I recently attended a LeTip business luncheon, and the main speaker noted my business card said, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, and before I started to introduce myself, he asked, “Tell us what is, ‘Aging in Place?’” People are hearing the term more and more, and I was happy to do so.

Qualified Remodeler Magazine published survey results that 89% of people over the age of 50 wish to remain in their own homes indefinitely, which is a lot less expensive than assisted living facilities (May ’11, pg. 12). Isn’t that what would be preferable, even ideal? To be able to stay in and enjoy your own home with its conveniences, even memories? To have the privacy, the quiet, the freedom of your own routine and schedule in your own home as long as you can? That is what the term, “Aging in Place” refers to. It is the strategic planning of making a home safe and user friendly as we age to maximize the length of being able to live there independently.

As we become older we have changes in our vision, mobility, strength, and bone density making an accidental fall have potentially more serious consequences. Planned prevention is key, and it is much less expensive to incorporate universal design elements during a remodel, than an emergency retrofit later. It is also beneficial to have your home remodeled and ready for aging in place to establish the sense of security and comfort of routine before it is needed.

Another reason for the gaining interest in aging in place, is the “greying” of the population. In 2000 there were 46 million in the U.S. aged 60 or older, in 2050 there will be 107 million. Starting in 2010, Baby Boomers started to reach the age of 65 at the rate of 10,000 a day, and will continue that pace for 20 years. Because of the large number of Baby Boomers which will make 65+ years be 20% of the population, they’ve been divided into 3 categories, the “young old” aged 65-74, the “old” aged 74-84, and the “oldest old”, 85 and older.

When its time to remodel, you may want to have a specially trained and professionally certified Universal Design Certified Remodeler (UDCR) or a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) on your team to help include elements to make your home user friendly no matter the age, or ability. How does one earn the certification? An experienced and recommended remodeler agrees to adhere to a code of ethics, takes coursework and has to pass a national exam to be certified, and complete continuing education requirements to retain certification. Here is a directory to find your local UDCR or CAPS.

Happy Home Remodeling!

People continue to have an interest in the condition of the economy.  The most read and reposted article on our website blog at this writing is, “Choose Made in America to Boost Our Economy.” Thankfully, there are many national indicators that the economy is doing better.  Over 200,000 jobs were added in December, and unemployment levels are dropping. Retail sales had a 15% increase in pre-Christmas purchases compared to 2010, and a 25% increase in spending in the post-Christmas sales.  In 2011, auto sales were up 10.6% over 2010. What about statistics in home remodeling?

Cook Remodeling subscribes to a remodeling index that has been reporting on the number of construction permits filed regionally and nationally since April 2004.  The BuildFax Remodeling Index  tracks the number of properties permitted and averaged over a three month period.  The lowest number of building permits filed was in February of 2009 (then there were high levels of unemployment, and the stock market was at an 11 year low).  What does the report have to say about the economy since then?

• Since February 2011, the number of properties being remodeled has increased every month, showing the longest consecutive positive trend.
• Starting in May 2011 and every month reported thereafter, there were more remodeling building permits issued than in any month since April 2004 when the reporting started.
• The highest number of remodeling building permits issued in the last seven years was in October 2011 (latest report at the time of this post).
• The number of properties remodeled has increased 45.57% since the beginning of 2011, showing remarkable month over month gains.
• The West Region (the states north of New Mexico and west), shows for the last 24 months the number of permits has increased 52.5%, 12.5% better than the national average.

The data indicates that the number of homeowners that are doing their home remodeling projects are at the highest levels in more than seven years, and that is good news! If you haven’t started, perhaps now it’s time to get your home remodeling projects done to help make your life easier and more enjoyable. Make a list of how you want your home to work for you, not against you, and consult with a remodeling design professional to complete your plan.

Happy Home Remodeling!

Time segments life into manageable portions, thank God for that! Occasions like a birthday, anniversary, the New Year, or even a retreat can be a great opportunity to examine how we spend the time we’ve been given. Typical resolutions include replacing bad habits, better time management, increasing exercise, weight loss, lowering stress, and enjoying family and friends more, but did you ever think how home remodeling can help you reach your personal goals? (image by Danilo Rizzuti)

Time management  How much time is lost hunting around the house for what you need but cannot find?  Many homeowners have the predicament of insufficient storage space, and that’s typically tops the list of what needs to be changed.  If things are scattered, stuffed away in a cabinet or closet, or stuck in the garage, its time get proactive!  We are all good at adapting, so try to have a fresh look at the current situation of how your home isn’t working for you.

