Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

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

Last year we shared with our readers an article from the World Floor Covering Association on how to care for your pre-finished hardwood floors. Now Wilmington, NC luxury home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share the WFCA’s reasoning for opting for hardwood or bamboo flooring, complete with links to more of their helpful articles. Visit www.WFCA.org for more information on all flooring options!

Why hardwood?

It’s not hard to answer. This flooring product offers many features and benefits to the home. And, perhaps, to your home.

Come along and let’s find out! Read more to learn if hardwood is the flooring solution for the way you live. Hardwood certainly answers the need for beauty in your home.

The elegant look of a hardwood floor can add warmth and character to any room. In fact, the natural characteristics of wood add depth and a visual appearance that many other types of floors try to duplicate.

Rich, inviting hardwood floors are not only beautiful to live with, they can also add value to your home at resale time. Plus, today, hardwood types, options and applications are more diverse and delightful than ever.

As the consumer demand for hardwood floors has grown so has the manufacturer’s ability to produce better quality finishes and superior construction techniques.

The result of those advancements is that wood floors can now be installed throughout the home and over a wide variety of subfloors.

Why bamboo?

The answer is easy, exciting and environmental. Unlike hardwood, bamboo is not a product of trees, it’s a fast growing grass.

Bamboo can grow from sprouts to harvesting in three to five years, thus an acre of bamboo can provide more flooring than an acre of trees.

When bamboo shoots are cut the roots remain intact and fresh new sprouts grow in their place.

The dense root mass of bamboo helps prevent soil erosion and provides a viable crop opportunity in hilly acres where other crops cannot grow.

The species used for flooring is harvested from selected groves in Southern China. And, good news — this species is not eaten by Pandas.

Bamboo can be an attractive alternative to hardwood because it is eco-friendly, is dimensionally stable, 27% harder than Northern Red Oak, 13% harder than hard Maple, can either be nailed-down, glued-down or floated, and it’s resistant to flammability.

Bamboo flooring comes in planks and is installed just like engineered hardwood floors. These floors can be installed over many different types of subfloors.

If you think wood rules, we invite you to come explore the other sections on beautifying your home with hardwood.

Wilmington, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from the Wilmington Star News’ “Master Gardener” series on how to protect your plants during the cold winter months. Below is their coverage on how to avoid damage to your plants and to read how to provide extra protection for your plant containers, knowing your hardiness zone and determining how much damage may have been done to your plants click here!

“Pruning plants in late summer or early fall can make them more susceptible to winter injury because the new growth that results in response to pruning does not have enough time to prepare for winter. For this reason do not prune woody plants after midsummer, to ensure their new growth has enough time to harden off for winter. Applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers in fall or winter can also increase winter damage by encouraging tender new growth. Avoid putting out nitrogen fertilizers after late summer to reduce the possibility of winter damage. Also, do not apply nitrogen to lawns and landscapes too early in the spring. Slow-release fertilizers can be applied to landscape beds in March, but gardeners should wait until mid-April before fertilizing lawns.

Other nutrients help increase plants’ cold hardiness, particularly potassium, which is often referred to as potash. To find out if your soil is low in potassium, submit a soil sample to your local Cooperative Extension office for testing. Soil testing is free to N.C. residents and is the only way to accurately know which nutrients your soil needs. Potassium applied during the spring and summer will help plants survive winter.”

Learn more

If you have questions about protecting your plants from winter injury or how to help them recover, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. In Pender County, call 259-1235 or visit online at http://pender.ces.ncsu.edu and post your questions using the “Ask an Expert” widget.”

New Hanover County, NC home remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an article from the Kitchen and Bath Association emphasizing that today’s market is ideal for home remodeling projects to be done! Below is an excerpt from Victoria Hale’s article and to read more click here. If you are looking to do a home remodel or addition in New Hanover, Pender or Brunswick County, we encourage you to contact us!

“A recession provides a unique opportunity to remodel your home. Labor is cheap, commodities are 60 percent less expensive, and there’s significant promotional pricing being offered in an effort to move product. These factors, when taken together, can reduce the overall cost of the remodeling project by 25 to 30 percent. The bottom line is that there are plenty of opportunities to increase the value of your home over time.

It’s also the perfect time to include floor heating in your bath or kitchen remodeling project. Floor heating was among the top 10 features most wanted by homeowners in a 2008 study by Residential Design & Build magazine. Floor heating can be the extra feature that helps close the deal if you’re selling your home in this buyer’s market. Even if you aren’t in the market to sell your home, you can reap the daily benefits of warm floors in your kitchen or bathroom while increasing your property value. Many families congregate in the kitchen, and heated floors keep those gathered comfy and cozy. There’s also nothing like a warm bathroom floor on a chilly autumn morning to start the day off on a positive note…

Make this recession work for you by improving your home and your quality of life.”

Courtesy of: Victoria Hale, the Loyalty Marketing Manager for WarmlyYours, a radiant electric floor heating manufacturer based in Long Grove, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. WarmlyYours has been featured on both HGTV and in the New York Times. For more information, call (800) 875-5285 or visit www.WarmlyYours.com.

Wilmington, NC builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is a proud supporter of our local businesses and encourages our readers to become a Facebook Fan of “Do It Downtown”, a site built to promote historic downtown Wilmington, NC’s events and attractions. Below is more information on Do It Downtown and click here to join their Facebook Fan Page!

Overview: DO IT DOWNTOWN’s Facebook page was started and is hosted by a group of volunteers who are passionate about the huge amount of fun and interesting things there are to DO Downtown: You can DO IT DOWNTOWN at 5 Live Theatres, 5 Cool Museums and 20 Galleries. You can DO IT DOWNTOWN on the Riverwalk, a Cruise or on Fun Tours. And you can DO IT DOWNTOWN at over 100 Unique Shops, 50 Restaurants and 20 Nightclubs. But you can’t DO IT DOWNTOWN at any Chain Stores because there aren’t any!

