6 tips for a better outdoor deck

By Paul Bianchina
Inman News™

July 27, 2011

Few projects are as enjoyable as building a new outdoor deck. They're fun to design and build; they look great; and they enhance both the enjoyment of your home and its resale value. Decks are also a great do-it-yourself project, and there are lots of products on the market that can help you get the job done faster, safer and with better results.

Wander the aisles of your local home center or hardware store or do an online search, and you'll find more than enough inspiration to get you itching to grab a hammer!

Deck design:
Let's start at the beginning -- with a great design. If you have something in your head in the way of a perfect deck but you're not sure how to turn it into reality, start with a simple computerized drawing program. You can pick them up inexpensively at a number of retailers, and they're pretty intuitive to learn. Most not only help you design the deck in 2-D, but also do 3-D modeling, structural details, and even material lists.

If you'd prefer to have someone else tap the mouse, check with your local lumberyard. Many of them offer computerized deck design services that can save you hours of planning. The design consultant will walk you through several basic designs, and help you customize them to your exact size and layout requirements.

Structural hardware:
When it comes time to do the actual framing, companies like Simpson Strong-Tie offer an incredible selection of steel framing hardware that greatly simplifies all those connections. For example, there are simple joist hangers that support and connect the joists where they attach to the ledger or rim joist, and inside angle connectors to strengthen a variety of framing joints.

Where a beam sits on top of a post, there are post cap connectors, as well as post base anchors to connect the post to the patio or pier block. There are even specialty connectors specifically designed for attaching deck railing posts to deck framing quickly and with much greater strength than simply nailing or bolting alone. Simpson's decking site is worth a visit:www.strongtie.com/deckcenter.

Duo-Fast DF150S-TC TICO Nailer:
All that helpful structural hardware also means driving a whole lot of nails to make the connections work properly. So if you've got a big deck project in the works, or you're a pro who does a lot of decks, you might want to consider a pneumatic nailer to help you out.

Duo-Fast's TICO Nailer is designed specifically to drive the 1 1/2-inch, .148-shank nails required by most building codes for use with structural hangers. It's compact to get into tight spots, has a convenient rafter hook, and has an adjustable exhaust to keep the air out of your face.

Best of all is the unique "probing tip," which accurately locates the hole in the hanger before you shoot the nail. Check it out at www.duo-fastconstruction.com.

Bench brackets:
Want to add a bench to your deck? Bench brackets make it easy. Made of steel or a durable resin, they bolt to both the decking and the deck framing for stability, then you add your own decking material to the top and back to form a seat and backrest.

The brackets are angled to form a comfortable backrest while eliminating all those difficult angle calculations. You can see a couple of different styles at www.rockler.com.

Precut stair stringers:
If your deck design calls for steps, don't despair over how to cut the stringers. Many lumberyards and home centers carry or can order precut stringers in different lengths. They're made of pressure-treated lumber so they're safe for ground contact, and all the hard layout and cutting has been done for you.

Just select the number of steps you need based on how high the deck is, secure them to the deck and to the ground using the appropriate hardware connectors, and you're all set. Finish off the installation with treads that match your decking boards.

Railings:
A deck railing adds a lot of visual interest to a deck, and it's also a code requirement if the deck will be more than 30 inches above the ground. Thanks to the tremendous interest in decks and the number of do-it-yourself deck builders, there are lots of different railing ideas that you can choose from, as well as the parts to build them with.

You can go with simple wooden pickets, which your local lumberyard will have in stock. Or you can step it up a bit with metal pickets, which are available in different colors and styles at places like www.stair-parts.com or www.deckdepot.com, or from many local welding shops. For a more open look, consider steel cables instead -- you can check out some examples at www.cablerail.com.

Remember that your new deck and railing will almost certainly require a building permit, and that certain construction standards must be adhered to for safety. Check with your local building department before you get going on any deck design or construction project.

Remodeling and repair questions? Email Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers.

Copyright 2011 Paul Bianchina

An economical kitchen, bath remodel

By Bill and Kevin Burnett
Inman News™

July 27, 2011

Editor's note: This is the second of two parts.


Last week we answered a question from an empty-nest couple who had just paid off the mortgage on their 1980s-era rancher in Pleasanton, Calif. Rather than sell and downsize, they decided to stay put. Trouble was, they were getting tired of their home's tired look. How, they wanted to know, should they go about updating?

We tackled walls, floors, doors and trim, suggesting new paint, some hardwood flooring, new molding and baseboard, and new interior doors. Today we'll discuss the "wet" rooms -- kitchen and baths.

Kitchens
Any way you crunch the numbers, a kitchen update is going to be expensive. But, assuming you don't have to open too many walls, reroute plumbing or add electrical circuits, it won't break the bank. If you have a workable footprint, cabinets, countertops and appliances are all you need to transform a 1980s kitchen into a 2011 model.
Whether custom-made or modular, new high-quality cabinets will cost thousands of dollars -- sometimes tens of thousands. For that you get silky-smooth sliding drawers, Lazy Susans and other fancy accoutrements that will never be seen from the outside.

