"My two-story suburban home is lacking curb appeal. How can I make my entry look more inviting?" Answer from Ross Sanders Hello Michael, As the tie between the public domain of the street and the private domain of your home, the entryway can make a powerful statement! It plays a big role in the curb appeal of your home, so let’s take a quick look at some design considerations. While your front door is designed to keep the elements out, it can benefit from additional protection such as a simple overhang or porch with a vaulted roof. Although many homes feature entry roofs that are 15’ or higher, low and simple roofs not only provide better protection, they also offer a pleasant entry experien
"In the drawings for my home renovation you show “cement board siding”. What is that, and is it better than wood siding?" Answer from Ross Sanders Dear Mark, Two great questions! Fiber cement siding, or cement board siding, is a variation on a siding product long used in the U.S. It is commonly used in a lap-siding format, which essentially means that the upper panels overhang the lower panels. Lap-siding formats are used as a means for adding weather-resistance to your home by preventing seams; to help you better visualize what I am talking about, I have attached a photograph. Fiber cement siding is usually made of cement as the binder, with ash, sand and cellulose fibers mixed in. In terms
Continuation on last week’s Q&A from Mary - Universal Design Answer from Ross Sanders Last week I received a question from Mary asking about the best options for improving home accessibility for her aging husband who is finding it increasingly difficult to get up and down the stairs. I discussed seat lift systems, which are a relatively inexpensive and efficient way to make multi-level homes navigable. I wanted to use this week’s Q&A as an opportunity to touch on another major trend in accessibility: Universal Design (UD). As you may have guessed from the name, Universal Design is a theory and practice that aims at addressing the question of access for all users regardless of size, mobility,
