Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Wilmington, NC home builder and remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share with our readers some simple steps to making the move to a new home as easy as possible for your pet.

Experts agree that pets thrive on routine. But how can that routine be maintained during a move? There are some simple steps that you can take to make the transition from old home to new home easy on you and your pet.

The first step is to visit your current veterinarian. If you are moving out of the area, be sure to request your pet’s medical files, this way your new vet will know of any conditions your pet has been treated for and when they’ll be due for their next vaccinations. Be sure that if your pet is on any medications, that you’ll have enough of the needed prescriptions to last until you visit your new vet.

While you’re at the vet, consider microchipping your pet. A microchip is a small transponder, as small as a grain of rice, that is implanted just under the pet’s skin. The Humane Society says, “Microchips provide an extra level of protection in case your pet loses his collar and tags.” The cost is relatively inexpensive, especially when you consider that one chip can last up to 25 years. Along these same lines, update your pets ID tags with your new address or phone number if necessary.

When you are beginning the actual process of moving boxes and transferring your belongings to your new residence, consider first prepping, a pet friendly area in your current home, and then in your new home. You can designate one room that will be out of the way of movers. Fill the room with the pet’s favorite toys and bedding, as well as their food, water, and if applicable, litter box. Your home is your pet’s sanctuary, and for the time being, this room will be their connection to this.

Once you’re living in your new home with your pet, the best thing you can do is maintain your routine. If you usually walk your pet in the mornings, make the time to continue this tradition. If you come home at lunches to let your dog out, be sure that either you or a reliable pet walker are there for your dog. This is also not a time to change your animal’s eating habits. Keep with the same brand and type of food as before the move.

And finally, you’ll need to search out your new hot spots. This means pet supply stores, veterinary offices, dog parks, and pet sitter and walker servicers.

If you are new to your area, feel free to ask your real estate agent for recommendations for a new vet, as well as where the aforementioned local hot spots might be, such as local establishments that are pet friendly.

Article Written By: Carla L. Davis, RealtyTimes.com

Brunswick County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share with our readers an interesting article courtesy of EcoHome Magazine.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) eagerly awaited WaterSense label for showerheads was finalized on March 4, and manufacturers can now submit products for testing.

Like WaterSense certifications for lav faucets and toilets, qualified showerheads must meet performance specifications as well as flow rates. Units receiving the label will have a flow rate of 2 gpm or less—20 percent lower than the current federal standard of 2.5 gpm—while also meeting performance-attribute requirements for flow rate across a range of pressures, spray force, and spray coverage, which the EPA has defined based on its consumer testing.

The specifications apply to showerheads and handheld showers, but not to bodysprays. Showerheads and handhelds must be tested by an EPA-licensed certifying body to qualify for WaterSense.

A number of manufacturers are already offering showerheads that combine lower flows with improved performance, which means buyers won’t have to wait long to purchase certified fixtures. The EPA told EcoHome it expects labeled products to hit shelves as early as mid-April.

Moen, for example, is anticipating certification for its 1.75-gpm single-function Eco-Performance showerheads and Envi three-function Eco-Performance showerheads, as does American Standard for its 1.5-gpm FloWise units and Kohler for its 1.75-gpm Purist and Forte showerheads and 2.0-gpm MasterShower.

Katy Tomasulo is Deputy Editor for EcoHome. This article first appeared on www.ecohomemagazine.com.

The Primrose at Landfall built in Wilmington, NC by custom home builder and remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes was recently recognized as one of the Most Innovative Small Residential projects in the country. The honor was presented as part of the ICF Builder Awards, an international competition designed to showcase the advantages of building with Insulated Concrete Forms, commonly called ICFs. ICFs are hollow foam blocks which are stacked and then filled with steel-reinforced concrete. The finished structure combines the strength of concrete with the insulating properties of foam, which stays in place to insulate and protect the walls. This construction method can reduce energy bills by up to 70 percent, block exterior noise, and is extremely disaster resistant. As an additional benefit, it is one of the most popular ways to “build green” costing between 5 to 10 percent more than regular frame construction.

The Primrose at Landfall was named First Runner-Up in the Small Residential division. The presentation, witnessed by hundreds of construction professionals associated with the industry, took place last month at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For more information about the ICF Builder Awards, go to www.icfmag.com.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has called the growing number of interactions between sea turtles and fishermen in the state’s inshore waters “excessive and unacceptable,” and the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach could soon move the matter into federal court.

