Take a classic 1922 house in one of Charlottes oldest neighborhoods, simmer for 84 years, season with a once-in-a-century hurricane, add liberal measures of neglect and trash, garnish with a prime location on a corner lot and voila! A tasty fixer-upper to whet the appetite of fearless DIY practitioners.

And visitors can see the transformation for themselves during the annual Elizabeth Home and Garden Tour Oct. 11-12.

In 2006, Erik and Michelle Dagenhart had stalked the 2,500-square-foot house at 2134 Greenway Ave. for a couple of years and had a vision for it. It had survived Hugo despite extensive damage, had good bones, and was in the leafy Elizabeth neighborhood the Dagenharts loved. By the time it finally came on the market in 2006 they couldnt pass it up.

With Michelle acting as general contractor and their architect friend and neighbor Andrew (Woody) Woodruff serving as their design adviser, the Dagenharts started a complete renovation. A lengthy cleanup came first, followed by demolishing parts of the house affected by cats and smokers, shoddy work on previous maintenance projects and trees growing through the floor.

When we bought it, it was straight out of Amityville Horror or the season finale of The Hoarders, Erik recalls.

The couple were committed to doing much of the work themselves. Erik, a principal in an Atlanta-based commercial lightning protection firm, explains, I just hate the thought of giving somebody else money to do something I can do myself. Its not just to save money, although times were tight while we were in the middle of remodeling. My dad was a big do-it-yourselfer, so I give him a lot of credit for this mindset, even though Im mostly self-taught.

The Dagenharts hired contractors for the framing and roofing, plumbing and HVAC system. The couple did the remaining 70 percent of the work to remodel and expand the house to its present 3,600 square feet.

Wraparound porch

It wasnt all smooth sailing. There was a lot of trial and error. To learn how to wire a four-way switch, for example, Erik turned online to YouTube.

The family which includes twins Sam and Livi, now 13 moved into the 400-square-foot detached garage apartment for the last eight months of the construction phase. They moved into the house itself in 2008 while the finishing work continued. Erik, who manages his business from home, and Michelle, a director at Wells Fargo who was working only part-time then, had flexibility to juggle their jobs with their house projects.

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Home on the Elizabeth tour showcases couples hard work

Lets start by considering some of the most recent statistics (2011 and 2012) from the FBI about the almost 2 million burglaries that occur in the United States annually.

Most of them almost 75 percent occur in residences not stores or offices. And most happen during the day, perhaps when residents are out of town, at work or out running errands.

So if you dont want to become a target for a burglar, you ought to start thinking about how a burglar thinks when looking at your house. What follows are 30 suggestions for securing your home and property.

Your doors

--Remember a burglar wants to spend less than 60 seconds getting into your house.

--Add a dead-bolted security screen door to the front of your house and to back doors that has tamper-proof hinges with non-removable pins.

--Of course, you want good lighting on your walkways, but you might also want to install motion sensor lights.

--You need a solid core or solid wood front door with a deadbolt that has a one-inch throw.

--Make sure all your doors have bump-proof locks. In bumping, a burglar inserts a special key into your lock, strikes it with a hammer, and presto, pins in the lock move slightly so the door can be opened. If your locks are more than a few years old, you should replace them with newer technology to thwart bumpers.

--Install wide-angle peepholes in doors with no adjacent windows.

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Rosie on the House: Heres how you can think like a burglar thinks

Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) September 30, 2014

Arcbazar announces an online design crowdsourcing platform for home remodeling.

Renovated attics can be cozy and charming special spaces, while adding to the home square footage and resell value. These spaces are full of hidden potential to create extra bedrooms or bathrooms, additional living rooms, offices and studios, or maximizing storage areas. However, vaulted layouts can be daunting to remodel and decorate and this is a challenge that requires a clever design. Many homeowners need help to remodel and personalize this great space canvas. Arcbazar comes to the rescue with an innovative crowdsourcing approach that let homeowners connect with architects around the globe for out-of-the box creative design.

Arcbazar,a Cambridge- based start-up company helps transforms the concept of home renovation by providing access to creative online design. Arcbazar runs international architectural and interior design competitions. Each project is launched online and designers worldwide compete and submit solutions for the new space. Clients can then choose the solution they like most based on their initial evaluation criteria. We want to bring high-end design to everyday small-scale home remodeling projects. We want our clients to be able to create their dream spaces in an easy, affordable and fun way, says Imdat As, founder of Arcbazar.com. Hundreds of clients around the globe have already used Arcbazar for successful home remodeling, landscape and interior design projects. We have helped clients renovate great kitchens, bathrooms, living space, basements, or outside patios, balconies and landscapes.There is no small or too big home project.

