t both of you. Review it carefully.

Be cautious of unusually low-priced bids. If the build-er/remodeler is unable to pay for the materials and labor as the project proceeds, this may indicate a potential problem.

Call your local home build-ers’ association for the names of member builders and remodelers. Find contact information at www.nahb.org/fi ndanhba.

Here’s a quick run-down on how to tell the diff erence between custom and produc-tion home building companies.

Custom home buildersBuild on land you own.

Some custom builders also build on land they own.

Build one-of-a-kind houses. A custom home is a

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site-specifi c home built from a unique set of plans for a specifi c client. Some custom builders may off er design/build services.

Build single-family homes.Are generally small-volume

builders (those that build 25 or fewer homes a year).

Tend to build high-end homes.

Production home buildersBuild on land they own.Tend to use stock plans, but

usually off er a variety of plan choices and options.

Build all types of housing — single-family, condos, town houses, and rental properties.

Are large-volume builders (those that build more than 25 homes a year).

Generally build for all price points.

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Let Us Help Create Your Dream With Custom Lighting Design

Lighting Up the Cedar Valley Since 1998

Residential & Commercial5743 Westminster | Suite A | Cedar Falls, IA | 319-266-1134

Lighting Up the Cedar Valley Since 19985

PROVIDING ELECTRICAL & LIGHTING

Harting and Hunemuller Contractors, L.C. • 3836 Trent Ln., WaterlooFouts Custom Homes • 4736 Luxley Dr., Waterloo

Distinctive roofi ng choices brings custom lookFor some people, selecting roof-

ing material is an afterthought, but savvy homeowners, remod-elers and builders know a beau-tiful roof creates architectural appeal that can top any other residence in the neighborhood.

Slate roofi ng has long been prized for its beauty, following its rise in popularity through Amer-ica’s early years. The picturesque look of slate is now available through the advanced technology of composite slate, created with molds cast from real slate. Unlike natural slate, it won’t break or delaminate. InSpire Roofing delivers Old World elegance to both expansive and more inti-mate size homes, ranging in style from rustic to contemporary.

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Composite slate brings artis-

tic fl air to homes clad in stone, wood, fi ber cement or other materials, and adds interest on dormers, multiple gables and cross gables. Its beauty draws the eyes upward to soaring ridges, and also complements features like chimneys and eyebrow win-dows. Renovated brick or stucco homes can deliver a dramatic

architectural statement with a new roof.

To visualize your home with the natural elegance of InSpire Roofi ng, visit www.inspireroof-ing.com to pick the right color or color combination for your roof or call (800) 971-4148 for more information.

— ARA Content

ARA CONTENT PHOTO

Choosing the right roofi ng material and color can enhance a home.


Graceful columns and a quaint porch greet you as you enter this Craftsman style home of just over 2000 sq. ft. As you enter the home, you’ll be drawn to the main living area by the abundant natural light flowing in through the windows that are found along the entire rear of the home. The kitchen features a large walk-in pantry, floor to ceiling cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The

bedrooms feature a split design with the master towards the back and 2 in the front. Also on the main floor is a generous mud/laundry room and separate computer room. The lower level features 2 additional bedrooms with private baths, a family room and bar area and an extensive state-of-the-art theater room.

CRAFTSMAN STYLE

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HIGHLIGHTSCraftsman style3-stall side entry garageStone accents exterior and interiorSolid mahogany entry door with transom9’ and 11’ specialty ceilings and mouldingsMaster bath w/ whirlpool and tiled showerWalk-in pantryMaple cabinetsGranite countertopsStainless steel appliancesCentral vacWhole house audio, automation capabilityWet barTheater room w/ 110” 3D display screen

SPECSPrice Range: $475,000Bedrooms: 5Baths: 4Square Feet: 2,000+

CRAIG LARSEN CONSTRUCTION | 4128 WYNNEWOOD DR, CEDAR FALLS

www.craiglarsenconstruction.com

Contact Us TodayAbout Your Custom Home!

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Office: 319-277-8345

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ony’s1924 State Street • Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

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BIDWELLelectric company

Lorne Bidwell1222West 3rd Street,Cedar Falls, Iowa

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Call for your free estimate today!

CRAIG LARSEN CONSTRUCTION SKOGMAN HOMESSkogman Homes develops

neighborhoods where clients purchase more than a home, it’s a lifestyle. Their award-winning designs are suited for today’s lifestyles, includ-ing single-family and multi-family new construction.

Skogman Homes has been building single-fam-ily to multi-family homes for more than 60 years, span-ning fi ve generations. Skog-man Homes has built close to 11,000 homes in the Cedar Rapids area and nearly 225 homes in the Cedar Valley in the past seven years.

Contact information: Skog-man Homes 277-7862, www.skogmanhomes.com

Craig Larsen began work-ing on a framing crew while attending the University of Northern Iowa. He developed a passion for houses and car-pentry. He then worked as a fi nish carpenter, building cus-tom cabinets, stair systems and built-ins.

By 1993, Larsen was self-

employed with his own car-pentry business, and by 1999 he was building custom homes and spec homes.

The company specializes in new home construction, using fi ne quality materials, cabi-netry and windows, averag-ing four to six homes per year. Their speciality is intricate

trim carpentry and built-ins in well-thought-out fl oor plans that meet the needs of today’s families. Homes incorporate open fl oor plans, mudrooms with locker space and at least four bedrooms.

Contact information: 269-3310, www.craiglarsencon-struction.com

Benjamin Moore introduces new metallic paint lineBenjamin Moore’s new Mol-

ten Metallics paints let you give surfaces the look of hammered metal.

Molten Metallics are high-gloss alkyd paints that produce the texture and appearance of metal. They’re suitable for use indoors or out and inhibit rust on exterior surfaces.

The paints are part of Ben-jamin Moore’s Studio Finishes line. They come in six ready-mixed colors: gold, copper, bronze, gun smoke, silver and charcoal.

Suggested retail prices are $15.95 for a pint and $22.95 for a quart.

The product is available at

some Benjamin Moore retailers. You can fi nd nearby stores at www.benjaminmoore.com, but call fi rst to make sure they carry Molten Metallics.

The paint can also be ordered online at http://store.ben-jaminmoore.com/storefront. Look in the “Primers & Spe-cialty” section.


“Trust the Professionals”Sealing Homes Tight ~ Doing Every Job Right

R a y m o n d , I o w a • 3 1 9 - 2 7 7 - 7 6 0 3

w w w . i n s u l a t i o n . n e t

• Kugler Construction 4414 Blair Ridge Rd Cedar Falls

• Harting & Hunemuller Contractors,L.C. 3836 Trent Ln Waterloo

• Skogman Homes 1921 Partridge Ln Waterloo

4808 Yellowstone Dr Waterloo 4816 Yellowstone Dr Waterloo

• Fouts Custom Homes 4736 Luxley Dr Waterloo

LGC HOMES

LGC Homes designs and builds homes, upholding the highest standards in con-struction quality, fi t and fi n-ish. Rather than square-foot-based estimates, we use a costing model and market-value approach to reach a fi nal price in proposals. The method

allows customers to save 5 to 10 percent from realistic market value, creating equity from day one. We avoid surprises with a “no-nickel-and-dime” phi-losophy, anticipating upgrades a client may want beforehand.

Contact information: LGC Homes, Kyle Larson, 290-5953

FOUTS CONSTRUCTION

Fouts Construction utilizes knowledge, hands-on expe-rience, skilled craftsmanship and personal service to build premium custom homes. Everyone at Fouts Construc-tion knows that a home is a signifi cant investment as well as a statement of the owner’s personal pride and character.

The company focuses one each client’s personal needs and desires. Using premium materials, skilled craftsman-ship and having an open busi-ness partnership, the compa-ny works to make the client’s vision a reality.

Contact information: 239-3608, foutscustomhomes.com

KUGLER CONSTRUCTION

Kugler Construction off ers services from custom homes to remodels to siding, win-dows and decks, as well as design-to-build. The com-pany works with customers from conception to fi nished product to create a custom-built home that meets their wants and needs.

Kugler Construction has been in business for nearly 10 years as a family-owned and operated business. Bill and Billy Kugler work side by side, focusing on providing a quality product.

Contact information: Kugler Construction, 233-0011, kugco@qwestoffi ce.net

HARTING & HUNEMULLER CONTRACTORSBuild it right. Build it to last.

Keep the customer happy. That’s the mission statement that drives this fi rm’s success.

With 23 years experience, Harting & Hunemuller Con-tractors L.C. builds new homes, condos, additions, remodels kitchens and baths, window replacements and also does light commercial remodeling.

Harting and Hunemuller Contractors was formed in 1989 when lifelong Cedar Falls residents and childhood friends

joined forces to start a new con-struction company.

Don Harting started in the carpentry business out of high school in 1974 and has worked on thousands of homes in the Cedar Valley.

Reed Hunemuller graduated from the University of North-ern Iowa in 1979 with a degree in industrial technology with a emphasis in construction.

Contact information: Harting & Hunemuller Contractors L.C. 277-0627, [email protected]


091612108

COURIER - DON'T CANCEL

KUGLER BUILDER PAGE

4 x 9

Full Color

Our goal at Kugler Construction is to provide high quality custom built homes at an affordable price. We believe that we are not just building homes, but that we are also building relationships with our customers and their families that will last for years to come. Our family at Kugler Construction is fully committed to providing your family with a quality built home. A home that is Built by Family. Built for You.

CUSTOM BUILT HOMES | ADDITIONSSIDING | DECKS | REMODELING | WINDOWS

1610 JEFFERSON STREET | WATERLOO, IOWA

WWW.KUGLERCONSTRUCTION.COM

319-233-0011

Imagine a home where modern day amenities meets the design of yesterday. Or more specifically, the design of the Victorian Era. As you approach this year’s Parade Home, you instantly recognize the façade, placing the home with architecture influenced by the late 1800’s. The outside is high-lighted with distinct multi-colored finishes and of course, by the full wraparound porch and turret topped with a copper finial. Welcomed at the front door by the beautiful radius stairway, you are also greeted by the gentle archway and columns leading into the parlor set off by its octagon shape.

The hand crafted fireplace mantle steals the show in the living room, as you walk into the kitchen you’ll notice one of the beauties of today in the craftsmanship of the custom painted glazed cabi-nets and the granite/quartz combination tops. Up-stairs, the master bedroom is also highlighted with an octagon shape. The master bath boasts a classic Victorian vanity, custom tile shower, and glass tile accents. Stroll through the rest of the house as you appreciate the touch of Victorian charm.