Increase Exercise/Lose Weight  Do you have a space set up to encourage exercise?  Is there an extra bedroom that can be used? Do you have a formal dining room that can be repurposed?  Can your laundry room be rearranged to provide the space?  A patio enclosed? A professional designer can help provide smart space solutions within your remodeling budget.

Lower Stress: The ideal home is an experience of being a safe haven from the stresses of the world.  Stress accelerates aging, depresses the immune system, and may lead to emotional eating. A home that has an open floor plan that extends views to the outdoors, and offers a quiet, personal space is a smart sanctuary. Having a home that is easily organized and without clutter is calming, its opposite can cause overwhelm and procrastination.

What’s it like to drive into your garage? That’s where your home’s experience begins.  Do you need a cabinet system so everything can have its place and look tidy?  Upon entering the kitchen, are the kitchen counters cluttered? Is your bedroom strictly for relaxing and sleep?  Or is it competing with being a home office, or exercise space? Do you have a spa like bathroom to relax at the end of the day and renew at the start?

Enjoying Family and Friends:  Can your guests easily gather together, or are groups fractured by the floor plan?  Its popular to congregate in the kitchen, is yours welcoming and inviting?  Can you visit with them as you’re assembling a meal?  Can they help?  Can you easily set up a buffet?  Do you have an outdoor space for cooking and entertaining as well?

Start with making a priority list of what home improvement remodeling projects would facilitate your lifestyle. The sooner you get your remodeling projects done, the more time you will have to enjoy your customized home!  You can make your home new again, and that’s exciting!

Happy Home Remodeling!

ANSWER: Yes, it is normal for hairline cracks to appear in cabinets over time where pieces are connected.  Wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity at different rates, depending on the grain.  Cracks will be more noticeable in light-colored cabinets, and in the winter when the air is dry.  Bathroom cabinets with a shower that is frequently used will typically not show cracks because of the moist environment. –Let me say that you made a good choice for the wood specie. Maple is an excellent for a painted cabinet.

Tip:   In the winter when the air is dry, keep a large pot of water on the stove on low heat, with some cloves and cinnamon sticks.  Monitor to keep the water level high so it won’t evaporate dry and become a hazard.  It puts a wonderful fragrance in the air, and the cabinets are quite happy with the moisture.  It will minimize the appearance of cracks.

Happy Home Remodeling!

ABC News with Diane Sawyer had a, “Made in America Challenge” series this year for buyers to do their part to help the economy by choosing American made products.  They said if everyone spent $64 on an American item instead of an imported one, 200,000 jobs would be created. One family in Dallas who believed they bought mostly American, volunteered to let the news team remove all foreign made products from their home. The result? Their home was stripped bare with the only two items left, a kitchen sink and a glass vase.  They replaced everything with American products for somewhat more than the original cost, and had a better looking home they were happy with as a result.  They were proud of their kitchen remodel knowing everything there was made in America.  ABC News revisited them recently, and they said they are committed to buy American for their Christmas gifts.

But did buying American made products really cost more in the long run?

I think it costs us more not to buy American.  Buying cheaper imported goods does not maintain our standard of living if people are unemployed as a result. We need to think of the story behind the products we purchase.   If it was made overseas, what corners did they have to cut to offset the expense of shipping?  If it is made here, you know a team of American employees from the bottom up were paid to produce the product, and that money flows into our economy.  The business filling orders will be hiring American workers, paying taxes on the wages and profit from the good sold, which pays for government services we all use.  We all benefit from purchasing, Made in America.

Recently Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction was asked if we want to buy imported bathroom vanities for considerable less cost than our American cabinet suppliers.  They said in their sales pitch, ‘this is what the big box stores sell, so if you want to compete….’ We turned them down.  We would rather offer American, and know that all people involved were paid fairly, working in healthy conditions and using environmentally conscientious practices.  We’ve compared our eco-friendly remodeling products with what is made for the big box stores, and found our products to be of higher quality. When homeowners remodel, we want their new kitchen remodeling or bathroom remodeling to last a long time. We want their home to be a healthy living environment.

