Curved ply beams- very cool!

Stowe VT - guess what I stumbled upon?

On vacation in the beautiful Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, my family and I took a drive up to Stowe Mountain Resort to poke around after a recent snowfall. I knew HGTV's fabled 'Dream Home' for 2011 was being built in the area and nearing completion. Well guess what. It's amazing!

I had a rough idea where it was being built so we went down the dirt road clearly marked 'No Trespassing' hoping to catch a glimpse of the site. Even better, I bumped into Brendan O'Reilly (Owner of Gristmill Builders LTD), the local construction company tasked to build the home. "They asked us to complete the home in 5 months; that was a challenge", said O'Reilly. "Out of all the homes I have built, I'd say it is probably the most amazing" he also went on to discuss.

Let's put it simply - the home is amazing (especially for someone like myself). From the copper chimney detail to the poplar bark siding accents, the home is a perfect example of 'rustic modern design' and blends into nature seamlessly.

It's easy to see that Gristmill Builders do fantastic work, don't just take my word for it. While Brendan and I were chatting, HGTV was finishing up the filming inside for their show.

Needless to say, I'll be entering the contest!

For more info: click here

*Click photos to enlarge and for better detail

Check back tomorrow for some amazing 'first look' pics of HGTV's Dream Home 2011!!!

Old Vt farmhouse. Love the witch window! (aka VT windows, coffin, or sideways windows)

Custom fir vanity, honed granite counter, slate tiles! Love it! @Trapp Family Lodge Villas

Great way to accent cabinetry- two tones!

Fantastic use of honed granite

Coming at you live from Northern VT. Check back for pics and lots more!

Test

1st attempt at posterous. If this works, it will make my life much easier!

Winterizing tips for your home and yard

Yep....it's that time of year again and boy did it come fast here in New England. 80 degrees and humid one day and 44 degrees the next night. Hello Fall.....nice to see you again. I decided to put together a list of 'to-dos' around the house and yard that homeowners should keep in mind as we transition into, gulp, the winter.

Yard/Outside:

• It's a great time of year to overseed and repair any bare lawn patches. (see my other posts on seed varieties).
• Rake and clean the yard. Don't leave leaves, pine needles, and other debris on your lawn prior to snowfall as it will choke out the grass. Consider hiring a landscape company for a fall cleanup. Some companies even have 'lawn vacuums' that will make your lawn pristine!
• Clean the gutters. Leaving debris and leaves in gutters can cause ice dams. Trust me, they are not fun and can do major damage to your roof and potentially cause serious leaks and water damage.
• Inspect the exterior of your home. Give it the once over: doors, windows, foundation roof, siding. Look for any noticeable damage or issues with seals. It's better to find issue now than wait.
• Drain your garden hoses and shut off the main valve. Then leave the exterior valve in the open position. I like to add an insulated cover to the valve for protection (they can be found easily at Lowes)
• Clean your outdoor equipment (mowers, tillers) and have them serviced so they are ready to go in the Spring. For those with riding mowers consider bring the battery inside for the winter- it will lengthen it's life by 2-3 years! Also prep your snow blower if you have one. Be prepared (like the Scouts)
• Seal driveway cracks (blacktop caulk or sealant works very well) Also consider having your driveway sealed if it is due

Inside:

• If you have a fireplace, have it serviced and cleaned if it is due. Bring some wood inside
• Consider having your furnace cleaned and inspected as well. If you have NSTAR they have excellent service plans that are fairly affordable.
• GIve your interior a once-over: windows, doors, and any other seals. Look for visible cracks and space where cold air can penetrate inside. Use weatherstripping on doors if necessary.
• If you have baseboard heat, remove the top panel and vacuum inside thoroughly.
• How is the air quality? Remember- your home is generally sealed tight during the winter months and that is when viruses are prevalent. Consider an air purifier or a larger system for those that have forced air heating. The results are significant!
• Do you have a programable thermostat? Consider one of them. Having the heat kick on before you get up but lower at night can save big bucks and make your home much more comfortable during those nippy mornings.
• Is your hot water heater in an insulated area? Consider a hot water heater blanket. They cost about $15 and wrap around the heater saving up to $40-50/season.

Good luck and stay warm folks! If you need more advice or have questions, just ask! I'm also available for home energy audits and can show you how to save money on heating upgrades.

Grass Seed Test: The Final Installment!

Folks- it's prime time in the Northeast for overseeding and repairing your lawn from the summer drought. I started the seed trials over 3 weeks ago. Scotts, Pennington, and Pearl's Premium head to head. Each mix was seeded side by side in a patch of my yard that had been prepped with starter fertilizer and topsoil after being thoroughly raked. I watered daily and gave the seedings every bit of attention they might need.

Final results (and they did surprise me)

1) Scotts Landscaper's mix: The combination of Creeping Red Fescue and Perennial Ryegrass makes this one the winner. It germinated fast, filled in densely, and continues to grow at a steady rate.

