Duinkerken Homes Newsletter

March 2012 www.duinkerkenhomes.com

In This Issue
Fire Safety Decomposing Deck Dangers Pruning Fruit Trees Women Build 2012: Volunteers Still Needed! Useless Information Quiz 2012 NC Building Codes Contractor of the Year! 2012 Home and Garden Expo

Fire Safety
In the last two weeks, I have been to four houses without their smoke detectors hooked up. We are talking about the houses of well-educated people with children (you know who you are). I also always find it interesting that the installation of highfunctioning, life-saving smoke detectors is one of the first things to be cut from the electrical installation budget on remodels or new home construction. So, I felt like a quick review of the NC regulations/standards from the NC Office of the State Fire Marshall might be beneficial so that we can all rest easy knowing the exact guidelines set forth for our safety, the safety of our children, and the safety of those visiting our homes Since 1999 newly constructed one and two family homes, apartments, condominiums and townhomes are required to have a minimum of one 110 volt hard-wired, battery backup smoke detector installed in each sleeping room, outside each sleeping room and on all habitable floor levels. One and two family dwellings, apartments, condominiums and townhomes constructed from 1975-1998 are required to have a minimum of one 110 volt hard-wired smoke detector installed outside of each sleeping room(s) and on all habitable floor levels. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Many fatal fires begin late at night or in the early morning. For extra safety, install smoke alarms both inside and outside sleeping areas. Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible. Always follow the manufacturers installation instructions. If your smoke alarms are hard wired, that is wired into the electrical system, you will need to have a qualified electrician do

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Duinkerken Homes 10 Lakeview Lane Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-2728 828-450-9395 Brandon 828-450-5690 Kate Dhomes@charter.net Visit us online! www.duinkerkenhomes.com

the initial installation or install replacements. For battery powered smoke alarms, all you will need for installation is a screw driver. Some brands are self adhesive and will easily stick to the wall or ceiling where they are placed. For all smoke alarm installations, be sure you follow the manufacturers instructions because there are differences between the various brands. If you are uncomfortable standing on a ladder, ask a relative or friend for help. Some fire departments will install a smoke alarm in your home for you. Call your local fire department (on a non-emergency telephone number) if you have problems installing a smoke alarm. Some smoke alarms are considered to be hard-wired. This means they are connected to the household electrical system and may or may not have battery backup. Its important to test every smoke alarm monthly and replace the batteries with new ones at least once a year. For more information on fire safety, please contact your local fire department or contact our electrician, Chris Smith with Alpha Electric at 828-713-3212.

Decomposing Deck Dangers

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Duinkerken Homes 10 Lakeview Lane Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-2728 828-450-9395 Brandon 828-450-5690 Kate Dhomes@charter.net

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Be warned! If the brackets and fasteners holding your deck together are as corroded as this one, your backyard paradise is in serious danger of turning into a pile of tinder sticks. Water and weather can take a toll on metal fasteners and joist hangers. Even treated decking lumber can react negatively with them, leading to corrosion andworst-case scenario failure. Between 2000 and 2008, about 30 people were killed in deck collapses. So it's important to inspect yours regularly, and replace corroded metal hardware with stainless steel or hotdipped galvanized fasteners and joist hangers. They're more rust-resistant and neither will react negatively with the copper in treated woods. Doing so will give you peace of mind...Have questions about your deck? Please call Brandon and he will come over for an inspection and help you decide what is the safest decision for your family!
Reprinted from: 10 Ways Your House Can Kill You By: KEITH PANDOLFI, This Old House online

Pruning Fruit Trees

Although pruning fruit trees may seem intimidating, it is important that fruit trees be pruned every year. Proper pruning is important to developing a strong structure and maintaining good production. Training must be started as soon as the trees are planted. Developing good branch structure and selecting the strongest branches can only be accomplished by training each year for the first few years. If you wait 3 or 4 years, you are already stuck with the branch arrangement and angles you have. The best time to prune fruit trees in Western North Carolina is March. If necessary, mature apple trees can be pruned in January or February, but it

is important not to prune young trees or peach trees too early. Why do we train and prune fruit trees? 1. To keep the canopy open so sunlight can enter and air can circulate. The sunlight is necessary to develop fruit buds in the interior of the tree and to ripen fruit. Air circulation is important for disease management. 2. To select strong branches that are not too close together. A well trained tree will be less prone to branch breakage under a heavy fruit load. 3. To keep the tree to a manageable size for spraying and harvesting. For more information on pruning fruit trees, download this leaflet on Training and Pruning Fruit Trees or pick it up at the Cooperative Extension office. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag29.html

Central leader system for apples and pears

Contact Us Duinkerken Homes 10 Lakeview Lane Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-2728 828-450-9395 Brandon 828-450-5690 Kate Dhomes@charter.net

Open center system for peaches

Reprinted with permission from the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Office

Women Build 2012: Volunteers Still Needed!