If you can continue to live with the existing interiors, you can save fully 75 percent of the cost of new cabinets by refacing the fronts and adding new, custom-made doors and drawer fronts. You'll save even more if you use a paint finish, rather than stain and polyurethane, because you won't have to replace the cabinet faces.

Choose some nice, modern knobs and pulls, or go with a minimalist look and have your door and drawer maker include a routed finger pull.

Chances are your 1980s countertops are either a laminate such as Formica or Wilsonart, or tile and grout. You're going to want to ditch this for something more modern. While granite is still the darling, you have a bunch of other good choices, including marble, soapstone, crushed quartz or concrete. We've even seen countertops jacketed in pewter.

For a good primer on countertop choices, including pros and cons, check out http://interiordec.about.com/od/kitchencounters/tp/tp_countertops.htm.

Bottom line: It's up to you and your budget, but figure on spending at the minimum $150 per linear foot.

Appliances are also a personal choice between you and your budget. Figure on spending at least $6,000 -- and easily double or triple that -- for a classy refrigerator, oven, range and dishwasher. Bill loves his Electrolux induction range and Fisher & Paykel drawer dishwasher. Kevin wouldn't trade the Garland commercial range and oven he's been using for years.

Finish with a good sink and faucet. For the sink, deeper is better, and we like 16-gauge stainless steel. For your faucet, do your shopping on the Web and then buy at a plumbing supply house. Or do what Bill did -- buy $7,000 worth of appliances at a discount store and get them to throw in a $600 faucet for free.

Finally, consider adding some under-counter lighting. Kitchen designers call it "task" lighting, but if your kitchen is open to other rooms, add a dimmer switch and make it mood lighting as well.

Bathrooms
The standard 1980s bathroom has a tile shower or tub surround, vinyl floors, wood vanity, and an onyx or faux marble countertop.

Because tearing out tile and replacing it is a big, expensive job, we recommend that you keep the tile and spruce it up with a new grout job.

If your vanity has seen better days, we recommend that you replace it. There's a whole aisle of styles at the big-box home improvement stores. Find one that you like but forgo the faux stone countertops with the recessed sink.
Find a good stone dealer and have the real thing made to order. Bill went that route, choosing Jerusalem Gold limestone. The fabrication and installation set him back about $800, but every time he looks at it he thinks it's money well spent. For a more rustic look, consider a soapstone counter with matching sink.

Your flooring choices include tile, wood and vinyl. We would steer clear of tile, as it can be cold and hard underfoot. And, although we love wood everywhere else, we think it just doesn't look that good in the bathroom. Also, you're one leaky toilet away from costly repairs.

That leaves vinyl. We strongly recommend single sheets (no seams) of top-quality linoleum. We're especially partial to a product called Marmoleum.

Finish off your bathroom rejuvenation with a new shower door, faucet, towel racks, mirrors and light fixtures.

Copyright 2011 Bill and Kevin Burnett

Growth in Tri-Cities Not Without Challenges

By John Collett                           Story Published: Jul 1, 2011 at 6:11 PM PDT


TRI-CITIES -- The Tri-Cities community has grown significantly in the past decade and experts say that will continue strong for another ten years. In fact, a new report KEPR first told you about last week has our community getting bigger by about 35 percent in less than ten years.

Thought of more growth are astounding to Tri-Cities local Barb Maheu, who has already seen major changes in her day.

“They have all that new housing in west Pasco and really it expanded, Kennewick is more crowded cause they didn't have that mall at all,” said Maheu. “I mean when I was born here like 60 years ago, they didn't have any of that.”

The 35 percent prediction is going to need some help according to TRIDEC President Carl Adrian.

“This dream will only come true if there are jobs in the community and there's a reason for people to come in,” said Adrian.

Even if the jobs come, the idea of all that growth may be a double-edged sword, that could affect the quality of life that people here enjoy. One of the major areas of concern is how the schools would handle growth since they’re already filled to the max.

“It's harder for them to finance new buildings and that sort of thing,” added Adrian. “So that kind of growth would be a concern.”

Real estate agent Paul Roy is well aware of the growth and what can happen when it’s not handled correctly.

“Not all growth is good growth, and most people you talk to are pro smart growth,” said Roy. “What we look at that is having the infrastructure in place, having the services to service that growth and not just grow for the sake of growing.”

A bonus would likely come to homes though as they expect an increase in housing prices for homeowners, and bring an overall boom to the market.

“Right now there's some issues there,” said Roy. “Especially in what we call affordable housing under 200 it's very tight, very slow.”

TRIDEC explained they don't expect growth to be an issue on healthcare since Kadlec and KGH both plan to expand. Traffic may be an issue, but it's all relative.

For Maheu though, some things will never change.

“It still feels like it’s kind of an ideal town,” said Maheu.

TRIDEC also tells Action News the 35 percent estimate seems a bit high, and guesses it will be more like 20 percent. That would still mean an additional 50,000 people in our community over the next ten years.