2) Pennington Perennial Ryegrass Smart Seed: It's growing rapidly but not as dense as the Scotts. One negative, they coat the seeds with that annoying blue fertilizer spray. Your hands will be blue for a long time if you don't wear gloves. You have to wonder what the heck kind of chemicals are in that too!

3) Pearl's Premium (Sunny): Big price and little results. Yes- they do warn that the germination rate is much slower with the tall fescues but come on - over three weeks and a few single seedlings here and there. It was a major disappointment.

So for under $40 you can go to your local Lowes or Home Depot and get yourself some Scotts and have excellent results.

This isn't the end of the story.....I actually have to flashback to July to fill in the rest of my results and the full story. The reason I started this whole test process was because we found a unique patch of grass in our lawn that was thriving during the heat and drought we had here. All of the bluegrasses and some of the rye were dying off and crispy by mid July. This patch was bright green and super soft.

I started with a simple Google search (which later turned into days of googling grasses). I relate it to mattress shopping. After an hour of laying on beds, they all feel the same! Grass is one unique and interesting subject. I never knew how much science was behind it. By late August I still had not identified the grass so I decided to test some common seeds (in the mixes I bought). I was almost positive it was part of the Scotts mix because I did overseeding with it last year. Nope!

Today I took a field trip to Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, MA. They have horticultural experts there and one of them (John), happens to be a turf-grass expert. I took a small plug of the grass (roots and all) to him and within 20 seconds her had it identified. Guess what....it's a weed! Before I go down that road, let me say this- it's very desirable and you can use it for lawns. It turned out to be Creeping Bentgrass. It's quite common on golf courses and can tolerate close mowing. It's super soft, grows very slowly, and is very dense. Sounds good to me!

So what's next? Do I weed my entire lawn with bentgrass? No, but I found an interesting option from nomowgrass.com (it's 100% bentgrass) and marketed as a 'no-mow' lawn product. Hmm. I'm going to get a small sample and seed some patches in the lawn to test it out.

As far as overseeding the rest of the lawn, I recommend a 100% fescue blend (maybe with a small amount of ryegrass (for soil stabilization). There are some more expensive blends out there that are all fescue that you can purchase. It is money well spent because the fescues are extremely drought tolerant and have deep root systems that will allow it to stay green all season and choke out weeds at the same time. The Scotts is a great all purpose seed but for problem areas I'll definitely be going with a 100% fescue mix.

You can even make your own mix on Super Seed Store.

Good luck and if you have questions don't hesitate to contact me. Over and out!

Renovation 101

With any project there has to be a logical starting point. The number one question I hear is, “How do we get started?” Often homeowners turn to general contractors or an architect depending on the scale of their renovation before a lot of the important legwork is done. So, where do you start? First things first, it is crucial to be realistic with your budget. Most issues and miscommunication with a contractor occurs within the first few days of hiring them. Why is that? It happens because homeowners do not set the table correctly. Okay, what the heck does that mean? What I call “table-setting” is the process of being realistic with your budget and having a professional review your expectations, design ideas, and timeline. That process alone can shave 4 weeks off a renovation if done properly. If not done correctly, you could end up with a very expensive set of beautiful blueprints or a few walls knocked out and a non-functional kitchen and not much more.

Before you turn to Angie’s List, ServiceMagic, or Craigslist, know that you could very well be adding a good deal of time to your renovation planning. I had one set of clients looking to do a simple small deck installation. After two full weeks of searching reviews online they had 7 contractors come to quote the job over one weekend. The following week they decided to hire a company outside of their immediate area. By chance they contacted me after seeing my twitter feed. Turns out the contractor they chose had an expired license and had suggested some design elements that were not to current code. Lesson learned. Luckily no deposit had been exchanged. I was able to bring in one of my verified contractors and schedule the work quickly within their budget. Other homeowners are not so lucky.

Many people seem to think everything needs to be done yesterday. When it comes to renovating your home, please slow down. That is probably the best advice I can give for those looking to punch holes in sheetrock before anything else. Being a designer and consultant, I will in general terms: set the table, serve dinner, and deliver a stress free renovation….and you enjoy the dessert (results)!

Grass Seed Part III

Ahh - global warming. August 31st and set to be 95 degrees in New England. What's wrong with this picture? Al Gore - help?! On a serious note, the recent heat wave may impact my seed test, and then again it will be interesting to see what the results are during the stress on the newly germinated grass.

So far the Scott's Landscaper's Mix is out to an early lead with the fescues already filling in nicely. Not far behind is the Pennington's Perennial Ryegrass blend mix (which was seeded 3 days after the Scott's & Pearl's). Lastly, Pearl's Premium is just barely showing signs of germination. *The Pearl's blend is a special mix of slow growing/deep root grasses so this isn't a bad sign.