If you are interested in becoming a Friend of Downtown and helping us get the message out about all the cool things there are to DO Downtown we would love to have you join our efforts! Direct any questions or inquiries on this project to: Perspective Internet Marketing, Lori Lorusso, 
lori@perspectiveim.com.

Mission: To invite you to see downtown Wilmington, NC! Park First Hour FREE in the City Decks!

Products: The place to go for:

• Free Parking 1st hour in City Decks!
• 5 live theaters.
• 5 cool museums.
• 20 galleries
• 100 unique shops.
• Segway tours.
• Riverboat tours.
• 50 restaurants.
• 20 Nightclubs, etc
• ZERO chain stores

New Hanover County, NC new home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes is excited to share our latest home for sale in Wilmington, NC. 632 Southerland Farm Road is situated among the beautiful marshes and hardwood trees in Marsh Landing Place. This stunning new 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home boasts an open floor plan with great room fitted with hardwood floors. The kitchen is well appointed with granite countertops, tile backsplash, and stainless steel appliances. The master suite is on the main floor and has a large walk-in closet, tiled shower, and garden tub. The second floor has two bedrooms, a bathroom, huge walk-in storage, and a large finished 371 square ft bonus room. Click here for the floor plan and visit Buddy Blake’s site for more information on this Wilmington, NC new home. Visit our Inventory Page for more information on other Mark Johnson Custom Homes now available for sale!

Last week Wilmington, NC home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes introduced their readers to the Phoenix Employment Ministry and now encourage those in the area to attend their latest fundraiser, the “I Survived 2009 Party”. This is an event to celebrate surviving with fellow business professionals in one of the toughest years on record! Tickets are $35 and include food, fun, wine, beer and dancing. Purchase your tickets securely online at www.ISurvived2009Guide.com. The party is this Thursday, January 14, 2010 from 6-9pm at the Coastline Conference & Event Center.

On the second Wednesday of each month, Airlie Gardens and their Environmental Educators host the Airlie Gardens’ Bird Hike. Wilmington, NC home remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages those in the area to take advantage of the coastal site on the North Carolina Birding Trail this January 13^th, 2010. Airlie Gardens provides habitat for over 145 species of birds that vary seasonally throughout the year. Water birds such as egrets, herons, kingfishers, cormorants, and ospreys are common. Woodpeckers, buntings, cardinals, chickadees, swallows, bluebirds, and titmice are also found on the grounds. On any given day it’s possible to see more than 30 species of birds while traversing the Gardens! The hikes are free to members, or free with payment of garden admission. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for Children (ages 6-12 years). Birders leave at 8:00am from the Garden Services Center and return at 9:30am. They ask that you please bring your own binoculars if you have any; bird guides will be provided. For more information, visit their website!

Wilmington, NC Green home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to introduce our readers to the latest in Green technology! Green Footstep is an online calculator that helps architects, designers and builders note the carbon emission reduction goals for new construction and remodels. Below is an excerpt from the Custom Homes Online article by Stephani Miller and to read more, click here!

“Green Footstep gives designers the tools to make more informed design decisions by allowing them to estimate a building’s life cycle carbon footprint. The program accounts for a project site’s intrinsic carbon storage and weighs it against the carbon emissions generated by site preparation, construction, and operation of the building. Users can see the areas in which their projects fall short of carbon reduction or energy performance goals and make changes accordingly.

‘Green Footstep allows designers to adjust design targets, such as building energy use intensity and incorporating more renewables, that will get the building out of carbon debt, edging the building closer to carbon neutrality,’ said Michael Bendewald, the Rocky Mountain Institute analyst who developed the calculator in a statement announcing the online tool.

RMI recommends designers, builders, architects, and other users employ Green Footstep for a project as early as the pre-design phase and then test multiple target design changes, as necessary, throughout the design process. Users simply input project information—including location, site characteristics, and building characteristics—and the program generates a carbon emissions building performance report.”

New Hanover County, NC remodeler Mark Johnson Custom Homes is excited to share that the University of North Carolina at Wilmington has been ranked as one of Kiplinger’s “Best Values” among public universities in the nation and one of the top four in North Carolina! Below is the press release from UNCW’s Dana Fischetti and to learn more about UNCW, visit their website!

“Kiplinger’s ranks four-year schools that combine outstanding economic value with top-notch education. For 2010, UNCW is ranked 27th nationally as a ‘best value’ for in-state students and 25th for out-of-state students.

In North Carolina, Kiplinger’s ranks UNCW as the fourth best value in public education for 2010. Kiplinger’s has rated UNCW in the top 5 public universities in the state since 2003. Other UNC institutions that made this year’s rankings were UNC Chapel Hill, NC State and Appalachian State.

Of UNCW’s 15 peer institutions, which are determined by the UNC Board of Governors, 10 appear in the 2010 listing of Kiplinger’s top 100 best values in public colleges. The top four best values among UNCW’s group, comprised of public master’s institutions, are James Madison University, the College of New Jersey, Truman State University and UNCW.

Selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, schools in the Kiplinger 100 were ranked according to academic quality, including admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios and four- and six-year graduation rates, as well as on cost and financial aid. The complete list is available at www.kiplinger.com.

This year, UNCW also has received top rankings from U.S.News & World Report and The Princeton Review. For the twelfth consecutive year, UNCW was named one of the top 10 public master’s universities in the South in the annual college rankings by U.S.News & World Report. U.S.News ranked UNCW sixth in its 2010 edition. UNCW also received the 2010 ‘Best in the Southeast’ designation by The Princeton Review.”