Lawn Maintenance Spring & Fall Cleanup

Bush & Hedge Trimming Brick Walkways Retaining Walls

Ground Cover - Rock, Mulch, etc. Planter Boxes

Flowers New Lawn Installation - Seed or Sod

New Lawn Sprinkler system installation, repair and start-up

Landscape Design & Installation Pressure Washer Services - Patios, Decks,

Homes, etc.

Commercial or Residential Licensed & Insured

(219) 874-CUTS (2887)

ABC LAWNCAREAND LANDSCAPING

219-874-CUTS (2887)

ABC LAWNCAREAND LANDSCAPING

219-874-CUTS (2887)

www.terrysdiscountwindows.com

FAMILY OWNED& OPERATED

LICENSED - BONDED - INSURED

“Personalized Service, with a highly Knowledgeable andFriendly Staff that strives for 100% Customer Satisfaction”

Your Superior Exterior Home Professional

(837797)(837797)866-4-TERRYS866-4-TERRYS219-476-0400219-476-0400

OR

Visit our SHOWROOMS: 2 Locations to Serve You3125 Morthland Dr. (US Hwy 30) Valparaiso. 1/2 mile West of Wiseway.5 W. Ash St (US Hwy 12) Three Oaks, Michigan, Across From Speedway

SPECIALIZING IN WINDOWS, SIDING, ROOFING,DOORS & BLOWN IN ATTIC INSULATION

ASK ABOUT OUR $1500.00 FREEGOVERNMENT MONEY TO HELPPAY FOR YOUR ENERGY STAR

PRODUCTS.

A Name You Can Trust

FREE IN HOME ESTIMATES - EPA CERTIFIEDSENIOR CITIZEN & MILITARY DISCOUNTS

A+ RATING

ASK ABOUTOUR INTRODUCTORY

OFFERFIRST 10 CUSTOMERS

FACTORYDIRECT

PRICING

3152

219-476-0400219-476-0400

HUGE Spring Sale in progress!!!

We’ll Come To You.

St. Joseph 269-468-4551

Our freein-home

consultationwill make

decoratingyour windowsfun and easy.

he urban barn door is sliding into the home

front.Demand for these mov-

able monoliths has grown in recent years as homeowners, including condo dwell-ers and suburbanites, are looking for solutions with character.

Besides their industrial-chic style — a product of the lofting of America — the sliding doors and hardware serve useful purposes. An everyday hinged door takes up 9 square feet, eating up precious floor space in a hallway or square-foot-crunched condo, points out Jeremy Crowder, vice president of KNC, a third-generation door hardware business in Canada.

“Not only are sliding doors efficient for the ho-meowner, they’re good for condo developers,” Crowder says.

However, extra wall space is required to the left or right of an urban barn door to accommodate its large size. Ideally, the door should be at least 6 inches wider than the opening. Still, it’s more effi-cient than a 36-inch swing-ing door or sets of them.

Hardware is often the priciest part of the indoor sliders, usually starting at about $1,000. A few months ago, KNC introduced the Crowder Round Track, ex-posed European-style stain-less steel with nylon wheels at the top. A barely visible guide-block in the floor helps keep the door on track. All it takes is two fingers to silently and smoothly glide 400 pounds of wood, metal, glass or other material. The hardware is shock-absorbing to keep a residential door from sounding like an authentic hay-holding barn door.

“If you’re entertaining, you want people to remem-ber the party and not the rickety door,” says furniture

and product designer Joe Munson of Leawood, Kan., who has created large-scale sliding doors for local clients and others in New York.

Lee Norman of Kansas City, Mo., recently bought the neighboring unit to his River Market condo. The wall between the two loft spaces was removed. Nor-man wanted the space to be open sometimes, closed others.

“’Shut’ is important,” says Norman, chief medical offi-cer at the University of Kan-sas Hospital. His 28-year-old son, Alex, an architectural designer for solar energy systems, relocated from Southern California to Kan-sas City and is temporarily living with him. Norman wants him to have privacy. “But he knows they’re both my sides.”

Munson made two 8-foot-square sliding metal doors for clients in a Crossroads Arts District loft: They’re

barriers to the bathrooms.The core of each is made

of tubular aluminum and medium-density fiberboard. A 1/8-inch layer of poly-vinyl chloride foam board acts as backing for artwork. The large-scale digital art-works are printed onto vinyl wallpaper, the same type that’s used to put advertise-ments on freight trucks. One door leads to a guest bathroom, the other to the master bath.

“They’re interactive room dividers,” Munson says. Each of the doors weighs 400 pounds. They don’t lock. The doors are typically open, so if they’re closed, guests know the rooms are occupied.

“People are becoming savvier to the possibilities of incorporating creative elements to their homes,” Munson says. “These types of sliding doors are one of those possibilities.”

— McClatchy Newspapers

spring Home improvementC6 The News-Dispatch and Harbor Country News Thursday, March 17, 2011

Rural meets urban: Barn doors slide inside

Dave’s favesFrom page C5Aspect Peel and Stick Metal Wall TileCreate a designer kitchen “look” quickly, easily and affordably with new Aspect peel-and-stick 3-inch by 6-inch metal tiles. Offered in three popular brushed finishes (stainless, copper, and bronze) for dramatic and dazzling accents, whether a gleaming over-the-counter backsplash or an entire luxurious floor-to-ceiling wall. Aspect tiles adhere to any sub-surface (drywall, plaster, paneling, and old tiles) and are offered with horizontal or vertical graining. Gives kitchens and baths a fresh, new look. Box of eight tiles covers 1-square-foot and costs about $20. The only limitation is your imagination. Available at some Lowe’s stores or order online at www.aspec-tideas.com.