A TOUCH OF VICTORIAN CHARM

2

HIGHLIGHTSVictorian influenced designWraparound porch with Trex deckingRadius staircaseArchway with columnsCustom cabinetsGranite/quartz topsCustom tile showerClaw foot tubFireplace with handcrafted mantleHardwood flooringCentral vac Paver patio

SPECSPrice Range: Custom builtBedrooms: 4Baths: 4Square Feet: 3,450

KUGLER CONSTRUCTION | 4414 BLAIR RIDGE RD, CEDAR FALLS

www.kuglerconstruction.com


ony’s1924 State Street • Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

[email protected]

WATERLOO ★ CEDAR FALLS

319 ★553★2000319★269★6268

David Chapmanph: 240-0589

www.chapmanelectricinc.comLicensed - Bonded - Insured

JesupLANDIMPROVEMENT &EXCAVATION

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CustomDrywall

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Taylor [email protected]

3815 Union RoadCedar Falls, IA 50613

(319) 277-6543Cell: (319) 404-7021

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www.cedarvalleyparadeofhomes.com cedar valleyParade of Homes 15

Do you tend to lean toward traditional designs but like the convenience of modern tech-nology? You’re not alone. Keep your kitchen pretty and pol-ished with these items that pack a modern punch, but only on the inside.

“Our research shows that a traditional style of decorat-ing is still the most popular in the U.S.,” says Judy Riley, vice president of design for Moen. “However, modern styles are running a close second, especially in the kitchen. So, many consumers are fi nding the perfect compromise — by utilizing traditional looking products that off er modern conveniences.”

Manufacturers of kitchen products are closely monitoring consumer preferences, and now off er several product options that combine modern ameni-ties with traditional charm.

Faucets with functionIn one year alone, the aver-

age consumer washes 11,680 dishes. So why not make the faucet the focal point of your kitchen? Fortunately, you can do so with style and state-of-the-art technology.

While it may feature classic, elegant styling on the outside, it’s the advanced technology on the inside that makes the new Brantford high-arc pulldown

faucet from Moen stand apart. This traditionally designed fau-cet is the fi rst to off er the new Refl ex system that makes pull-down faucets at least 40 percent easier to extend than other pull-down systems — all while off er-ing warm, traditional charm to your kitchen. Another hidden

benefi t in the Brantford fau-cet is its consumer-preferred, multi-function pulldown spray wand. This unique feature has a button, concealed on the back-side of the wand, which allows users to switch between several water-fl ow patterns, including aerated spray, stream or Moen’s

unique pause button.

Discreet dishwashersProbably the most coveted

appliance in their kitchen is the dishwasher. This modern mar-vel whisks crumbs and coff ee stains from plates and cups in an instant — leaving a bevy of sparkling clean dishes in its wake. But while dishwashers are well loved, they shouldn’t be the focal point of a kitchen.

An integrated or “hidden” dishwasher is one that is cam-oufl aged with a front panel that matches the existing kitchen surfaces or cabinetry — from wood grain panels to stainless steel and painted wood. Even the handle will often be identi-cal to the cupboard and drawer handles on either side of it.

Subtle storageWith so many items to store in

such a small space, how can you utilize modern storage solutions without overwhelming your traditionally styled kitchen? Look no further than functional pullout pantries, pegged drawer dish organizers and more. These innovative storage devices make the most of cramped cabinetry with slide-out storage, adjust-able shelves and pegs that can be customized to fi t the dishes or pots and pans in your pantry or kitchen drawers.

— ARA Content

A Beautiful DoorFor A Beautiful Home...

1905 State St., • Cedar Falls, IAwww.christiegaragedoor.com

Keep modern convenience under traditional wraps

ARA CONTENT PHOTO

Modern kitchens can combine state-of-the-art technology with the warmth of traditional decor.


TRUST OUR NAME WITH YOUR COMFORT

Get inspired with colorful ideas for decoratingFrom ever-popular traditional

styles to streamlined modern looks, there is a place for a splash of color in any room. Don’t be afraid to add color in unexpected places — from window treat-ments that pop to a vivid paint shade in an entryway.

For example, Accordia Cel-lular Shades from Levolor are available in more than 200 fab-ric choices, including exclusive woven fabrics (Linen, Designer Textures and Translucence) that give rich color and texture to any room. Create an energetic kids’ playroom with vivid red San-gria light-fi ltering shades or a serene master suite with cozy beige Candlelight room-dark-ening shades.

“Window treatments don’t have to fade into the back-ground,” says Stephen Smith, vice president of marketing for Levolor. “Embrace color and

texture, and let your shades stand out and be the fashionable focal point of the room.”

Small updates can make a big diff erence to the exterior of your home, too. Plant colorful annu-als to enhance curb appeal. Try painting the front door and trim with a glossy fi nish to coordi-nate with interior window treatments.

ColorSnap is a free app that allows users to quickly and eas-ily match colors in images with more than 1,500 Sherwin-Wil-liams hues and complementary palettes. Simply snap a photo of your favorite vase or new win-dow treatment and you’ll be presented with the closest color match. From there, you’ll be provided with complementary colors which will ensure seam-less color fl ow of your home decor. Plus, it’s easy to test the suggested paint colors within

your space with quart-sized paint samples.

If you’re looking for color sug-gestions, you can’t go wrong with green.

“One of the most fashion-able colors in decorating today is green,” says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams. “Green is

everywhere, including urban environments where rooftop gardens continue to sprout. Today’s green trend is heav-ily infl uenced by nature, such as leaves and moss.”

To learn more, visit levolor.com and sherwin-williams.com.

— ARA Content

Accordia Cellular Shades from Levolor are available in more than 200 fabric choices and vivid colors.


The artisan mailbox offers a clue to what this outwardly traditional Prairie-style home has in store. Past the formal foyer, the space opens up. A stunning view of dramatic outdoor spaces can be seen through the wall of windows along the wrap-around stairway concourse.

The home is filled with impressive yet subtle details and clever design.

The living area, dining room and large island

kitchen are integrated. European cabinetry, quartz counter tops and glass tile are the essence of functional beauty. On the lower level, a self-service bar and practical but gorgeous stained concrete floors provide more space for entertaining. An airy master bedroom leads through to the bath with its wall-mounted fixtures, into an over-sized custom closet, and back to the laundry/drop zone.

MODERN PRAIRIE WITH A FEW SURPRISES

3

HIGHLIGHTSWalkout stairway concourseGlass railing and tiled stairsExtensive ceiling covesStrand woven bambooLarge tiled showerWall-mounted bath fixturesSilestone quartz countersGlass tile backsplashEuropean-frame cabinetryStained concrete flooringUnique deck and patioExtensive landscaping

SPECSPrice Range: Custom designBedrooms: 3Baths: 3Square Feet: 1,740

LGC HOMES | 4103 WEDGEWOOD DR, CEDAR FALLS

www.onlylgc.com



319 ★553★2000319★269★6268

[email protected]

INSPIRING IDEASFOR YOURHOMEOur experienced staff can help with allthe details to make your house a home.A huge selection of quality buildingproducts are available at ProBuild.

WATERLOO319.232.7116


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MWATERLOO

1411 E. San Marnan319.234.6138

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We appreciateyour

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“Ask Sherwin Williams”

Commercial • ResidentialSales • 24 Hour Service • InstallationServing Waterloo, Denver & Surrounding Areas

319-939-5251Corey Arians

Residential • Commercial• Kitchen • Bath • Office • Wood or Laminate

Ph. 319-361-8330501 Second Street S.W. • Independence, IA

NATE NEUMANInstallation & Repair

Ph: (319) 226-5348Cell: (319) 269-8347

[email protected]

FIRE ALARM - INTERCOM - NURSE CALLSECURITY SYSTEMS - CCTV- CLOCKS

8120 Jennings Drive,Cedar Falls, IA 50613www.SystemServicesLC.com

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Setting the Standardfor Over 50 Years

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56


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Four easy DIY ‘cheats’ that look like you spent a bundleDid you ever watch a home

improvement show team trans-form a drab room into some-thing spectacular using a shoe-string budget and less time than it takes you to clean out your closet? Ever wonder how they did it? Here’s the secret: they cheat. And you can too.

You would probably never

consider taking shortcuts in other aspects of your life, from car maintenance to paying your taxes. But when it comes to do-it-yourself home improvement and decorating projects, there’s no shame in “cheating” — and a lot to be gained by doing it. Decorator touches like crown moulding that requires no

mitering and no-sew window treatments can give your home an instant visual upgrade for a fraction of the cost of having those jobs done professionally.

Here are four DIY “cheats” that will save you time and money — and yield professional results that look like you spent a bundle:

1. CROWN MOLDING: Few design touches dress up a room more than crown molding. But traditionally, crown molding has been a job best left to pro-fessionals or DIYers with more time and ambition than most.

See CHEATS, page 21


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Adding crown molding the old-fashioned way requires expertise — like knowing how to properly cut and fi nish each piece — and tools most homeowners simply don’t have.

Fortunately, there’s an easy alternative: Molding Mates is a crown molding installation sys-tem that requires no specialized tools or skills. You don’t even need to miter cut corners. Sim-ply pre-fi nish the polyurethane molding (which is available in a wide range of styles), attach the patented Quick Clips to the wall where you want to place the molding, and pop the molding lengths into place. Corner piec-es and connector blocks cover ends and seams, eliminating the need to miter ends and patch or touch up the long pieces. You can install the entire system using a screw drill and a saw. You can learn more and browse products at www.focalpointproducts.com.

2. CARPET TILES: New carpet-ing is a much-desired upgrade, but the cost of installation can be prohibitive. Properly install-ing wall-to-wall carpet requires specialized skills and tools that most DIYers don’t have. Carpet tiles can be a great alternative.

Installing carpet tiles is well within the abilities of most homeowners. Because they’re a smaller, more manageable size, carpet tiles are easier to install

than a large piece of carpet. They require fewer cuts and no stretching. They also make it easy to create a unique pattern using diff erent colored tiles.

3. MIRROR FRAMING SYSTEMS: A frame around a bathroom mirror can give the entire room a more luxurious feel. Yet, like tradi-tional crown moulding, conven-tional framing requires knowl-edge of mitering. Fortunately, a simple online search will yield plenty of easier options, includ-ing framing systems that pro-vide a custom look with pre-cut frame pieces.

The systems require no more expertise to install than being able to follow measuring direc-tions and apply adhesive. Avail-able in a wide array of designs and colors, these systems make it possible to frame a mirror to match any design theme.

4. NO-SEW WINDOW TREAT-MENTS: Custom window treat-ments look great but can cost a bundle. Sewing them yourself requires more expertise than you likely gleaned in your high school home-ec class, and you would need a sewing machine to do the job right. Creating no-sew cur-tains requires nothing more than a tape measure, some scissors, iron-on adhesive, an iron and several yards of the fabric of your choice. Simply measure the win-dows to fi nd your desired fabric length, cut the fabric into appro-priately sized panels, and use the adhesive and iron to fi nish the edges, no sewing required.