Julien G., from Wellesly, MA, was "looking for a design for the attic on a 100 year old house" that he would like to convert into an office working as well as an additional space for guests. Julien run a competition on Arcbazar and received 14 proposals, ultimately opting for a design from an architect in New York. Arcbazar's beauty is the choice it offers to clients, coupled with high quality and affordability. Clients love to visualize the end-result of the renovation and this is priceless. Recently Arcbazar has also introduced a new estimator tool that gives clients an instant quote for their remodeling projects.

To view Julien's project and know more, please visit http://www.arcbazar.com.

About Arcbazar Arcbazar.com, Inc. is the first-of-its-kind online crowdsourcing platform for architectural design projects. The company connects clients with designers worldwide, and allows clients to run competitions for their remodeling, home, commercial and interior design projects.

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Attic Remodel: Creating Fabulous Spaces with Online Design

Provided by Networx.com

How can you prepare for a healthier, energy-efficient, and money-saving winter? Take care of your HVAC ductwork by cleaning, repairing, and insulating it as necessary. Proper attention to the air duct system is an easy, inexpensive step toward improved air quality and more efficient heating. Why not take care of this task now, before winter's cold sets in?

Clean

Routine vacuuming or dusting of your HVAC registers is important, but cleaning further inside the ductwork is not necessary on a regular basis. However, there are certain circumstances that warrant cleaning the interior of your ducts ASAP -- for your health's sake. If you see mold growing inside your HVAC ducts, it is essential to clean the system to avoid allergies, asthma, and other breathing problems. Occasionally vermin or insects will make their home inside the ductwork; have the pests removed pronto and the ducts thoroughly cleaned. During home remodeling, the duct openings should be well covered. However, if any debris from lead paint or asbestos, or large amounts of dust, has entered the ducts, they must be cleaned urgently. Finally, if you find that unpleasant odors, animal hair, or other contaminants are coming into the ambient air via your ductwork or a household member is suffering from an unexplained respiratory illness, persistent headache, or rash, duct cleaning is strongly advised.

NOTE: Never use a steam cleaner on your ducts, as you do not want to introduce large amounts of moisture into the system. While you can clean the surface and ends of ducts yourself using a rag lightly dampened with bleach solution, you will not be able to reach as far as a trained serviceperson armed with a professional duct-cleaning machine.

Repair Leaks

Your duct system can leak due to either holes in individual duct pipes or poor connections between pipes. These leaks may reduce the heating and cooling ability of your HVAC by up to 20 percent, while at the same time increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Even worse, they might backdraft life-threatening gases such carbon dioxide from your furnace or other appliances into your living space.

Leaks can be difficult to find since the ductwork runs through small hard-to-get-at areas such as crawl spaces. To try to track down sources of leakage, turn the HVAC thermostat to "on" instead of "automatic." This will allow you to feel for escaping hot air as well as visually inspecting the ducts.

Turn off the HVAC and apply mastic sealant, metal tape (NOT ordinary duct tape, which doesn't last long enough), or aerosol sealant to repair any leaks or faulty connections that you discover. Especially large gaps may need to be filled in with insulation before using the mastic.

Insulate

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Take care of ducts now for greener, cheaper winter heat

in a fire, she now has a new home. American Red Cross volunteers wanted to help her, but instead, she's helping them. wdbj7 Mornin's Alison Parker is live at the Red Cross in downtown Roanoke with this woman's story. Angie Petty is lucky. She has a good job and homeowners insurance. That helped her rebuild her home. Petty's now giving back to the Red Cross -- a cause, that always needs help. Angie Petty was at the doctor. The kids, at school. Keaton the dog, caught in a house fire. sb 2 i had been working on remodeling the whole house over the course of 7 years, and a recess light caught on fire, caught the attic on fire, and pretty much destroyed the whole house. (9) In September last year, Salem fire crews saved the dog, but not much else. Old family portraits, treasured memories gone. sb 4 On the video tapes, i had some family members who had passed away, and that was the only place i had recordings of their voice, so that was hard to lose. (8) The Red Cross offered to help Petty get back on her feet. sb 3 It was really heart warming. i also had a huge outpouring from the community -- family, friends, neighbors, people i didn't even know. So it really touched my heart. (8) But instead, Petty recovered on her own. Now, she's the one paying it forward. sb 1 Angie Petty: Since then, I've been really in tune to other people in the area who have had house fires and really needed some help. (5) Next Saturday, Petty will hold an open house to raise money for the Red Cross. sb 5 They really help others that are in need, not only in fire situations but in floods, and other types of disasters. They're there, on call, ready to help, and i think that really makes a big difference in people's lives. (12) What she did learn from the Red Cross -- how to be prepared. sb 6 You never know when a disaster is going to strike. Whether it's a tornado, a hurricane a flood, a fire, you just don't know. So it's important to know who to call, and to have proper insurance, and have an escape route. All of those things are very important. (13) The open house is The open house is next Saturday -- the very important. (13) The open house is next Saturday -- the 27th -- from 1 to 5. Members of the Salem Fire Department and the Red Cross will be at Angie's home giving out fire safety and preparedness information. The kids can even explore a fire truck. All donations collected will directly support the Red Cross. This morning,

