Protecting your Home from Lead Exposure

Did you now that a new EPA law requires remodelers to be certified to work in pre-1978 homes? Or, that the “Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defined lead poisoning as the No. 1 environmental threat to the health of children in this country”–in 1991?

The March/April 2010 issue of Kansas City Homes & Gardens explores this serious topic and outlines what our Kansas City chapter of National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is doing about it in its “Green Living” section.

Says Jan Burchett, executive director of Kansas City’s NARI chapter in KCH&G: “We’re working hard to let consumers know that this pivotal law is going into effect. If someone who lives in one of the date-targeted homes is hiring a remodeler, they need to know that person has to have completed an eight-hour Certified Lead Renovator Training with an accredited trainer.”

So, what as homeowners, do you need to know? According to Burchett, “certified contractors/remodelers are obligated to prove their valid certification by displaying their official lead-based paint license, certificate or training certificate to a homeowner. Don’t be afraid to ask prospective remodelers to describe what they’ll do to practice lead safety, and if you’re having your home tested to determine the existence of lead, have them specify what the final lead inspection entails.”

Check out Protecting Your Family from Lead Exposure to learn more, or pick up a copy of the March/April issue.

Remodeling Redux

The number of homeowners who say they will remodel in the next 12 months has increased by 13 percent, according to a Spring 2010 U.S. Remodeling Sentiment Report. This increase continues an upward swing–there was a 5 percent increase in the 2009 report–signaling that remodeling activity will continue to increase as homeowners seek to stay put instead of selling their homes.

Schutte Lumber played an instrumental role in helping hundreds of customers remodel their homes. Today, we’d like to highlight an award-winning Remodeling project we were involved with. Kansas City Homes & Gardens coined it “Best Whole House Remodel over $750,000“.

“An exterior wall was also removed to make room for the new sun room, which features large cottage windows with transom and French doors. A sweeping arched opening from the kitchen leads to the sun room addition and on out to the outdoor living area with fireplace, seating for eight, flat screen TV and wraparound porch.”

“The exterior has new Hardie siding, a coat of earthy brown paint and a new front porch.”

What are the rooms in your house that are in need of a little remodeling?

Sustainable Design Stacks Up

Can houses be built out of straw? Before you scoff, a pair of Parkville homeowners did just that–and explain how a straw-bale home can be both an economical and environmentally friendly decision–as featured in a recent article in Kansas City Homes & Gardens.

According to the article, straw bales “stack up” in many ways: they are “economical, allow the walls to breath, are biodegradable, durable over time and easy to maintain.”

They can also be aesthetically pleasing too (see the Parkville home, below).

According to the homeowner, it was our modern approach to building that inspired his straw-bale home: “We come up with more and more ways to seal out the natural environment and we end up trapping poor quality air indoors and moisture inside our walls, so the idea of building a more simple and natural type of wall construction really appealed to me,” he says.

Schutte Lumber supplied the Douglas Fir for the wood structure, floors and ceilings. Check out more of Andrea Darr’s article, “The Last Straw“.

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