I should have some new updates next week once this hot-stove weather passes.

To Be Continued.....

head to head grass seed

Quick update: these are the three seed mixes that are being tested.

Surprise, surprise.....the Scotts mix has already germinated in under 4 full days. I'm not sure that it is necessarily a positive for the mix - they surely threw in some very fast germinating seed to impress homeowners.

My testing will cover the germination over a broader period of time, so early results aren't so important.

To be continued.....

Is the grass always greener?

Not always. Especially in New England this summer. The frustration over lawn care can be pretty bad this time of year. Crabgrass is in full bloom and many communities have been enduring water bans and drought conditions for the past few weeks. (Of course it has been raining steadily for the last 3 days now that I decided to write this). Regardless, the drought conditions were ideal for weeds to germinate and take root, and now the rain is helping them grow and spread.

Looking to fight back and repair some areas of your yard or overseed this fall? I have you covered! So, what the heck does grass seed have to do with home renovations? I cover outdoor projects, landscaping, and lawn care as well. It’s all part of your property and what we call ‘home’.

I decided to settle the score once and for all. Deyano vs. the lawn! I’ll be updating this series occasionally with my head-head testing of 3 seed mixes: a low-grade brand name seed, a medium grade mix, and a premium seed mix. Does cost really matter? We’ll find out!

Stay tuned.

Family Renovation? Try, Family Disaster!

DIY Network's Family Renovation is probably one of the most ridiculous home renovation shows I have seen! Why? Well for one, it is a completely illegal home renovation. Despite taking place outside of the US (Halifax, Nova Scotia), every single episode pushes the limit on liability issues and serious reckless endangerment of children.

Ever hear of a Certificate of Occupancy? During several episodes their home is not weather-tight. (No roof or windows) Under normal conditions, the homeowners would not be allowed in the home at all. The thickheaded Marie-France LeBlanc, who is supposedly coordinating the entire process with their contractors, demands more than once that they stick it out in the house during construction. All while raising 5 children in the construction zone. In the show’s intro she is described as a ‘master renovator’. I laughed LONG and hard on that one.

Obviously there had to be some agreement with the network and the local government on occupancy and filming. Normally something like this would be shut down faster than you could blink. I don’t understand why the homeowners would create the perfect storm, appearing completely idiotic every step of the way.

Regardless, I find myself coming back for more week after week and cursing at the TV and the naïve homeowners. Maybe that is why it is termed a “Docu-Soap”.

Moral of the story: don’t live in your home during major renovations. It’s illegal and very dangerous!

For a good laugh, check it out on the DIY Network, Thursday nights at 10pm.

Renovation Smarts Blog- Intro!

Thinking of renovating your home? Many people are opting to make improvements to their “home sweet home” instead of upgrading to the McMansion style homes we saw in the 1990s. It goes hand in hand with America becoming more green, homeowners are now interested in improvements that can be made in their current homes to add value, comfort, and efficiency.

However, before you dive into tiling your bathroom or replacing your cabinets, know what you are embarking on. Renovating is no piece of cake to homeowners. Even regular DIY’ers can find themselves in over their heads very quickly. Many of us are guilty of watching a little too much HGTV and getting overly confident. What isn’t always evident is the amount of support and labor many of those shows hide from the cameras. All of the materials are there the very next morning and kitchens are demo’d in the first 2 minutes. I like to term that, the “shock and awe of HGTV”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of those shows and watch them religiously, but I look at them through seasoned eyes and the experience of years of home renovations and construction. Underestimate a project and you’ll find yourself washing dishes in your bathroom sink for 2 months!

There are so many variables: permits, hiring tradesmen, budget concerns, material issues, scheduling conflicts with sub-contractors, and of course, your family. Add children to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster…or at least a ton of stress.

I always recommend hiring meticulously when dealing with contractors. Angie's List to the rescue! Wait a second…would you rely 100% on an online review for a dentist? I doubt it. References and actually inspecting previous projects is still the number one overlooked must-do when hiring a contractor. Do you plan on being home for most of the renovation? If not, do you really trust your contractor with your most valuable possession in the world, your home? Did you budget extra funds for the fluctuating costs of materials? Heck, a box of decking screws can cost over $30! Time, labor, materials, and your budget all need to be managed daily. Don’t expect your contractor to do that for you.

So where can homeowners turn for: advice, realistic budgeting, and project input? I act as an independent, third party advocate, working on your behalf to make your renovation unfold easily from start to finish. With hands-on experience and a degree in design, I know how to make renovations happen the right way. I offer several services for homeowners. I’ll save you money and the headaches, guaranteed!

I'm a renovation consultant and founder of Renovation Smarts, servicing Metrowest Boston and Upstate NY.

Contact me at: deyano@mac.com , 508-494-2928, or for more information check out: www.renovationsmarts.com

All the best,

Deyano Manco