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Red Cross encourages families to prepare for cold-weather disasters

Tampa fire investigators are seeking the publics help and offering a reward for information into the cause of a fire at a northeast Tampa home this morning.

Tampa Fire Rescue units were dispatched at 6:30 a.m. to 9214 N. Hyaleah Road, north of Busch Boulevard and less than a mile east of Busch Gardens.

Fire crews found heavy smoke and flames consuming more than half of the single-story house.

Investigators say the fire originated from a bedroom that was vacant for remodeling, and the home was unsecured at the time of the fire.

The fire, which caused major damage to the roof and attic and resulted in $48,000 in damage, was under control in about a half-hour. Tampa Fire Rescue said.

An initial search by firefighters determined no occupants were inside the home, and no injuries were reported.

Anyone with information can report an anonymous tip online at the City of Tampas Fire Marshal website, or call (813) 274-7000. Rewards of up to $2,500 or more are available for information leading to the identification of arson suspects.

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Investigators seek tips into cause of Tampa house fire

Posted Sep. 2, 2014, 9:22 am Letter To The Editor

Dear Editor,

Just like your body, the urban fabric is continually renewing itself: buildings are continually torn down and new ones erected in their place in response to economic, demographic and political factors.

But some parts of your body, such as adult teeth, need to last a lifetime. Likewise certain buildings should last the lifetime of a City.

These significant buildings play an outsize role in the City's history, because of their particular architectural or historical impact.

Usually they get landmarked and afforded the highest level of protection. Santa Monica, a City of 51,000 units, has only 110 landmarked structures.

If these structures were evenly distributed in the City's 139 year history there would be less then one landmark worthy structure built every year. Its fun to guess which of the buildings being built today will be the landmarks of tomorrow?

But theres another more common and efficient way the urban fabric renews itself and that is to take existing buildings and with minor modifications repurpose them to new uses (e.g. adaptive reuse) avoiding their outright demolition and preserving their presence in the community.

This adaptive reuse provides benefits that are shared by residents and developers alike:

The greenest building is the one not torn down.

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Letter To The Editor: The Magic Of Adaptive Reuse

Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Millionaire Hiroshi Horiike, who bought a four-bedroom, six-bath Tuscan-style mansion in Malibu, California, talks with Bloomberg's John Gittelsohn about his decision to sue Coldwell Banker and the seller's agent after discovering that his home had a third less living space than he'd been told. Both Horiike's broker and the seller's agent worked for Coldwell Banker. Horiike won an appeals court ruling that the seller's agent had a duty to protect his interests. Coldwell Banker, a unit of Realogy Holdings Corp., is asking the California Supreme Court to overturn the ruling. (Source: Bloomberg)

Millionaire Hiroshi Horiike spent two years searching California for a dream home, one grander than any he could find in his native China.

After visiting more than 80 properties in the Los Angeles area with an agent from Coldwell Banker, Horiike paid $12.25 million in cash for a four-bedroom, six-bath Tuscan-style mansion with a swimming pool, spa and guest house on 5.1 acres (2.1 hectares) overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

There was just one catch. After settling in, Horiike found the Malibu home had less living space than hed been told -- a third less. It had 9,434 square feet (876 square meters) instead of the 15,000 square feet shown in marketing brochures from the sellers agent, who also worked with Coldwell Banker.

Horiike, who also goes by his native Chinese name Peng Hong Ling after adopting a Japanese name as an adult, claimed he was cheated and sued the agent and the brokerage. He won a state appeals court ruling that sellers agents have a fiduciary duty to protect buyers interests, not just those of their clients, when theres only one brokerage involved in a deal.

If left standing, the decision could compel disclosure of confidential client information or force brokerages to drop out of transactions where they represent both buyers and sellers, threatening commissions on tens of thousands of deals.