— ARA Content

CHEATSFrom page 20


Modern fixtures and features abound in this cus-tom home. Its location offers a spectacular view of mature trees, seen clearly through large windows in the living area.

The open-concept dining room and kitchen is ideal for entertaining. The kitchen features a unique design with wrap-around island bar and quartz countertops . A spacious mudroom and laundry are practical for daily living.

At the opposite end of the home is the large master suite with a walk-in closet and well-ap-pointed bathroom with a five-foot-wide shower, double lavatories and a whirlpool bath situated beneath picture windows.

The finished lower level provides an addition bedroom and bath, as well as flexible space and room to expand – and with plenty of natural light.

CUSTOM DESIGN MADE AFFORDABLE

4

HIGHLIGHTSSpacious, Proven DesignModern Hardware and FixturesCustom Bath Vanity TopsSilestone Quartz CountersPremium Maple CabinetryFlush Doors and TrimBuilt-in AppliancesExtensive StoneworkLarge Landscaping BedsCustom Designed to LotFive-star Energy RatedCloset Space to Spare

SPECSPrice Range: $250,000’sBedrooms: 5Baths: 3Square Feet: 1,635 + Basement

LGC HOMES | 4127 WEDGEWOOD DR, CEDAR FALLS

www.onlylgc.com



319 ★553★2000319★269★6268

[email protected]




2224 Black Hawk Rd. • Jesup 319.827.3626988-4200

Visit our showroom atShowroom moved to

Hwy 63/1 mile s. of 20, Waterloo


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M

WATERLOO1411 E. San Marnan

319.234.6138


319.277.1034

We appreciateyour

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Commercial • ResidentialSales • 24 Hour Service • InstallationServing Waterloo, Denver & Surrounding Areas

319-939-5251Corey Arians

NATE NEUMANInstallation & Repair

Ph: (319) 226-5348Cell: (319) 269-8347

[email protected]

FIRE ALARM - INTERCOM - NURSE CALLSECURITY SYSTEMS - CCTV- CLOCKS

8120 Jennings Drive,Cedar Falls, IA 50613www.SystemServicesLC.com

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56


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Hardwoods are an eco-conscious choice From fl ooring and cabi-

netry to molding and furni-ture, American hardwoods have been treasured for gen-erations, and for good reason. They off er warmth, durability, luxury and design options that are unmatched by faux-wood products such as laminates and bamboo.

Recently, however, an abun-dance of green product labels and misinformation has led to confusion in the market-place, and has everyone ask-ing, “Are American hardwoods really a sustainable resource?” and “Are the hardwood prod-ucts I want for my home really green?”

The American Hardwood Information Center, www.HardwoodInfo.com, wants you to know that the answer to

these questions is a resounding “yes.” And now, homeowners have assurance from the fed-eral government that Ameri-can hardwood products are not only beautiful, but truly green and sustainable.

Natural and sustainableThe U.S. Congress passed

resolutions in 2009 and 2010 which officially recognized that the American hardwood industry sustainably man-ages an environmentally pref-erable, natural resource, and that hardwoods should not be discriminated against in gov-ernment procurement pro-grams. In March 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agreed and announced its endorsement strategy regarding the merits of domes-

tic wood as a preferred green building material.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in keeping with the USDA endorsement of Ameri-can hardwoods as a sustain-able material, directed the

heads of all USDA agen-cies to begin increasing use of locally milled lumber in all new agency buildings and facilities. Also, the U.S. Forest Service will examine ways to enhance research and develop-ment being done around green building materials.

American forests continue to be a trusted source for sustain-able and legally harvested tim-ber. Imported wood and wood substitute products are not regulated like domestic prod-ucts and their quality control standards are inconsistent. In addition, local availability and manufacturing significantly minimizes the environmental impact of transporting hard-wood products.

See HARDWOODS, page 25

American forests continue to be a trusted source for sustainable and legally harvested timber. Imported wood and wood substitute products are not regulated like domestic products.


SKOGMAN HOMES 1921 PARTRIDGE LN WATERLOO4808 YELLOWSTONE DR WATERLOO4816 YELLOWSTONE DR WATERLOO

Thank You For Choosing Direct Appliance & TV

319.553.0171 | 5424 University Ave. | Cedar FallsLocally owned & operated by Karl Morehouse & Tom Ridder

Hardwood forests naturally regenerate themselves and do not need to be replanted like softwood forests. For this reason, harvesting methods diff er. The preferred meth-od of harvesting hardwoods is single-tree selection. A professional forester evalu-ates a forest and determines which trees are ready to har-vest. This responsible forest management practice not only provides a sustaining supply of hardwood, but it also ensures the health of a thriving forest — including water quality, wildlife habi-tat, biodiversity and recre-ational opportunities — and has allowed the volume of our hardwood forests to more than double since the 1950s.

Thanks to the work of our

foresters, wood is a carbon-neutral material.

Healthy forests are net pro-ducers of oxygen through photosynthesis. Growing trees absorb carbon diox-ide from the atmosphere, and separate the carbon and oxygen atoms. The oxygen is released back into the atmo-sphere, while the carbon is used to grow roots, the trunk, branches and leaves. The car-bon is then stored in the wood for the life of the tree and the products made from it.

In addition, natural wood products are among the most energy-effi cient to produce, while making products from steel, aluminum, glass, con-crete and brick can require up to 126 times more energy to manufacture.

With hardwood, the manu-facturing process is limited to running a saw blade and kiln drying. In comparison, the steel and concrete manu-facturing processes consist of

numerous procedures that are extremely energy-intensive. And for both, unfavorable environmental consequences result from open pit mining and from the substantial fos-sil fuels expended and emis-sions generated in the pro-cessing of the raw materials.

Furthermore, advanced technology and manufactur-ing assures the least wood waste and effi cient use of wood byproducts. For exam-ple, tree bark becomes mulch and soil conditioners, saw-dust is used for animal bed-ding or as fuel for boilers to operate dry kilns, and trim-mings can be used for wood components and paper. No other material can compare.

In our homes, hardwood products are some of the healthiest and most cost-effective ones we could choose. They do not collect dust or allergens — which can be trapped in other mate-rials — and environmentally

friendly paints and stains can be used to complement any design scheme. In addi-tion, hardwood products can be refi nished and can last a lifetime. A solid hardwood fl oor, for instance, can last in excess of 100 years, while car-pet would need to be replaced numerous times during that span.

At the end of their useful lives, hardwood products can be repurposed, used as a com-bustible fuel, or returned to the Earth, whereas synthetic and heavily glued products like bamboo, will remain in a landfi ll almost indefi nitely.

There really is no better or natural choice for green building and healthy home environments than Ameri-can hardwoods. And now, with the endorsement of the federal government, eco-conscious homeowners can confi dently choose American hardwood.

— ARA Content

HARDWOODSFrom page 24


This well built and insulated home provides incredible comfort and privacy — like living in the country with the convenience of living in town. This large, open, 1,627 sq. ft. condo has 9 foot ceil-ings throughout and a 14 foot gable in the living room. Great Waterloo location with excellent views through the large great room windows. Spa-cious open kitchen plan with granite counters and pecan cabinetry from Omega. A large master suite with a walk in closet and beautiful master bath with a soaking tub and a separate 4 ft. shower. Solid

oak trim and six panel doors, vaulted ceilings and a double attached garage. The large 2 car insulated garage makes it easy to beat the cold Iowa winters. The full sized lower level — with an additional 1,600 sq. ft. — is stubbed and can be finished off with a future bathroom, an extra bedroom for guests and a large play room for when the kids come to visit. This unit qualifies for the new City of Waterloo CLOMA which gives you the first 3 years of real estate tax abatement.

COMFORT AND PRIVACY

5

HIGHLIGHTSCondo livingOmega cabinetryGas fireplaceGranite countertopsMarvin windowsStainless appliancesTile floors in kitchen/entry and barthroomsRaised panel oak interior doorsMain floor laundry roomMaster suite with large bathroom and walk in closetSet up for future bedroom, bathroom and family room in lower level2 stall attached garage

SPECSPrice Range: $298,000Bedrooms: 2Baths: 2Square Feet: 1,627

HARTING & HUNEMULLER, L.C. | 3836 TRENT LN, CEDAR FALLS



319 ★553★2000319★269★6268

2811 Center Street • Cedar Falls319-277-9409

www.bentonbuildingcenter.com

[email protected]


Concrete Work

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MBRUMMEL MADSEN

INSURANCE

Business • Home •Auto • Health318 Main, Cedar Falls(319) 266-2644

319-296-1663



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Growing Together

ASK US ABOUT THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS AND HOMES

QUAIL RIDGE 5 lots remaining, homes starting in the 220s

WILD HORSE Coming Sept. 2012, homes starting in the 220s

GREEN HILL VILLAGE Round 4 IDED series

HUNTINGTON RIDGE Round 4 IDED series

KLINGAMAN PARK Homes starting in the 220s

AUDUBON PARK 1 lot available in the 220s

CROSS ROADS 20 lots, homes starting in the 140s

Homes available in Cedar Falls, Waterloo, and Surrounding areas, on our lot or yours.

IN THE CEDAR VALLEY

New Construction is on the move in Waterloo! Welcome to the Skogman Homes popular Riverview floor plan. The Riverview has been the plan of choice for many families over the years. Because of its suc-cess it has been modified to keep pace with today’s changing needs. New to the plan is a large private laundry room across from a spacious drop zone. This drop zone lets the family come in from the outdoors and organize shoes, coats, keys, and mail and keep the clutter from the laundry and kitchen. The Riverview’s success has always stemmed from its open layout for entertaining and spacious BRs.

Having guests or looking to lay down, relax, and catch a big game, move on down the 1430 sq ft of lower level finish. Don’t miss a play when grabbing a drink as the wet bar is close. The lower level finish allows you to have the whole family stick around for the weekend with 2 added BRs.

Move right in to start enjoying your Skogman home and begin taking advantage of Waterloo’s tax abatement program minimizing your taxes to just land value for 3 years from the date of closing—one more reason to choose Skogman Homes in Waterloo.