Consumers drive the market, and can set standards.  If more people bought American products for Christmas and beyond, it would be an investment in our economy. Make the effort to keep looking until you find the, Made in America label.  As the demand increases, so will the supply, and so will the number of Americans with jobs, and the economy will improve.  If an item is foreign made, ask the salesperson to show you one made in America.  Do a little research online—I found many websites that list American made products.  Here are a few:

www.petriot.com  well organized, ten main categories with sub categories

madehereinamerica.com over 25 categories, can sort by state, has a news feed

americanmadeproducts.com  over 9000 products

www.americansworking.com has site search engine, can search by state, many products

www.usaonly.us  753 businesses in 20 categories

madeinusaforever.com 13 categories with 2800 products

Have you found any that you recommend?

You don’t need to go out and spend, just make your planned purchases be for American products and you’ll help make our economy stronger!  It’ll be a gift that keeps on giving.

Happy, Made in America Home Remodeling!

A popular trend is building, buying, or remodeling smaller homes in anticipation of rising utility costs.  To make it seem more open and spacious, designers use larger windows and install window wall systems to bring the natural light and extend views to the outdoors. Windows and doors are the weakest components of a building’s envelope. Energy loss through windows accounts for 30% of heating and cooling usage, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.  Double hung windows and sliders tend to leak more than other designs.  Although there are many inexpensive windows on the market, choosing higher quality will be investing in more durable, longer lasting windows that provide better results and value. Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction typically recommends vinyl window frames (no need to ever paint) or fiberglass window frames (either prefinished or can custom paint), that are dual pane with low-e coating and a U-value of .30 or less.

When replacing windows, consider if you want any to be specified for noise control.   If you have a bedroom facing a busy street, or a noisy neighbor, or are near an airpark, e.g. Scottsdale airport or a retail center in Scottsdale, you will be surprised what a difference an acoustic casement window can make.

Don’t wait until its too late!

Happy Home Remodeling!

Travertine is a popular luxurious stone of choice for high-end bathroom remodeling, but is not without some issues.  Travertine panels are very heavy, costly to ship and require several workers to install. Even travertine tile is labor intensive to install, and comes with the hassle of maintaining grout.  Over time grout discolors, becomes porous, and mold can take hold and flourish, with the danger of water seeping in behind the wall.

Could a lightweight, natural stone panel be manufactured to offer a more affordable luxury bathroom design?

After four years of researching and testing, Forazstone were able to formulate 8’ by 5’ natural stone slabs and backing at a mere 5/16^th of an inch thick, making them lightweight and easy to install.  They report that their revolutionary patented backing system makes the panel 800% stronger than traditional stone slabs.  A homeowner doing a bathroom remodel using Forzastone in a shower will save $2000-$4000 in costs compared with a typical travertine slab.  What are the most popular features of this more affordable, natural stone?

• ForzaStone offers a waterproof, groutless shower
• ForzaStone is presealed and virtually maintenance free
• ForzaStone is backed by a lifetime warranty

The ten most popular colors are stocked at ForzaStone’s Phoenix headquarters, but there are hundreds to choose from.  They have accessories available, such as soap/shampoo niches, to design a custom shower.  Forzastone is only sold to certified installers. (You can see a Chandler bathroom remodeling project where we installed Forzastone in the shower and above the adjacent tub here.)

I asked Curtis, who is in charge of manufacturing and quality control, what were some unexpected uses of their product. Their product has been used as wall cladding, wainscoting, and flooring.  Hotel chains from Best Western to high end spa and resorts in places such as Scottsdale have installed ForzaStone in their showers. The company is just finishing doing providing 12 custom showers for a bathroom remodeling project for a super luxury yacht in New Zealand.  They have ForzaStone certified installers in 22 states, and with the popularity, expect to be in all states by 2012.

Happy Home Remodeling!

