Green Real Estate Appraiser

Reclaimed Wood Products

Posted on July 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

Reclaimed Wood Products
Pioneer Millworks remills salvaged wood into flooring, timbers, cabinetry, stair parts, doors, siding, and trusses. The company’s primary wood is longleaf yellow pine, but chestnut, oak, Douglas fir, and white pine are also available. Pioneer Millworks also makes engineered flooring composed of a 3/16″-thick layer of FSC-certified reclaimed or fresh-sawn wood on a plywood platform that is 70% (minimum) FSC-certified using low-VOC adhesives.

LEED value
• MRc3: Materials Reuse
• MRc7: Certified Wood

Will this add value to your home? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisal.com for your value questions.

FSC-Certified Bamboo Flooring
Nadurra bamboo flooring is available in formaldehyde-free and FSC-certified composite and solid bamboo styles. For commercial use, the company offers its Traffic Composite series, which is 180% harder than maple and is factory-coated with nine layers of Bona’s waterborne, commercial-grade polyurethane, making it appropriate for areas with heavy foot traffic. Nadurra bamboo flooring comes in multiple sizes and colors, and in vertical or horizontal laminate patterns.

LEED value
• MRc6: Rapidly Renewable Materials
• MRc7: Certified Wood
• IEQc4.3: Low-Emitting MaterialsFlooring Systems

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Home Safety To-Do List

Posted on July 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

Summer is a great time to tackle those home-improvement projects, such as painting the dining room or installing new curtains. Why not add a few to-dos that will make your house safer from threats such as fire and flooding? These projects don’t require much time or money, and they could help you avoid having to make a homeowners insurance claim in the future.

Check plumbing for leaks in the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the laundry room

Cost: Free
Time: Up to an hour
Materials needed: None
Why you should do it: The largest number of homeowners insurance claims are due to water damage caused by broken pipes and supply lines, says Joe Wagdy, Auto Club claims unit manager. If you catch a leak early on, you can have the plumbing repaired before the drip becomes a deluge. Check everywhere, from the water heater to behind the refrigerator to inside the toilet tank; any faulty connection can lead to flooding.

Inspect all electric cords in your house

Cost: Free, or $30–$50 if you need new cords or surge protectors
Time: 30 minutes
Materials needed: New surge protectors and cords, if necessary
Why you should do it: Damaged electric cords and overloaded outlets can cause failure to the fixture, appliance, or receptacle they are connected to. Since power strips and extension cords tend to be hidden behind large pieces of furniture, many people don’t see the safety hazard until it’s too late. Be sure to check behind entertainment centers, computer desks, and anywhere else you use a lot of electronics, and replace damaged cords. If you find that circuit breakers in your home trip periodically, evaluate outlets and power strips to make sure they are not overloaded. If you have more than two fixtures or appliances plugged into one outlet, use surge protectors.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Wildfire Recovery Advice: Expect Process To Take Longer Than You Think

Posted on July 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

BOULDER — Throughout the 21 months after the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire destroyed her family’s home, Kathy Banich kept a taut rein on her emotions.

But in late June, when she drove back up Mountain King Road ready to start moving into her rebuilt house, she began sobbing uncontrollably.

“I had to pull my car over because I fell apart,” she said.

“I hadn’t really cried through this whole thing. It was a good, cleaning cry. It felt like it had been five years, not two. There were times when, because of the stress and tension, I didn’t know whether I’d live through it.”

Banich and others who survived the Fourmile Canyon fire, the Black Tiger fire, the Hayman fire, and scores of other wildland fires that torched their Colorado homes understand the roiling, untethered universe that is the new reality for survivors of this year’s fire disasters.

They know what it’s like to struggle with the question of whether to rebuild on the foothill or mountain land that once anchored their dreams.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Reclaimed Wood Products

Home Safety To-Do List

Wildfire Recovery Advice: Expect Process To Take Longer Than You Think

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