RIVERVIEW FLOOR PLAN

6

HIGHLIGHTS9’ and 10’ ceilings with Archtop transomShaker style base and casing3 car garageKemper Bierden painted cabinetryAristokraft Briarcliff cherry cabinetryDrop zone with built-ins for storageOutlets in BRs with night lightsOutlets with USB connections throughoutCape Cod double 4 vinyl sidingJ & N Stone’s and Chelsea Ironspot accentsWadena stained steel door w/ mantle shelfExercise room and wet bar in LLViatera Silver lake Quartz countertops12x15 covered deck

SPECSPrice Range: $260,000’s-high $400,000’sBedrooms: 3Baths: 1.75Square Feet: 3,416

SKOGMAN HOMES | 1921 PARTRIDGE LANE, WATERLOO

www.skogmanhomes.com


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Longing to update your home, but short on time and money? You’re not alone. Remodel-ing experts report that whole-house remodels have declined in recent years — but don’t throw in the towel just yet. Instead of focusing on every room, focus on smaller areas where you spend a lot of time, like the bathroom.

“Bathroom renovations are one of the most popular proj-ects with homeowners, but not everyone has the same needs or budget,” says renowned home improvement expert Danny Lipford. “Luckily, cosmetic updates can be quick, inexpen-sive and easy enough for any-one to do.”

With a few days and minimal budget, you can give your bath-room an instant facelift that will be fashionable and functional.

1. Start your bathroom update with a good cleaning. Remov-ing any mildew, dust and soap scum is the fi rst step to a brighter bath.

2. Color can aff ect our mood — so add a splash of paint. For only the cost of a brush, roller, tape and a gallon of paint (less than $40), both your bathroom walls and your mood will feel refreshed.

3. Did you know that within a year, the average person washes their hands 8,776 times? And

that doesn’t account for the time spent brushing your teeth or washing your face. With that many interactions with water, be sure that your bathroom remodel includes a stylish new faucet.

4. Not sure if your current cabinets or vanity are fash-ionable enough for your new faucet? Before you replace it,

consider adding new cabinet hardware for an instant update. There are a wide variety of choices, and manufacturers such as Moen even off er knobs (starting at $8) and pulls (start-ing at $16) that perfectly match your faucet in both design and fi nish.

5. The average person takes 365 showers per year. If your

shower space is feeling a bit small, add 7 1/2 inches in an instant with a curved shower rod. Moen off ers both single and double curved shower rods (starting at $41) in the most popular fi nishes to maximize your bathroom shower space with ultimate style.

Fast, functional and fabulous bathroom fi xes

ARA CONTENT

Shower space feeling a bit small? Add 7 1/2 inches in an instant with a curved shower rod.

See BATHROOM, page 31


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6. According to the National Association of Home Builders, fewer people are living alone. In fact, the number of homes with fi ve or more residents has increased in the last two years, which means you likely share your bath with others. Bathroom accessories are a simple and inexpensive (less than $150 for a set) way to add organization and a design update to your bath. Collections, including Ashville or Lindale, off er a variety of solutions such as towel bars, towel rings and robe hooks to keep items tidy and off the fl oor, as well as pivoting paper holders to entice users to change the empty roll. Plus, they are available in a variety of fi nishes to perfectly coor-dinate with the rest of your new bath hardware.

7. The fi nal step of your simple and sensational bath upgrade is the soft touches. Add plush and colorful towels to your new accessories, a deco-rative shower curtain to your new shower rod and a soft throw rug in front of the vanity.

Soon, with minimal budget and eff ort, your bathroom will be more enjoyable — with an attractive look you’ll love and your guests will envy. For more information on Moen products, visit www.moen.com.

— ARA Content

ARA CONTENT

Bathroom accessories are a simple and inexpensive way to add organization to your bath and to update your design.

BATHROOMFrom page 30


New Construction is on the move in Waterloo! Welcome to the Skogman Homes “NEW” Bentley floor plan. This floor plan is new to the Cedar Valley in 2012 and has been very successful as it provides buyer’s either a 4th BR or den on the main floor. Get the advantages of a two story with all your rooms on one floor but control your costs by getting more space finished in the basement of a ranch. This plan also has the split BR feature which has been popular in most markets. Its open layout, volume ceilings, abundant windows & practical functionality extends to the warm feeling of home. While the plan is open

for entertaining, it still gives some privacy to the kitchen area that many like while working on their secret recipes.

This parade home is showing some of today’s pop-ular features with the taller ceilings and windows/doors, larger base and casing, and warm medium tone stained cabinetry.


BENTLEY FLOOR PLAN

7

HIGHLIGHTS9’ and 10’ ceilings throughout4.25/3.25 base and casing w/ door headers3 car garageAristokraft Landen cabinets w/ Cocoa glazeSplit 3 BR rance w/ den on main floorDrop zone with built-ins for storageOutlets in BRs with night lightsOutlets with USB connections throughoutWoodland Green double 4 vinyl sidingKarran undermount sink w/ laminate topsDirect vent gas fireplace w/ full stone wallCorodado’s Appalachian Fieldstone4.75” walnut floors in foyer, kitchen, & nook8’ nook slider

SPECSPrice Range: base price in $220,000’sBedrooms: 3Baths: 1.75Square Feet: 1,766

SKOGMAN HOMES | 4808 YELLOWSTONE DR, WATERLOO


Growing Together










IN THE CEDAR VALLEY







PARADE OF HOMESSpecial

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1950 Progress Drive, Hiawatha, IA 52233

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1502 Jefferson, Waterloo319-239-4294

CONSTRUCTIONLLC.

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Mailing:P. O. Box 598

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Location:517 Rhey StreetWaterloo, IA 50703

Office: 233-0955 • Fax: 233-0963

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Make your kitchen environmentally friendlyNo need to redo your entire

kitchen with bamboo fl oors, energy-efficient appliances, counters made of recycled paper and locally made antique cabinetry. The greenest option is to keep the kitchen you have and adopt some new practices.

Stocking your kitchen“The most important starting

point is to stock your kitchen with simple basic foods so you can cook at home when pos-sible,” says chef Anthony Man-driota of The Art Institute of Tennessee-Nashville. “And try to incorporate locally pro-duced, unrefi ned, and organic foods whenever possible.”

You’ll need olive or canola oil, diff erent vinegars, salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices, rice, pasta, beans (preferably dried), and to do some baking — fl ours, sugar or other natural sweeten-

ers, baking powder and baking soda. Perishable items include basic vegetables like onions, garlic, carrots and celery, sea-sonal vegetables (including salad greens) and fruits, milk, eggs, butter or natural marga-rine, cheese, nuts, bread and meat, poultry and fi sh.

For local produce, consider community supported agri-culture, a group of people who support a farming operation in order to receive fresh fruits and vegetables as they are pro-duced. Research what’s avail-able on the Internet or ask at your local organic food market.

Cooking at homeCooking at home doesn’t need

to be complex or time-consum-ing. Start with basic knife skills — peeling and cutting up veg-etables and fruits and chopping herbs. From there, basic tech-

niques include mixing, roast-ing or baking, sauteing, grill-ing, simmering and steaming. Learn these simple techniques and you’ll be able to prepare a roast chicken with vegetables and salad in an hour, without a recipe. A couple of hours spent organizing, planning and doing preparation each week can really pay off in making those home-cooked dinners a breeze.

Kitchen clean upYou don’t need to sacrifi ce

sanitation and safety to make your kitchen green. “Make sure you avoid cross contamina-tion,” warns chef Jim Gallivan of The Art Institute of Atlan-ta. “Use warm soapy water to wash knives, utensils and cut-ting boards between preparing poultry, meat or fi sh and veg-etables or fruit.”

Cut down on waste by using

dishtowels instead of paper products, and by recycling what you can’t reuseRun water only when necessary. Save energy by letting the dishes in the dish-washer air dry with the door open. Use environmentally friendly cleaning solutions — they are almost always less toxic to your family and pets, too. Antibacterial soaps are not usually necessary. Did you know that baking soda can scrub pots and pans without scratching?

If you have even a small yard, you can compost vegetable and fruit scraps, egg shells and left-over grains. Don’t include any meat or fi sh products to avoid attracting pests. See your local garden center or visit your state extension service’s website for information. Compost is great for shrubs, fl owers, and vegetables.

— ARA Content


319.553.0353 • 5814Westminster Drive • Cedar Falls, IA

www.interior-source.com

319.266.7160

5814Westminster Dr.Cedar Falls, IA

Roof, insulation make home energy-effi cientConserving energy at home

can be as simple as swapping incandescent light bulbs to compact fl uorescent lamps or unplugging the computer when it is not in use. However, a home built for energy effi ciency can have an even more signifi cant impact on your family’s energy use.

Taking a look at your home from top to bottom and wall to wall can uncover ways to maxi-mize energy effi ciency. Accord-ing to the U.S. Department of Energy, 40 percent of global energy consumption and asso-ciated greenhouse gas emis-sions come from the world’s homes and buildings. Although energy-effi cient upgrades and home renovations can seem more costly upfront, the invest-ment can help save money and energy in the long term.

Reduce air infi ltrationBetween framing and routing

for wiring and plumbing, hun-dreds of seams, gaps and holes exist in a typical home, which let air in and out. Forty percent of a home’s energy is lost due to this air infi ltration, according to the Department of Energy. In fact, these gaps in an aver-age-size home could fi ll nearly 200,000 basketballs with air every 24 hours.

A cost-effective way to address the issue is with proper air sealing and insulation. For

example, Owens Corning Ener-gyComplete Air Sealing System seals the gaps in the home’s exterior walls before installing fi berglass insulation for ther-mal protection. The system can reduce air infi ltration by up to 70 percent in new homes and can lead to a savings of up to 33 percent in heating and cooling bills for some homeowners.

When considering home insulation, also look for solu-tions that keep the environ-ment in mind. “Every pound of glass fi ber thermal insula-tion saves 12 times more energy each year than was originally used to produce it,” says Frank

O’Brien-Bernini, chief sustain-ability offi cer for Owens Corn-ing. “In fact, our new EcoTouch insulation uses a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer recycled content and 50 per-cent total recycled content, as certifi ed by Scientifi c Certifi ca-tion Systems.”

Revisit the roofRe-roof your home with

Energy Star-rated shingles that use granule technology to refl ect the sun’s rays and help keep roofs cooler, resulting in more comfortable and energy-effi cient living spaces. In some areas, these shingles may also

qualify for tax credits. Owens Corning Duration Cool Shin-gles help save energy without sacrifi cing beauty. Additionally, a roofi ng system that includes proper ventilation helps keep moisture and hot air away from the living space.

Eight out of 10 homes in the United States have asphalt shingle roofs, resulting in mil-lions of tons of potential waste that could end up in land-fi lls each year as homes are re-roofed. Recycling a home’s old shingles is equivalent to recycling a year’s worth of household waste. Visit Owens Corning Roofi ng & Asphalt’s shingle recycling program to learn how to choose a con-tractor that will recycle your roof.