Thermador’s new Steam & Convection Oven earned International Consumer Electronics Association’s prestigious, Innovations 2011 Design & Engineering Award.  It is the first pre-programmed appliance to combine three cooking methods: steam, convection, and combination of both.  Would you like the ability to cook a whole 14 pound turkey in 90 minutes that is moist on the inside, and perfectly crisp on the outside?  It would take four hours to cook a turkey in a regular oven!  Another great advantage is cooking with stream preserves more vitamins and nutrients, and eliminates the need to add fat or butter.

Would you want even faster results?  Previously only available to commercial chefs, the TurboChef oven offers a double oven that includes a SpeedCook Oven, which cooks 15 times faster than a regular oven.   The unit has one rack, and a 14 pound turkey could be cooked in 55 minutes!  The lower oven can proof dough, be used as a warming drawer, and has several racks to bake, roast and broil with or without convection.

More people want to eat a home cooked meal to avoid the high sodium, fat, and msg and other unhealthy additives typically used in restaurant’s food. Perhaps as you go through another holiday season, you’ll want to put one of these super ovens on your wish list so you can cook a turkey in a fraction of the time!  Start a kitchen remodeling file and put this information in it as one of your “wants” for  your kitchen remodel to make your life easier.

Happy Home Remodeling!

The American Institute of Architects conducted a survey of general contractors doing home remodeling asking what home improvements appeal most to their clients. They found homeowners had a strong preference to stay in smaller homes and invest in flexible floor plans designed for optimal space utilization and greater accessibility. Homeowners want a complete kitchen renovation and master bath renovation, expending money on the details for comfort and convenience, rather than adding a large room addition. They also value designing a low maintenance outdoor living space that extends the spatial experience of the home for less.

An elementary school teacher who worked in Japan for a year gained a new appreciation of living space, which is premium in that country. He returned to the U.S. wanting to smartly design the little apartment he bought, so each room is purposefully utilized with no wasted space.  Working with a professional, he was able to accommodate his love of cooking, have a home desk, a living room, and dining area, bedroom and a guest bed for out of town visitors, within 450 square feet!  Watch this amazing transformation video of what he calls his Origami apartment, with his magical, folding mystery wall cabinet.

Kermit Baker, the chief economist at the American Institute of Architects said, “We continue to move away from the McMansion chapter of residential design, with more demand for practicality throughout the home.” With the rise in utility costs, and the popularity of the Not So Big House series written by architect Sarah Susanka, others are embracing the philosophy to design, remodel, and build better, not bigger—and prefer optimal space design quality over quantity!

Happy Home Remodeling!

Visitablity refers to the ability of every person being able to access a home, whether they are using a stroller, scooter, walker, or wheelchair.  If you suddenly found yourself in a wheelchair, could you live in your house?  Would you be able to visit all your friends and family?  If a loved one lost mobility, could they easily come into your home?   Would there be a bathroom they could use?  Unfortunately, very few houses have been built to be a barrier free home.  A University of Florida Research project found that 25-60% of homes will at some point be occupied by someone with a long-term mobility impairment.

A Certified Visitable Home need to have these three elements:

1. A no-step entry, including no thresholds that can trip a person.
2. Doorways at least 32” wide and hallways with 36” of clear width, so a wheelchair can pass through.  (Bathroom doors are typically 28” wide)
3. A wheelchair accessible bathroom on the main floor.

The additional cost of making a home visitable at the time of construction?   About $100 or more depending on the cost to slope the entrance.  The cost of home remodeling later, e.g. to add a ramp (which is not as attractive as a zero level entry!), create a universally accessible bathroom, and widen hallways and doors?  It could be over $40,000.  Hire a design professional that has the national certification of Universal Design Certified Remodeler, or a Certified Aging in Place Specialist to help create attractive solutions.  With the increase of demand for universal design, there are more appealing bathroom products available. An accessible bathroom can avoid looking institutional.

Setting the standard that all homes be visitable home has been gaining acceptance. To anticipate the needs of Baby Boomers who in 2011 started turning 65, many state’s communities have incorporated the visitable home standards in their building codes: Vermont, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, and Arizona (Tucson and Pima County). Atlanta Georgia’s Habitat for Humanity has been building the majority of their homes to be visitable since 1990.  Request you local ordinance to adopt the standard of making every newly built home, a visitable home.  It could concern the next house you want to buy.

When it is time to remodel, make your house a visitable home to be welcoming for all.

Happy Home Remodeling!