Hiroshi Horiike at his Malibu, California, mansion with his three dogs: Shogun (the gray Weimaraner); Samurai (white Akita); Jiji (black lab). Horiike is suing Coldwell Banker because its agent marketed the house as 15,000 square feet, but it's only 10,000. Close

Hiroshi Horiike at his Malibu, California, mansion with his three dogs: Shogun (the... Read More

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Hiroshi Horiike at his Malibu, California, mansion with his three dogs: Shogun (the gray Weimaraner); Samurai (white Akita); Jiji (black lab). Horiike is suing Coldwell Banker because its agent marketed the house as 15,000 square feet, but it's only 10,000.

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Chinese Millionaire Roils Brokers Over Shrinking Mansion

Houston, Texas (PRWEB) August 13, 2014

Home improvement company, Home Exterior Systems, recently announced its new consultation service for its customers. The new feature is meant to enhance the Houston-based company's award winning service. Customers who are interested in remodeling or renovating their homes can now contact Home Exterior Systems for a free 90-minute consultation.

The new consultation services would present an opportunity for homeowners and well-trained home improvement professionals to discuss exactly what is needed. Homeowners can address concerns about durability, efficiency, and aesthetic value of their intended projects, while technicians can give advice on the best method to approach and implement home improvements.

At Home Exterior Systems, customers have a wide variety of home improvement products and services to choose from. The company provides windows and doors from manufacturers that include Amcraft, Anderson, Don Young, Pella, Home Craftsman, Simonton, and Silverline. Each product is designed for energy efficiency, insulation, prevention of air and water infiltration, weather resistance, trouble-free cleaning, and strength and security. Technicians at Home Exterior Systems can assist homeowners on architectural designs, shapes, and styles.

Home Exterior Systems is also a retailer of James Hardie lap siding, which has been the industry leader for more than a century. Protecting homes against the ravages of time and the elements, HardiePlank lap siding comes with a 30-year non-prorated and transferable limited warranty.

Home Exterior Systems is a GAF Certified Weather Stopper Roofing Contractor. Professionals from the company create Weather Watch and StormGuard leak barriers, provide quality Timberline shingles and effective attic vents from Cobra and Master Flow, and protect the roof deck from wind-driven rain with Deck-Armor. The company also installs distinctive ridge cap shingles to beautify the roof, paint accessories to blend in with its color, and install pre-cut starter strip shingles from WeatherBlocker or Pro-Start to make it easier to eliminate waste.

About Home Exterior Systems: Since 2003, Home Exterior Systems has provided the Houston metro area with a vast selection of home improvement products and services. In 2014, Home Exterior Systems won a Best of Houzz award in the Service category. The company has also won awards from Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, and the Better Business Bureau, of which it has been a member since 2005. Home Exterior Systems is headquartered at 19731 Lake Stone Court, Tomball, Texas 77377. For consultation services, homeowners can dial 281-542-9577, or by visiting http://www.homeexteriorsystems.com.

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Home Exterior Systems Announces New Consultation Services For Home Improvement

Q. Bees and wasps are making our home theirs. How do we deter them from doing this? We've had D-Bug and Terminix come to no avail.

A. Where do the insects make your home theirs? If they get inside, you need to find how they get in, and caulk and seal the entry points. If they make nests under the eaves, you can use a wasp and hornet spray that shoots 12 to 20 feet. Wait until dark when they are home sleeping and spray the nest.

If your house has large beams supporting the roof that extend beyond the walls to the eaves, this is an ideal place for insects to enter because the beams may have shrunk just enough to let them crawl in. Caulk all sides of the projecting beams where they exit the wall.

Other potential entry points include around the electric entrance cable (where they can nest inside the electric meter), a dryer, bathroom or kitchen vent, and fuel delivery pipes.

With the few details you gave me, that's the best I can do.

Q. I just recently noticed that hornets and bees have started making small nests by both corners of our garage door. The good thing is that it is toward the outer side of the garage. My husband used a broom and brushed away the nests, but just recently I've noticed that they have started all over again.

Why have they chosen that corner again and how can we permanently eradicate them?

Your helpful advice is highly appreciated.

A. I don't know why the wasps and hornets chose those corners, except perhaps that they select hidden places. They often choose spaces between structural members in roof overhangs or secluded spots in corners under a roof by a chimney, a projecting wall or any other similarly protected area.

I suggest that you buy a wasp and hornet spray and apply it to the nests in the evening when they are home. The residue will prevent new wasps from choosing the same location to build new nests.

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Seal off entry points to cut off insect invasion