Stop window air leakageEliminating drafts can save 5

to 30 percent of a home’s annu-al energy costs, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Window frames are a common culprit for air seepage. Consider installing new, ener-gy-effi cient windows or seal-ing existing windows to address this issue.

Strong and durable fi berglass composite window frames are virtually maintenance-free over their long lifetimes, vastly reducing the need for repair or replacement.

Source: ARA Content

ARA CONTENT

A good roof and insulation will help create an energy-effi cient home.


New Construction is on the move in Waterloo! Welcome to the Skogman Homes “NEW” Tren-ton floor plan. This floor plan has leaped into the markets successfully providing buyers looking for a split BR plan in the 1400-1500 sqft range a wonderful option. Finally a floor plan in the mid-size range with an abundant amount of cabinets providing you all the space needed to host all of your friends comfortably. The Trenton is great for hosting as you can relax in the family room, sit in the nook, or hang around the island in the kitchen but never lose out on any conversation. This parade home is showing

some of today’s popular features with the custom GR windows and cathedral ceiling, large shaker style trim, and painted cabinetry.

Even with 1504 sqft of comfortable living on the main you still have room to grow in the lower level where you can add up to another 800-900 sqft includ-ing a rec room and BR.


TRENTON FLOOR PLAN

8

HIGHLIGHTS8’ and 9’ ceilings throughout4.25/2.25 base and casing w/ door headers3 car garageCathedral ceiling in GR w/ Trapezoid transomAristokraft Durham cabinets5” crown mold w/ lighting in the GROutlets in BRs with night lightsOutlets with USB connections throughoutMontana Suede double 4 vinyl sidingKarran undermount sink w/ laminate topsDirect vent gas fireplace w/ full stone wallSonoma blend tile mosaic blacksplash3.75” English Leather birch wood floors

SPECSPrice Range: base price in $220,000’sBedrooms: 3Baths: 1.75Square Feet: 1,504

SKOGMAN HOMES | 4816 YELLOWSTONE DR, WATERLOO


Growing Together










IN THE CEDAR VALLEY








Concrete Work

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Laser Screed Floors



M






and S��u��ty Syst�ms• Windows • Doors • Mouldings

• Hardware • Stair Parts• Specialties • Cabinets

319.294.5475 – 1.800.332.6455FAX 319.294.5480

1950 Progress Drive, Hiawatha, IA 52233 319-296-1663



56

Country Floors& Interiors



319.234.6138


319.277.1034

We appreciateyour

business!



[email protected]

amywienands.com


f : 319.232.7102

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Office: 319-373-2287

Fax: 319-447-0382

6245 Partners Ave. Marion, IA 52302

Designer tricks for the do-it-yourselfer Ever watch those TV design

shows and wonder how to replicate the look in your own home?

It’s easy to incorporate designer tricks into your space, no matter the style or existing decor. Focus on add-ing layers of color and texture, and notice how hues fl ow from room to room to create a cohe-sive design.

Choosing coordinating col-ors is easy when you have the right guide. Look for color pal-ette cards that group colors by design themes to incorporate a favorite style, from tradition-al to rustic to contemporary. Then draw these hues into all elements of the room, includ-ing fl ooring, fabrics and light fi xtures.

For example, the new HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams line of interior paints and sup-plies features eight designer-inspired color collections — each with 20 colors that work well together, no matter how many or how few are selected — along with expert design tips to help do-it-yourselfers create harmonious room-to-room color transitions.

“Many homes today have open fl oor plans that require close attention to how colors fl ow between spaces,” says

Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Wil-liams. “Our collections are designed to take the guesswork out of coordinating colors, and to give consumers the confi -dence and creative spark to fi nd their personal color style.”

Pull together a well-designed home by taking cues from the overall color palette to add decorative accessories. For

example, a spicy orange vase on the dining room table can play off a bold accent wall in the kitchen. Or update the look of furniture with a glossy coat of paint. Personalize with family treasures and modern, metallic or glass fi nishes for an eclectic, yet timeless look.

Designers aren’t afraid to make a statement with a sig-nature space. Why not play on

the high-impact contrast of black and white in a foyer or infuse an electric jolt of pink in a master bath? There are no wrong choices, because color is personal — and doesn’t have to be permanent.

Another popular design technique is to turn fl ooring into a fl exible decorating ele-ment. Flooring can signifi -cantly impact a home’s over-all decor by enhancing the warmth and beauty of a room. To liven up a space, try layer-ing a vibrant area rug over a hard-surface fl oor or a neutral carpet — it’s easy to change as design preferences evolve.

Looking for fl ooring that fi ts your personal design style? The HGTV Home Flooring by Shaw collection makes fl oor shopping simple with displays that include how-to tips and trend information. Choose from 20 unique area rugs fea-turing transitional and mod-ern patterns. Or, take on a bigger project with one of the collection’s fashion-forward carpet, hardwood and lami-nate products.

For more design inspiration and decorating advice, visit sherwin-williams.com/hgt-vhome and www.shawfl oors.com/HGTV.

— ARA Content

ARA CONTENT

Color via a paint scheme is a fast fi x and a great decorator’s trick.


1 Valid for installation on replacement projects only and mustbe installed by Pella professionals. Discount applies to retaillist price. Only valid on select Pella® products and installationmethods. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Serviceand prior sales excluded. Other restrictions may apply. See storefor details. Offer expires 10/04/2012. 2 The Pella Windows &Doors Visa® credit card is issued with approved credit by WellsFargo Financial National Bank. Offer expires 10/04/2012.© 2012 Pella Corporation

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WATERLOOAllen HospitalBeck’s Sports BreweryBoardwalk DeliCottonwood CanyonCourier CommunicationsDoughy Joey’s Peetza JoyntHy-VeeHy-VeeWine and SpiritsJameson’s Public HouseNewton’s Paradise CafePlaid PeacockRudysTacoScreaming Eagle Bar & GrillSpicoli’s Grill & Reverb Rock GardenStuff EtcW’loo Convention&Visitors BureauWaterloo Public Library

CEDAR FALLSBarmudaBob’s GuitarCarlos O’Kelly’sCedar Falls LibraryCFTourism&Visitors BureauCup of JoeFarewayGallagher Bluedorn PACHearst Center for the ArtsHy-VeeHy-VeeWine & Spirits

Lampost TheatreMulligan’sPark Place Event CenterPump HausSakura Japanese RestaurantScratch Bakery CafeThe Other PlaceThe HuBUniversity of Northern IowaUniversity Book and SupplyVillage InnWaffle Stop

WAVERLYHy-VeeThe Fainting GoatWartburg College

DUBUQUEA Little Taste of PhillyAthenian GrillBioLife Plasma ServicesCaféManna JavaCapri CollegeDubuque Public LibraryFinley HospitalGrand Harbor ResortHy-VeeLoras CollegeMercy HospitalMoondogMusicOky Doky FoodMart

OneMean BeanUniversity of Dubuque

MT. VERNONCornell College

CEDAR RAPIDSBushwood Sports Bar & GrillCarlos O’Kelly’sCedar Rapids LibraryCRMuseum of ArtCoe CollegeHy-VeeJava Creek CaféMahoney’s Irish PubMt. Mercy CollegePanera BreadTornado’s Grub & Pub

HIAWATHAHiawatha Library

MARIONCarlos O’Kelly’sCocktails & CompanyMarion Carnegie LibraryWrigleyville

IOWA CITYHamburg InnJohn’s GroceryNew Pioneer Food Co-opOld Capitol AreaUniversity of Iowa Library

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With electric bills rising, American homeowners are looking for the most eff ective ways to make the biggest dent in their energy bills, but many may be overlooking some of the most important energy-saving strategies.

Homeowners are more like-ly to do simple things around the house to conserve energy, according to the Lennox Home Energy Report Card Survey. These steps include changing air fi lters in a heating and cool-ing system on a regular basis, swapping out incandescent light bulbs with compact fl uo-rescent light bulbs, and turn-ing down the temperature set-ting on a hot water heater.

While these activities can certainly help save energy and money, Brandon Chase, an energy effi ciency expert and

product development manager at home heating and cooling manufacturer Lennox, says homeowners need to take a close look at how they heat and cool their homes if they truly want to make a substantial dent in their energy bills.

“More than half of a home’s energy costs comes from heat-ing and cooling the house,” says Chase. “If you can heat or cool your home more effi ciently, then you’ll be well on your way to seeing lower energy bills.”

The fi rst step is to have a pro-fessional evaluate the age, per-formance and effi ciency of your heating and cooling system to see if it needs to be repaired or replaced. The Lennox sur-vey found that only about half of homeowners have taken the proactive step of replac-ing an old, ineffi cient heating

and cooling system with a new, energy-effi cient model, yet doing so can dramatically help conserve energy and reduce utility bills.

Cooling, heating optionsIn addition to replacing an

old heating and cooling system, Chase says there are a number of other ways to make heating and cooling your home more effi cient. He off ers the follow-

ing energy-saving advice:■ Seal cracks around windows and doors with caulk or weath-er stripping to prevent indoor air from escaping.■ Keep blinds, shades and curtains closed during the day in the summer to block sun-light from entering the home, but open them up in the winter to naturally warm the house.■ Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the tem-perature at certain times of the day, automatically regulating the temperature when you’re away.■ Add extra insulation to the attic, which will help prevent your home’s heating and cool-ing system from having to work harder to regulate the indoor temperature.

For more energy-saving tips, visit www.lennox.com.

How to be energy effi cient and save money

ARA CONTENT

Old cooling and heating systems can cost energy dollars.


9 FOUTS CUSTOM HOMES | 4736 LUXLEY DR, WATERLOO

Sit on the front porch and enjoy the sunrise, or relax on the back patio and watch the sunset, this homes location is in the perfect spot.

Fouts Custom Homes presents a beautiful Transi-tional Ranch style home in the Nottingham Addition of Waterloo. With 2750 sqft finished, this floor plan offers plenty of space to fit family or entertaining needs, with plenty of space to expand in the lower

level, with potential of another 2000 sqft.Custom cabinets and details throughout the

house make it one of a kind. A large kitchen and wine bar give you a great space for gathering the family or entertaining your friends.

With unique features around every corner, this is another must see Fouts Home.

LUXURY HOME ON LUXLEY

HIGHLIGHTSCustom Painted cabinetsHanstone counter topsTile back splashTile floorsCustom tile shower in master bathHeated floorWhirlpool/Air jet tubGranite counter tops in master bathLarge walk in closet in master bedroomWood floors in foyer, livingroom and hallsCentral VacControl 4Anamosa Stone with I.P. sidingAnderson Windows

SPECSPrice Range: base price in $540,000’sBedrooms: 3+Baths: 2.5Square Feet: 2,750

www.foutscustomhomes.com



Concrete Work

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MMain St. • Cedar Falls

319.266.2668



234-0344

Full service Landscape Co. Since1996

Sumner, IA • 319.269.4195



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CHAD’S PLUMBING7408 CANFIELD RD. DUNKERTON, IA

319.822.3131Call us for all your plumbing needs!