“We haven’t seen or heard anything that meets or addresses our needs and concerns,” said Executive Director Jean Beasley, adding that the filing of a suit could be imminent.

Gill nets, used up and down the coast in a number of fisheries, are stretched from the water bottom to the surface. They are effective fishing tools in the state’s extensive estuaries and sounds.

But the nets, which are often left out overnight, catch everything that swims into them – and that includes sea turtles. The animal’s head or flippers can get caught in the net, and the air-breathing turtles eventually drown.

That has incensed environmentalists, who consider the nets among the biggest controllable threats to sea turtles. They also note that North Carolina and Mississippi are the last states still allowing the fishing practice. To read the complete article, click here!

Courtesy of: StarNewsOnline.com

New Hanover County, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an interesting article written by By Stephani L. Miller with CUSTOM HOME Magazine on how to detect problem drywall.

Following up on months of research into complaints of imported drywall causing corrosion in homes, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released a set of guidelines to help contractors and builders identify problem drywall in homes. Developed by the Interagency Task Force on Problem Drywall, the two-step guidance requires a visual inspection to detect the presence of metal corrosion followed by collection of corroborating evidence.

 ”This guidance offers homeowners, contractors, and state and local authorities a course of action for knowing if they’re dealing with problem drywall or not,” said Jon Gant, director of HUD’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, in an announcement about the guidelines.

 To determine whether a house has been negatively impacted by problem drywall, the initial Threshold (visual) Inspection, performed by a trained inspector, must show a) blackening of copper electrical wiring and/or air conditioning evaporator coils; and b) the installation of new drywall (for new construction or renovations) between 2001 and 2008.

 After establishing both of these conditions, individuals evaluating affected homes should move forward in gathering evidence of conditions in the home that confirm the presence of problem drywall. The task force notes that collecting this evidence may require contracting with professional assessors and possibly analytical laboratories for testing.

 Homes that display the characteristic metal corrosion and had new drywall installed between 2005 and 2008 must also show at least two of the following corroborating conditions; homes that had new drywall installed between 2001 and 2004 must show at least four of the corroborating conditions:

• Proof of corrosive conditions in the home by the formation of copper sulfide on copper test strips that have been placed in the home for two weeks to 30 days, or by confirming the presence of sulfur by the blackening of the grounding wires and/or air conditioning coils.
•  Confirmation of drywall bearing Chinese origin markings in the home.
• Drywall core samples containing strontium levels that exceed 1200 parts per million.
• Drywall core samples containing levels of elemental sulfur exceeding 10 parts per million.
• Elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, and/or carbon disulfide emissions from drywall samples tested according to ASTM chamber tests.
• The formation of copper sulfide on copper metal during chamber testing using drywall samples from the home.

 CPSC is continuing its testing and studies and will refine and update this preliminary identification guidance as necessary. Full details and rationale for the identification methods is available at www.drywallresponse.gov, the task force’s Drywall Information Center website.

 CUSTOM HOME previously reported on the task force’s research findings that linked Chinese-manufactured drywall to metal corrosion in homes in December.

Courtesy of: CustomHomeOnline.com

Landfall custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages our readers to view recently uploaded photos of our projects, both past and present, on our Flickr and Facebook Fan pages. View our Photo Sets on Flickr and Facebook, including our luxury homes in Wilmington and Hampstead, NC. For more detailed information on these homes and available lots in Wilmington, NC visit our Inventory Page!

Wilmington, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes aims and exceeds customer expectations both during and after the home building process. And an important part of offering award-winning customer service is being aware of current trends in the home building industry. An article from MarketWatch outlined the five trends below to be on the lookout for in 2010 and to read more, click here!

The live-in kitchen.

Living within our means.

The Green kitchen.

The wellness kitchen.

Cooking for fun.

Wilmington, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from BankRate.com’s Paul Bomberger with tips on how to approach remodeling your home without a home equity loan. Bomberger addressed the points below as well as pointing out that almost one-third of the country’s homeowners have near negative equity on their home. To read the complete article, click here!  

• Personal savings
• Credit cards
• Hold a garage or yard sale
• Sweat equity
• Borrowing from family

Figure Eight Harbor, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes is preparing for demolition work on our latest contract to remodel a condominium in Figure Eight Harbor. The contract includes a full kitchen upgrade along with two additional bath renovations, removing all popcorn ceilings and replacing lower floor with hardwoods. The scope of work is schedule for a 60 day completion. If you are considering a large or small scale remodel, please contact Mark Johnson Custom Homes!