The AHBA is proud to be hosting an entire week to help with the 2012 Habitat for Humanity Women Build program! Women Build brings together women from all walks of life to address the housing crisis facing millions of women and children worldwide. Women Build events have helped to construct more than 1,900 houses, seven in the Asheville area alone. This years Asheville recipient is Rhonda Chapman and her three children. Rhonda has worked tirelessly throughout the application process to qualify for a Habitat home. Having been raised in public housing and then a renter of an apartment in the same community, Rhonda decided she wanted to make a change. Setting a long term goal of homeownership, she returned to school while she continued to work full time. After graduation, Rhonda began working as a case manager in the child support system, and applied for Habitat. Upon being notified of her approval, Rhonda exclaimed, Oh, thank you so much. I cant wait to start working! Please join the women in our community to help Rhonda build a home for her family and achieve her long term goal of

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being a homeowner in the Shiloh community. The AHBA has signed up for the most critical week in this process at Habitat: framing week. If you dont have any construction skills, dont worry! Many women come to Women Build sites with no construction skills at all and still make a great impact. Training is provided. ***I still have AHBA volunteer times available on Tuesday, March 20th and Saturday, March 24th, with a mandatory site time from 83:30. Please contact Kate Duinkerken directly at 828-450-5690.

Useless Information Quiz!

The first person to answer the Useless Information Quiz will win a $5 gift card to Subway! I realize with the easy access to technology, the Useless Information Quiz answer might be found without much effort! So, we ask that you PLEASE do not to Google the question! Send your reply and address to dhomes@charter.net! Again, the first person to correctly answer the quiz will get a $5 gift card to Subway!
Contact Us Duinkerken Homes 10 Lakeview Lane Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-2728 828-450-9395 Brandon 828-450-5690 Kate Dhomes@charter.net

A dry March and wet May fill barns and bays with ______________? We will announce the winner on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

2012 NC Building Codes

Many of our customers are heavily involved in the building and planning process of their home or remodel. We will be attending a seminar in March on the updated NC Building Codes, but for those of you interested in looking at them yourself, they are available as of March 1st by clicking HERE.

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Contractor of the Year!

I got an email projecting the Contractor of the Year award and the following were the nominees:

Contact Us Duinkerken Homes 10 Lakeview Lane Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-2728 828-450-9395 Brandon 828-450-5690 Kate Dhomes@charter.net

I hope you enjoyed those as much as we did and as always, we are thankful for your business!

2012 Home and Garden Expo

Join us for the 2011 Home & Garden Expo at the WNC Ag Center, April 21 & 22, where not only are we having a booth, but we are proud to be sponsors!!! The Asheville Home Builders Association, your homebuilding resource since 1966, is proud to present the 3rd Annual Home & Garden Expo specifically targeting your homebuilding needs! Imagine a single level facility, over 45,000 square feet filled with products for building, remodeling, gardening, and the knowledge and service from professionals who specialize in these fields? The 2012 Home & Garden Expo offers that conveniently all under one roof! You can rest assured that time spent at this expo will leave you inspired and educated on the newest products, latest homebuilding trends, services and much more! You wont want to miss this years expo in the brand new Davis Arenaalso featuring over 5,000 square feet of garden products, services and plants for salejust in time for your spring landscaping! This years exciting event will feature Celebrity Guest Josh Temple from

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the DIY Network, host of House Crashers and Disaster House. Make plans to visit with Josh and see his live stage demonstrations from 10am until 6pm on Saturday, April 22! Come out and support our local building community and stop by to see our booth!! We had an absolute riot last year and will have lots of fun things to give away Duinkerken Homes pencils, magnets, and t-shirts, along with a big ticket item to raffle. Mark your calendars and we look forward to sharing this awesome weekend with you!

Contact Us Duinkerken Homes 10 Lakeview Lane Weaverville, NC 28787 828-645-2728 828-450-9395 Brandon 828-450-5690 Kate Dhomes@charter.net

Visit us online! www.duinkerkenhomes.com