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pleased to provide tips and information for

your own home and garden. Updates are

provided regularly—so visit often!

LOOK FOR THE LATEST ISSUEIN RACKS NOW!For a complete listing of Home & Gardenmagazine locations, go to cv-hg.com.You can also view the latest issue online!

CEDAR VALLEY

616 East 1st Sumner, IA 50674phone: 319-239-2956

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Easy kids’ updates can make rooms more friendlyAs temperatures drop and the

days grow shorter, kids begin spending more and more time indoors. To help make spend-ing time inside more enjoyable, give your child’s room a fun makeover. With bright colors and fun details, you can trans-

form a bland bed or playroom into a kid-friendly space they won’t want to leave.

Color the wallsAn easy way to inject color

and personality into any room is with paint, and Dutch Boy’s

Crayola palette is perfect for creating a fun atmosphere. Kids can choose colors that match those in their crayon boxes, with names like Gran-ny Smith Apple, Razzmatazz, Crayola Canary and Inch Worm. If you’re in need of

some extra creative inspira-tion, Dutch Boy’s website off ers a number of images and idea cards using color com-binations from the Crayola palette.

See KIDS’ ROOMS, page 43


ony’s 1924 State St.,Cedar Falls, IA 50613

[email protected]

SOMETIMES IT’S ALL ABOUT

THE DETAILS

• New Home Construction• Remodeling• Additions• Roofing

• Specialty Concrete• Fire, Wind and WaterLoss Reconstruction

Design/Build General Contractor

319-277-0100Visit our virtual showroom atwww.MageeConstruction.com

Exceeding yourexpectations...

by design

You can even download how-to painting instructions and coloring pages for the kids. And don’t stop at the walls — paint dressers, chairs and other fur-niture bright colors to make the whole room pop. All 96 shades of the Crayola palette are avail-able, so you’re sure to fi nd the perfect color to match your child’s personality.

Create a canopy To give your child’s room

unique fl air, divide the space and add privacy, a canopy will do the trick. Whether store-bought or hand-made, a can-opy can create a whimsical feel your child will love. Drape your child’s choice of lightweight fabrics from four ceiling hooks to create a customized cover for his or her bed. Or hang a version with a circular base and arrange plush cushions on the fl oor to

create a comfy reading nook for your little one.

ChalkboardInspiring creativity is as easy

as A-B-C. With chalkboard paint, you can give your child a new way to practice the alpha-bet, arithmetic, drawing and much more. Simply cover a fl at surface with a product like easy-spray Krylon Chalkboard paint, let dry, and voila! For a standard message board, paint the backside of a bulletin board or other sturdy panel with a few coats of paint. Hang the board on the wall with a piece of col-orful ribbon or set on an easel, and you’ve got an easy-to-clean way for kids to learn and play. You might even transform tabletops or toy box covers into chalkboards to give them more space to get creative.

Wall decalsBuild on your child’s new

bright walls and give the room a more personalized feel with wall

decals or stickers. These tem-porary art pieces are available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, designs and colors, and the options of kid-friendly styles are endless. From animals, to movie characters, to sports logos, to stars and fl owers, there is sure to be a design or theme that matches any child’s per-

sonality and age. Because the stickers are easily removed, kids can simply transition to more traditional letters, mirrors, landscapes and silhouettes as they grow older. Some compa-nies can even make decals from photos, so the design possibili-ties are truly limitless.

ARA Content

KIDS’ ROOMSFrom page 42

COURTESY PHOTO

Bright colors make your child’s room more cheerful.


www.thepioneergroup.com • 319-234-8969316 West 5th Street,Waterloo, Iowa 50701

Our ServicesCommercial PrintingDigital PrintingMailing ServicesVariable Data PrintingCustom Publishing

Flyers/BrochuresMagazines/CatalogsEnvelopesTrading CardsPostersPostcardsBusiness Cards

Chase away pet odors with deep cleaning, fragrance Of course you love your pets,

but let’s face it: Sometimes they smell. And whether you are hosting guests or trying to sell your home, the last thing you want visitors to remember is an off ensive odor. Luckily, there are a number of ways to eliminate those less-than-pleasant pet odors and let your home’s per-sonality shine.

Paint is one of the most dra-matic and cost-eff ective ways to give your home’s interior a new look, and now it can also give your home a new fresh scent. Dutch Boy’s Refresh paint fea-tures odor-eliminating tech-nology from Arm & Hammer. It reduces odors caused by pets and other sources, keeping your home smelling as good as it looks. Proven to reduce household smells, a coat of Refresh paint will prevent bad odors from lin-gering for months. By trapping and neutralizing odor molecules,

this paint doesn’t cover up unappealing smells, but actually reduces them. And Refresh paint is available in Dutch Boy’s broad range of colors.

Even if your pet isn’t allowed on the furniture, your home fur-nishing fabrics are holding onto unpleasant scents. Though you may vacuum regularly, animal hair and dander are trapped in the fi bers of your cushions, cur-tains, sofa and other decor. Using a steam cleaner is the best way to eliminate bad smells in uphol-stered furniture and other items that cannot be laundered. Hire a professional service to treat the common areas in your home, or purchase a steam cleaner spe-cifi cally designed for pet hair removal.

To remove odors of any age, scrub bare fl oors with white vin-egar and water or an odor-neu-tralizing cleaner, and thoroughly wash carpets and rugs using an

odor-neutralizing shampoo. You can also hire a professional to clean the carpets and provide extra deodorizing treatments. If stains or smells remain, you’ll likely need to replace the car-pet and padding. If this is the

case, be sure to scrub the fl oor beneath before laying new car-pet down. After the carpet has been cleaned or replaced, reg-ularly use carpet deodorizer formulated for pet odors when vacuuming.

ARA CONTENT


Your Comfort is Our Promise

COMPLETEFIREPLACESHOWROOM

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• Your Complete Fireplace Headquarters• Sales, Service, Installation• Visit our showroom with 14 workingModels

Go big or go home with your redecorating? Why not both?“Go big or go home.” It’s a

popular sports chant that’s found its way into numerous other aspects of American life. But when it comes to home decor, going big at home may not seem like an option, espe-cially if your budget is less than grand.

In reality, it is possible to make a big diff erence in your home decor on just a moderate bud-get of $5,000 or less.

Look for high visibility proj-ects that you can reasonably do yourself, like painting, tiling or even installing murals for liv-ing rooms. Keep in mind your level of DIY skill and how pol-ished and professional you can reasonably expect your fi nished product to look.

It’s no mystery why repainting the walls, changing out fl oor-ing or switching window treat-ments all make such an impact on how a room looks. The bigger

the surface area of the design element you change, the great-er its aff ect on the room’s over-all appearance. Making a design change to a large room element can allow you to generate major impact with a relatively minor investment of money. Window treatments can add up if you go with custom options, but if your windows are standard sized and you’re a savvy shopper, you can track down bargains that will allow you to dress up your win-dows for as little as a few thou-sand dollars. Painting is even more cost eff ective, and you can redo a large room for a few hun-dred dollars.

One interior design technique that has held its popularity against the test of time (and the economy) is a wallpaper mural. Adding a custom wall mural to your interior design plans off ers the opportunity for creativity and customization, and maxi-

mizes the use of your wall space in making a grand statement. You can fi nd plenty of online options at websites like Mural-sYourWay.com, many for less than $1,000 and most for well under $3,000. They’re easy to install, and you can even opt

for the type that is removable and reusable. So if you tire of the look, you can take it down and move it elsewhere, fold it up and store it for another time and even color match it to your wall paint color.

Source: ARA Content

ARA CONTENT PHOTO

The addition of a bright wall mural makes a bold statement and transforms a space.


3-panel, center-fixed, gliding door in Cocoa Bean color with3 ½" flat trim and decorative drip cap in Sandtone color, Yuma®

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Applications for smart-phones and tablets are every-where today. And more than ever, people are using these applications to save time and money while fi nding that per-fect product to enhance their busy lives.

In 2011, there were almost 1.2 billion mobile Web users worldwide, the International Telecommunication Union estimated. This includes near-ly half (46 percent) of Ameri-cans, according to a 2011 study by comScore.

Naturally, many of these mobile Web users are home-owners, and maximizing the value of their biggest invest-ment is at the forefront of their minds. Flooring is vital to achieving that goal, and a new fl ooring application for iPhone and iPad is leading the

way.Lumber Liquidators —

North America’s largest spe-cialty retailer of wood fl oor-ing — recently introduced a new version of its Floor Finder application with features that make fi nding the perfect fl oor

a breeze.In addition to providing

mobile access to every fl oor in Lumber Liquidators’ invento-ry, the latest Floor Finder app includes a feature called The Visualizer. This allows users to see how a fl oor will actually look in their own room, using a room photo taken by the user. These photos can also be uploaded to social media plat-forms where friends and fam-ily can share their opinions on the new, virtual fl ooring.

Users can also make pur-chases directly from the app or scan QR codes located in stores or in catalogs to get more product information and exclusive deals. And when they’re ready to buy, there’s a store locator in the applica-tion and a calculator to help customers determine the

amount of fl ooring needed for the upcoming project.

Lumber Liquidators founder Tom Sullivan believes every-one deserves to get the best for less and fi nd fl ooring that’s right for their home. “Now, in addition to the free samples and expert advice homeown-ers can get at a Lumber Liqui-dators store, they have a new app to help them pick the per-fect fl oor,” Sullivan says. “And just like our advice, it doesn’t cost a dime.”

To learn more about the Lumber Liquidators’ free Floor Finder app, see a video of it in action, or enter a sweepstakes to win an iPad plus $1,000 toward Lumber Liquidators fl ooring, visit www.lumber-liquidators.com/ll/flooring/FloorFinderApp.

— ARA Content

Mobile app puts fl ooring in handNew app allows users to see how a fl oor will actually look in their own room, using a room photo taken by the user. Photos can be uploaded to social media so family and friends can comment.


Working with theCedar Valley Builders

for 56 years

319-296-1663www.iowawallsystems.com

Offering:Drywall/Kal-KoteMetal Stud Framing

Exterior StuccoPainting & Staining

4601 Crestwood DriveWaterloo, IA

Iowa Wall Systems would like toThank the Parade of Home Committeefor their work on 2012 Parade of Homes.