Telezapper / Blocks Telemarketer CallsGet rid of annoying telemarketer calls once and for all. This nifty little device plugs into your phone cord and only intercepts computer-generated calls — indicating this number is disconnected — which automatically takes you off their list. Over time, calls dwindle until you are practically telemarketer-free. Other incoming calls are not affected. When first introduced, millions were sold. Ever since, this product has been “flying under the radar.” However, the original and an updated model can both still be found at www.amazon.com and via online search en-gines at prices ranging from $40 to $10. It’s worth the effort — I wouldn’t part with mine. Additional info at www.telezapper.com.

Liquid Stainless Steel Brush-on Paint KitWant to give your dingy, old kitchen appliances a gleaming stainless steel finish? Award-winning Liquid Stainless Steel is the world’s first brush-on/roll-on “real stainless steel” finish designed to give older stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers a new lease on life. Complete kits are easy to use and up-date an average size refrigerator for $49 or a range and dishwasher combo for only $19.95. Works great on cabinets, table tops and in many other places too. If it would look good in stainless — now you can do it. Available at paint and hardware stores nationwide. Order online at www.liquidstain-lesssteel.com or call 1-800-650-5699.

Schlage Keyless Entry Locks and Wireless LiNK OptionTired of fumbling with keys? Reluctant to offer extras to visiting guests and service providers? Schlage electronic keypad entry locks and dead-bolts — using four-digit access codes — are now both practical and affordable, offered in the $120 to $150 range. Company also offers Schlage LiNK, the first and only DIY wireless system allowing 24/7 remote control for keypad locks and other home management functions via the Internet. Lock or unlock doors from anywhere, add/remove access codes and control lights. Options include adjustable thermostat ($149) and cameras ($149 wired/$179 wireless) to see who is coming and going. Schlage LiNK Starter Kit ($299) offers choice of keypad lock (deadbolt or lever-handle) and everything needed to set-up a Z-Wave wireless system. Monthly subscrip-tion $12.99. Available at Lowe’s, Radio Shack, and www.amazon.com, or visit www.consumer.schlage.com for retailers.

Evoba Modular Wood Ceiling SystemTurn any room into a stunning showplace with the architectural impact of a rich “coffered” wood ceil-ing. Prefabricated Evoba system (that’s “Above” spelled backwards), offers the warmth and beauty of real wood without the cost of custom millwork. Pre-engineered main beams and cross-tee grid com-ponents surround 2-foot square, beautifully finished, recessed panels and offer easy installation. Avail-able as a suspension or surface mount system, in a variety of wood species and finishes, at $12 to $30 per square foot. It’s affordable-chic that rivals the elegance of any Euro-mansion or lavish boardroom. Available at www.acpideas.com.

There you have it. Great peel-and-stick innova-tions, dynamic new paint concepts, valuable entry door/security solutions, a cool new lighting option, affordable designer treatments for ceilings, several easy ways to save water with new green technology, sexy new surface materials, and a classic phone zapper that gives telemarketers the boot. Hope you found something you like, and maybe a little motiva-tion too.

Dave Albin has been a general contractor / inte-rior and exterior designer / space planner for over 25 years. Write to him at ALBIN720@AOL.COM.

T

Urban barn doors are becoming more popular in homes across the country. Photos: McClatchy Newspapers.

USES: ROOM BY ROOM

• In the hallway for laundry/ utility rooms and storage closets

• In the kitchen, to seal off pantry space or screen appliances

• Between living/dining room and home offices and bedrooms

CONSIDERATIONS:• Adequate hardware is

key. You don’t want heavy doors to bow out. Also, you want quiet openings and closings.

• Ordering hardware requires patience. Typical shipping times are 6 to 8 weeks to accommodate custom dimensions.

• Lock it up. Most urban barn doors don’t lock — since they’re interior sliding doors — but they can. You need to know whether you want a lock before making the door and ordering the hardware. Commercial-grade magnet-ic locks would suit modern-looking doors. Latch-style locks would complement rustic-barn hardware.

• Measure once, then twice. Make sure your contractor has correct measurements and a method to get the door in-side your home. The door should be a minimum of 6 inches more than the opening, so wall space free of furniture to the left or right is required.

• Call in safety rein-forcements. The doors can weigh hundreds of pounds, so they can’t be hung from the wall without a good framework. Usually this means a contractor will have to cut into your drywall and add wooden blocking to the studs. Stops on the wall-mount-ed hardware should be installed before hanging the door. A discreet guide bar in the floor helps keep the door on track. If the door is set correctly, there shouldn’t be any finger-pinching issues.

RESOURCESBarnDoorHardware.comBartelsDoors.comKNC, hardware, www.

kncrowder.comLucid Arts, 816-569-

1071, www.lucidarts.netRaydoor.comRealCarriageDoors.comRusticHardware.compacificmutualdoor.com