Indoor air quality can affect home, family It’s a surprising statis-

tic, but data from the United States Environmental Protec-tion Agency shows that indoor air can be two to fi ve times more polluted than outdoor air, including the air in your home. With the average Ameri-can spending as much as 90 percent of their lives indoors, taking relatively easy steps to improve air quality should be a priority.

“Using a well-engineered vacuum, which precludes harmful particles from launch-ing into the air, is a matter of health and hygiene,” explains Susan Goldsmith, managing director at Interbasic Resourc-es, a nationally recognized independent testing laboratory which conducts emissions tests on various brands of vacuum cleaners.

Even more surprising is what

actually causes the deterio-ration of a home’s air qual-ity. Common pollutants include furnaces, fi replaces, gas stoves and even your vacuum cleaner. Unless you take the proper pre-cautions, dangerous pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particles are left accumulating in your home.

To get started, implement

these tips in your own home.Do a full clean sweep. Dust

hard surfaces regularly, launder bedding and towels frequently and go beyond the carpet when vacuuming. Drapes and other window treatments, as well as your furniture, also need habit-ual cleaning to prevent the col-lection of polluting particles.

Make sure your cleaning tools are helping, not hurting. It might not seem to make sense that a vacuum could worsen your home’s air quality, but in many cases, that’s the truth. The structural design and fi ltra-tion of the vacuum are essential to ensuring cleaner air. Without proper fi ltration or a “sealed system” design, the vacuum can emit dangerous carbon particles into the air. Even HEPA-fi ltered bagless vacuums can emit over 175,900 lung-damaging parti-cles per minute. Vacuum mod-

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els off ered by Miele are among the best options for ultra-clean in-home air because they fea-ture AirClean FilterBags and the AirClean Sealed System, which together will capture and retain harmful particulates and eliminate the possibility of vir-tually anything escaping from the machine.

Keep pets and their toys clean. Bathe your pet as nec-essary, but keep in mind that over-bathing or using human shampoo can dry out a dog or cat’s skin, causing excess dan-der. You should also vacuum and launder pet beds and toys regularly to keep them fresh and safe. Also look for vacuums that have been specially designed to reduce pet odors and eff ectively clean pet hair.

For more information, visit www.mieleusa.com.

— ARA Content

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“Using a well-engineered vacuum, which precludes harmful particles from launching into the air, is a matter of health and hygiene.”

Susan Goldsmithmanaging director at Interbasic Resources


Waterloo: (319) 232-0900Cedar Falls: (319) 277-1091Waverly: (319) 352-4099

827W. 5th Street, Waterloo

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Clearing clutter can make room for helping others

These days, we’re all trying to make small changes in our everyday habit from switching to energy-effi cient light bulbs to carrying reusable shopping bags and composting kitchen waste. But many don’t realize that one of the easiest ways is by de-cluttering and donating gently used items that you’re no longer using.

“We know millions of families across the country are already clearing out their clutter,” says Tony Shumpert, vice president of recycling and supply chain operations for Savers, Inc., a thrift store chain. “By donating these items, instead of simply throwing them away, you can give back to the community and save quality goods from pollut-ing the earth. In fact, we oper-ate one of the largest recycling programs in the world, keeping more than 500 million pounds of goods out of landfi lls last year alone.”

A few tips:Bring a friend in to help with

cleaning. Not only can the two of you spend a great afternoon together, but your friend can also give you an objective opin-ion as you sort through items to keep or donate.

Be organized about getting organized. Start in one corner of one room, and make your

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way around the room in a circle. Don’t move on to the next room until you are fi nished with the fi rst. If you need to take a break, go for it, but always return to where you left off .

Designate a specifi c place for donations. Your “clutter corner” should be in a handy, but out-of-the-way location in your home. Encourage family mem-bers to place items — clothes, toys, housewares — that they aren’t using any longer into the bin. For parents, your children will see that gently used items shouldn’t be thrown away, and something they don’t want any longer can have a new life with someone else.

Be realistic about what you think you want to keep. If you haven’t worn that shirt in more than a year, it’s ready to go. Another way to determine what to donate is to put items you’re not sure about into a box. Seal it and store it. If you haven’t opened that box a year later, donate the entire thing. Chances are, you don’t have a clue what’s in the box and don’t need it.

Know your nearest donation drop. Once you’ve designated items to donate, you don’t have to spend hours tracking down a location to drop your items off .

— ARA Content

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Recaulking can remove allergens from homes While it’s easy to blame sea-

sonal pollen, it may be what’s lurking on the caulk in your bath-rooms or kitchens that is causing your family to sniffl e and sneeze. Since caulk is placed in mois-ture-rich areas, it can provide an ideal environment for mold and mildew to accumulate and grow. Mold can cause health issues, including allergic reactions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Protecting the home from the initial growth or reoccurrence of mold and mildew on caulk depends on whether the right caulk is used. That’s because not all mold protection in caulk is equal. Making sure you use a caulk that addresses the whole problem — fungus and bacteria — can help provide you with an eff ective, lasting defense.

GE silicone caulks, such as GE Silicone II Kitchen &a Bath and

K/B Supreme, because of the level and type of biocide, pack the dual punch of stopping fun-gus and bacteria growth.

Here are a few caulking tips:Clean the surface. Remove

old caulk, dirt, and loose par-ticles with a caulk-removing tool and wipe clean with a cloth. Never caulk over old caulk. Use a razor blade fi rst to remove the old caulk. By removing the old caulk you can also strip off any mold or mildew that may have formed.

Prepare the tube and seal. Cut the nozzle to a size that matches the area that needs to be caulked; close to the tip for a smaller area and further down for a larger area. Pierce the inner seal with a stiff wire or other similar object. Insert cartridge into caulking gun. Squeeze with even, consis-tent pressure to control the rate at which the caulk leaves the tube

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as you pull the gun toward you.Smooth the bead. Use your

fi nger or a wet caulk-smoothing tool within two to fi ve minutes of application.

Store the tube and clean. Squeeze the caulk until it’s barely coming out of the tube. Replace the cap, or use a nail in

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the tube opening. Wipe hands with a dry cloth before washing with soap and water. To clean the area around the caulk, use min-eral spirits for silicone caulk or Groov.

For more information on caulk-ing products and project advice, visit www.gesealants.com.

SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO


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4920 Dubuque Road, Waterloowww.tchomeimprovement.com

Hours: Mon., Thurs. 8-7,Tues., Wed. & Fri. 8-5, Closed Sat.

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Renovating your home? Renovate your insuranceWhether you are upgrading a

kitchen, adding on a master suite or gutting a newly purchased structure, you need to reassess your insurance needs both before and after your renovation.

It’s common to plan every major step of the renovation. But one thing that’s tough to plan for is the unexpected. What if an oily rag left unattended starts a fi re and your home goes up in smoke? The remodeling work done to date may have an impact on your homeowners insurance, unless you let your insurance agent in on the plans ahead of time.

For example, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. policyholders are required to let their agent know about any renovation project-ed to increase the replacement cost of your home by more than $25,000 in order for the crucial full-cost replacement coverage to remain in force.

“Your insurance company and your agent can help you fi nd gaps in your coverage related to remodeling and establish appro-priate replacement costs,” says Don Soss, vice president of per-sonal insurance at Fireman’s Fund. “We can also make sure your contractor and subs have adequate liability insurance in case of damage to your prop-erty from poor workmanship or carelessness.”

In addition, risk managers at the insurance company can pro-vide advice to minimize the pos-sibility of fi res, theft and mis-haps. Good risk management practices also minimize poten-tial project delays. This may be a good time to add security and safety features such as water fl ow monitoring devices or upgraded burglary and fi re alarm systems.

One of the most common issues is maintaining a secure environ-ment during the work phase. For

example, contractors often dis-able a home’s existing fi re alarm system because dust and partic-ulates generated by construction tend to trigger false alarms. It is important for temporary mea-sures such as fencing and alter-nate alarms to be in place to keep the property secure.

Demolition debris should also be secured so it can’t become airborne in high winds. Toxic or explosive materials need to be stored and handled appropriate-ly, and rebars should be capped to prevent injury to workmen and residents.

Even before your work is com-plete, your agent can go over your current homeowners insur-ance and make sure you have the replacement value of your home updated. This will refl ect increases in construction mate-rials and labor, changes in build-ing codes, installation of new safety devices, changes in square

footage, and custom features and appliances.

Top tips for homeowners con-sidering a renovation:

1. Contact your agent before construction starts for coverage of your remodeling work and the value of your completed home.

2. Make sure your contractor and subcontractors have ade-quate liability insurance. Many contractors carry the generally recommended limits of at least twice the replacement value of the home.

3. Ask the contractor to main-tain adequate safety and security devices such as fi re and burglar alarms.

4. Save all records related to your project (receipts and appraisals). Store copies of these records in a secure off -site location. Videotaping your house and possessions is also recommended.

— ARA Content


With its EnergyAdvantage® New Homes program,MidAmerican Energy Company is helping Iowa and Illinoiscustomers build energy-efficient homes by promoting thelatest energy efficiency standards to contractors.

New, energy-efficient homes mean lower utility bills,increased comfort and a higher resale value.

To get the most from your new home, make sure yourbuilder uses these EnergyAdvantage and/or ENERGY STAR®

specifications.

High-efficiency air conditioner(14.5 SEER or greater)

High-efficiency furnace (92 AFUE or greater)

R-49 attic and R-19 or greater wall insulation

High-performance windows (.30 U-factor or less)

High-efficiency water heater

Duct sealing and insulation

Tight construction

Contact us to learn more about our New Homes program.

800-894-9599www.MIDAMERICANENERGY.com

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Gardening, lawn care tips to conserve water

What can you do to conserve water? Here are a few impor-tant tips:

Capture rainfall. Make the most of the rainwater that Mother Nature provides. Rain barrels are eff ective in captur-ing the rain that falls on your roof; reuse the water for your plants. Other rain capture techniques, such as rain gar-dens, can help capture rainfall and keep precious water on your property to replenish the ground water.

Water wisely. When rainfall is insuffi cient and supplemen-tal watering is needed, do so eff ectively by:

Aiming water at the base of the plant

Watering in the morning to limit evaporation

Using a moisture meter to ensure that roots have received enough moisture

Allowing established grass to go dormant during periods of drought

Choose drought-tolerant plants that are native to your area. These will require less water under normal circum-stances and be able to survive during parched times.

Feed your grass and other plants. Well-fed plants will grow deep roots that capture and store water. A 10,000-

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square-foot healthy lawn, for example, can absorb 6,000 gal-lons of water from a single rain-fall. That’s a month’s supply of water for a household of two.

Mulch is a must — a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around your plants will hold moisture in the soil and control storm water runoff . Mulching has other benefi ts, including preventing weeds and adding nutrients to the soil as it breaks down.

Making these water conser-vation practices part of your backyard routine will help your area’s water supply.

— ARA Content

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ARA CONTENT

The right practices, like this rain barrel, can save water in the garden and lawn.


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Downsize in space, upgrade in quality of lifeSmaller homes equal better

quality of living for many people these days. Many homeowners are downsizing the space they occupy, but are upgrading and customizing that space to make it better fi t their lifestyle.

Most homeowners today pre-fer an energy-effi cient home with lower utility bills, rather than a cheaper home without energy- and water-efficient features, according to a recent National Association of Home Builders’ survey. One way to refresh your home, and make it sustainable is to upgrade your bathroom fi xtures.

Comfort is still key in these downsized but upgraded bath-rooms. And it can’t get much better than a lavish shower. TOTO’s Aimes Ceiling-Mount Showerhead with LED Lighting gives you this luxurious shower experience with water gently

cascading down on you from the ceiling. But since the LED light doesn’t require any electricity or batteries, you can enjoy the experience even more. Kinetic energy created by the moving water powers the candlelight-toned light, keeping the bright-ness gentle on your eyes and fl attering to your skin.

But don’t stop with just elec-trical savings in your bathroom. If you haven’t replaced your toi-let in several years, there’s a very good chance that it uses way more water per fl ush than need-ed. On average, toilets account for about 27 percent of a home’s indoor water usage, making them the biggest water hogs.

While concentrating on mak-ing your bathroom more water-effi cient, also take a look at your faucet. If it’s been several years since you replaced your faucet, it’s probably showing its age

with metal corrosion or leak-ing. A leaky faucet with a slow drip can waste as much as fi ve to 10 gallons per day; a fast drip results in 20 to 30 gallons of water down the drain daily. In a small bathroom space, consider replacing your outdated fau-cet with TOTO’s Upton Single Handle High-Effi ciency Lava-

tory Faucet. Its tall, sleek, con-temporary design works per-fectly with vessel lavatories that complement smaller bath spac-es. But the best feature is that the faucet only uses 1.5 gallons of water per minute, making it EPA WaterSense certifi ed.

Your water heater also may need updating. Tankless water heaters are 10 to 30 percent more energy efficient than conventional storage water heaters, according to National Geographic’s “Is Your Home a ‘Green’ House?” Even new con-ventional models can reduce the amount of energy you spend heating water. And there are other devices you can install with your water pipes to help recirculate standing water in the pipes, so you don’t waste water waiting for the hot water to fi nally arrive at the faucet.

— ARA Content

ARA CONTENT

TOTO’s Aimes Ceiling-Mount Showerhead with LED Lighting.


NEW CONSTRUCTION LENDER

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Harness the sun in skylightsModern technology has made it easier

than ever to harness the power of the sun for your home, and without the need for the big, unattractive solar panels that sym-bolized the solar power of bygone eras.

You can use the power of the sun to cre-ate a bright, welcoming environment in your home and save on energy bills at the same time. By installing EnergyStar-quali-fi ed skylights, you can brighten your home with light from above, even on cloudy days when natural light can reduce your need for electric lights.

And on sunny days, advanced double-pane LoE3 insulated glass in the newest no-leak skylights reduces heat gain by 64 percent compared to ordinary glass and by 35 percent compared to earlier LoE2 glass, providing more daylight and better heat control for year-round comfort and ener-gy savings. Enhance your skylights with blinds or shades for even more control of natural light entering your home. And the accessories, as well as the units themselves, can be operated by remote control.

Skylights can also provide passive ven-

tilation for your home; other forms, such as exhaust fans, require electricity to vent stale inside air. The natural chimney eff ect of modern no-leak skylights vents volatile organic compounds (VOCs), humidity, odors and stale air from the home while allowing fresh air back in. On rainy days, an automatic sensor will close the venting skylight when the rain starts falling. These units also provide privacy, especially in baths and bedrooms.

You can even bring the power of the sun into rooms without direct roof access through sun tunnel tubular skylights. A new fl at-glass style provides the advantages of a sun tunnel, but replaces the dome-like roof profi le with a sleek, low-profi le roof glass.

“Modern skylights can be installed in as little time as a day by a trained profes-sional,” says Ross Vandermark, national product manager of skylight manufactur-er Velux. “Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, creating a natural light-fi lled environment, but they’re also environ-mentally friendly in many ways. If you’re having trouble envisioning a skylight in your home, the Velux Skylight Planner app

can help you visualize how the improve-ment will look.” You can download the free iPhone app from iTunes or the Android version from the Android Marketplace.

— ARA Content

ARA CONTENT

A bonus room skylight adds decorating drama and increases livability.


Contact your contractor today for details, call Sheila Kerns at 319.291.1448,or the Northeast Iowa Home Builders Association at 319.233.0565

is your homea parade home?If you are currently building or have recently remodeled yourhome, consider showcasing your contractor’s work by being apart of next year’s Parade of Homes Showcase September, 2013!

cedarvalleyparadeofhomes.com

CEDAR VALLEY


13

NEWHOME CONSTRUCTION & REMODELS

When upgrading technology, don’t forget everyday itemsMany homeowners who

have integrated technology into other aspects of their lives ignore one everyday object that is likely completely out of date — their toilets.

The average family of four uses about 400 gallons of potable water each day, and bathrooms represent more than 50 percent of all home indoor water use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. In the past, less water usage usually meant a less reliable flush. But technol-ogy has improved so that toilets with low water usage are more efficient and hygienic than their water-guzzling predecessors.

If you don’t know about high-efficiency toilets and all the options that are available, here are a few water-saving flush options to help you upgrade the technology in your bathroom:

Dual flushing — Liquid waste doesn’t require nearly as much water for flushing as solid

waste, which is where dual-flushing technology comes in handy. You can select which volume of water flush you want; which will help you save water and money. Because users may not be fully educated about the difference between the light flush, and the bulk flush, these toilets aren’t recommended

for high-traffic areas, or public places. But in your home, your family could easily save water by using the lighter flush when appropriate.

Pressure assistance —Flushing performance can’t get any better than toilets with pressure assist technology. This technology pressurizes the

water, giving your home’s toi-let commercial-grade flushing capabilities without the com-mercial-grade noise. Kohler Pressure Lite technology is powerful - the 1.0 gallon mod-els save a family 18,600 gallons of water per year compared to a 3.5 gallon per flush toilet.

gravity flushing — Grav-ity flushing is the most typical technology found in residential homes. The innovative Class Five flushing technology com-bines gravity with a powerful flush that also addresses bowl cleaning. The Kohler Wellworth toilet family uses this technol-ogy and one new model flushes just 1.28 gallons, saving a fam-ily of four up to 16,500 gallons of water a year. This certifies the 1.28 gallon model to carry the EPA’s WaterSense label for using at least 20 percent less water than standard 1.6 gallon toilets.

— ARA Content

ARA CONTENT

replace outdated toilets with dual-flushing models.

54 Cedar ValleyParade of Homes www.CedarValleyparadeofhomes.Com

We do more new homesin the Cedar Valley than any otherHeating & Air Conditioning Company

We do more new homesin the Cedar Valley than any otherHeating & Air Conditioning Company

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Charlie FeredayVice President

Think Fereday Heating

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Fereday Heating1010 Broadway, Waterloo 319.233.8411

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New doors, trim add looks, value to exteriors With sales of new and exist-

ing homes remaining slow nationwide, many homeown-ers are looking for ways to add value now. Installing stylish interior doors and replacing old exterior trim are two great ways to make your home look even better today and sell it for more later.

Doors can off er so much more than entry into a room. Because they are made in various panel designs and can be easily paint-ed or stained, interior doors have become a key part of a home’s overall decor.

“Many homes have plain fl ush doors that look rather boring,” says Bob Merrill, president and CEO for Chicago-based CMI, which makes CraftMas-ter Interior Doors. “One of the easiest ways to dramatically change the look inside your home is by replacing your cur-rent doors with raised- or fl at-

panel molded doors. New doors add fresh style, character and personality.”

Molded interior doors are made to resist swelling, shrink-ing, cracking and splitting. “CraftMaster also makes eco-friendly green doors that con-tain sustainable materials, recy-cled content, low VOC primers and have low formaldehyde emissions,” Merrill adds.

Typically, a home has around 17 interior doors, including pas-sage and bifold (closet) doors. In many homes, those doors have a hollow core.

Replacing standard, hollow core doors with solid core doors to add weight and reduce noise is a popular DIY project.

Installing new doors requires a few basic carpentry tools. Many homeowners purchase

pre-hung doors. You also can choose to keep the existing frame and simply replace the doors, called slabs. In this case, you should heed a few installa-tion tips:

Ensure the slab door is squarely in the frame, then lock it in position with a cross brace.

Use wood shims between the jambs and the studs, as neces-sary, to ensure a plumb, square and proper fi t.

Keep the frame fl ush with proper positioning of the cross brace.

Add trim by cutting, gluing and nailing it in place after the slab door has been installed.

When it comes to your home, fi rst impressions are every-thing. Nothing makes a worse initial impression than exterior trim that is cracked, rotted, peeling or falling apart.

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See TRIM, page 56

“Many homes have plain fl ush doors that look rather boring. One of the easiest ways to dramatically change the look inside your home is by replacing your current doors with raised- or fl at-panel molded doors. New doors add fresh style, character and personality.”

Bob Merrillpresident and CEO of CMI


Walk around your house and inspect the exterior trim on the corners, around your windows and doors and up near the roofl i-ne. Do you see peeling paint, warped boards, or any splitting or cracking? Is there any dam-age from water or termites? If so, now is the best time to replace your trim.

Traditional wood trim often looks fi ne when fi rst installed, but it can split and swell, and is prone to knots and defects. Other materials, like PVC and fi ber cement trim have performance limitations and may pose instal-lation challenges.

“The exterior trim market has changed a lot over the last 10 years. New engineered products last longer and provide resistance to moisture, rot, termites and temperature extremes not found in other materials,” Merrill says.

With a clear cedar, wood grain texture on one side and a con-temporary smooth fi nish on the other, MiraTEC engineered trim is ideal for any home style. It is most often used for roofl i-ne fascia, soffi ts, window and door trim, corner trim, dentil, gables, column wraps, trim along porches and similar architectural components.

Installing new interior doors or replacing your exterior trim are great ways to give your home a new look and increase its value. To learn more, visit www.craft-masterdoors.com or www.mira-tectrim.com.

— ARA Content

TRIMFrom page 55

ARA CONTENT

New exterior trim products last longer and provide resistance to moisture, rot, termites and temperature extremes.

“The exterior trim market has changed a lot over the last 10 years.”

Bob Merrillpresident and CEO of CMI


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