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With the large ‘range’ of options available, it can be overwhelming to narrow the field to choosing between gas or electric, and furthermore, deciding on a model. Many people have strong opinions and swear by one or the other. In reality, they will both get the job done and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Before You Shop for your Gas or Electric Range

1. Measure Up!
Check the dimensions of the range you’re interested in to help ensure a proper fit. Look for installation instructions on each range for those dimensions.

2. Are you a Multi-task Cook?
For most people, a cooktop with four burners will work fine. If you love to cook, have a large family or entertain often, you may want the professional appearance and flexibility of five or more burners? Just a thought.

3. It’s Getting Hot in Here.
Think about finding a cooktop with a power burner to quickly bring foods to a boil. Or, try a simmer burner to prepare light sauces using low and even heat. If you use basic pots and pans, a dual-element burner is perfect for controlled simmering with small pans, and then you can use the outer ring for larger pans.

4. Cabinet Space?
Ranges can be freestanding, slide-in or drop-in. Freestanding is best if either side isn’t next to a cabinet, whereas a slide-in is best if it’s between two cabinets.

5. Top Chef or Heat and Eat?
Home chefs should look for high performance and precision features. Many prefer the performance of gas or the precision of induction. For the everyday cook, convenience and flexibility may be more important. Consider a smooth-top radiant cooktop for easy-to-clean functionality.

A Deeper Look

A major consideration for anyone purchasing a new kitchen range is cost. Overall, electric ranges are less expensive to manufacture making them less expensive to purchase. Cost will also be significantly less if your kitchen is pre-wired for an electric range. It can become costly if you have to have a gas line run into an existing property.

Electric Ranges

Pros:

• Less expensive to buy and install.
• Easier to clean burners and surfaces.
• Smooth-top electric ranges are more stable for pots and offer additional counter or storage space when not in use.
• Instantly turns on and off every time with the twist of a knob versus gas ranges that may sputter to catch a flame, emitting un-burned and potentially hazardous gas. No igniter or lighter necessary.
• More functions, such as additional fans and grillers, are available than their gas counterparts.
• More even heat distribution when baking.
• Dry heat for optimal oven roasting conditions.

Cons:

• Slower to cool when a burner is turned down or off.
• Subject to power outages.

Gas Ranges

Pros:

• More even stove top heat for cooking.
• Easy to gauge and precisely adjust the level of heat by altering the flame.
• Gas is inexpensive, abundantly available and clean burning.
• Gas ranges are less expensive to operate than electric ranges.
• The heat from a gas flame heats the sides, as well as the bottom, of pans, cooking food faster.
• Able to change temperature rapidly. You can immediately remove the heat when the flame is turned off, so you can still leave food on the stove to rest without continuing to cook.
• Less ambient heat to the rest of the kitchen.

Cons:

• More expensive to buy and install.
• More dangerous. Increased potential for gas leaks, the leading cause of residential fires. If a gas line is damaged or a pot boils over and quenches the flame, a home can quickly fill with toxic, flammable gas. Children or pets are also at greater risk to be burned or catch fire with an open flame.
• Diminished Baking Results. Oven temps are hotter at the top so baking requires rotation and placement farther from heat source. Gas gives off moisture when cooking, creating a humid heat rather than the dry heat required for effective roasting.

References: www.lowes.com and electric-range-review.toptenreviews.com

For questions contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Watch Jeff Satterwhite explain what a driveway made of pavers is and the different options you have when building a paver driveway.

Paver Driveways

There are several different materials you can build a driveway with. For example, there is normal concrete like the curb, asphalt like what is in the street, then there are pavers.

The driveway in the video is a masonry paver product. The color is charcoal with a red tone. – Pavers come in different sizes and color varieties.

This particular paver has a blend of charcoal material, red burgundy material and a blend of yellow. There is a multitude of different styles and sizes between stone configurations – you can have a basket weave, Flemish bond, straight pattern – tons of different patterns to choose from. The driveway in the video is bordered with a charcoal blend. It has a nice yellow and charcoal grey color and the body of the driveway is a red blend with some charcoal color.

The base of the paver driveway is 8 inches of crushed, compacted granite – it is made of a combination of stone, sand and granite, blended together into a solid base before they are hand installed. There is a fine sand that goes between the cracks that keeps it from washing. No concrete and no bonding or mortar material keep them together and each brick is hand laid.

There are star and circle medallions in this particular driveway. There are a lot of different styles of insets that can be added to the driveways.

See other Centerline Construction Chat Videos

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

If you haven’t seen the July 4th Celebration in Southport, NC you are missing out! The patriotic spirit of America is alive and well in the City of Southport. For over 200 years this small maritime community has celebrated our nation’s independence in a big way. The celebration has grown from colonial times when ships lay anchor in her harbor shot their cannons to today’s festival where 40,000 to 50,000 people come each year to bathe in the richness of spirit commemorating Old Glory. Incorporated as the N.C. 4th of July Festival in 1972 the festival committee strives to keep the focus of the festival on honoring our nation’s birthday with a little fun thrown in.

You have to check out the excitement for yourself.
Fun for all ages!

Click Here to view the official website for more information

Click Here to view the list of events this year

For questions contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Learn about the Irrigation System and the Backflow Preventer from Jeff Satterwhite. In this video, he shows you all the different parts of an Irrigation system, why they’re necessary and how they work. Read details from the video below the video.

Backflow Preventer – Once water has passed through this system, the Backflow Preventer stops water from flowing back from irrigation lines into city drinking water

In this particular area of NC irrigation and drinking water comes from the same source – so in the case that the main line is cut somewhere down the stream the valve creates a siphoning effect that prevents the water  that has been in the yard or the yard lines from getting into the drinking system.

An Insulted box must go over the backflow preventer because it will freeze in the winter. Another option would be to remove (shut off) the Backflow Preventer during the colder times of year when freezing can take place.

The cost of a Backflow Preventer is around $300-400 (which is why you want to protect it during freezing temperatures)and it requires installation by someone certified. The Backflow Preventer must be inspected every year by certified inspector to make sure it is working properly.

The control valve – There are a multitude of control valves we use – we mainly use Rain Bird and Orbit. A timer can be set up in a wide variety of programs such as multiple time zones, multiple areas of sprinkling and multiple times of day. This would be for the purpose of going on vacation or hotter/colder times of year.

A dedicated line runs back to the panel so it wouldn’t get tripped off in case there is some other type of GFI trip in the house it won’t cut off irrigation.

Control valves in the box will open when you change settings. You can do a manual start and use them immediately. Spray heads are typically underground and will rise during use. This one (in the video) is a mister head – there are a variety of different heads – such as 180, 90, 360 degree heads and also heads that oscillate back and forth.

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

To watch other Centerline Construction Chat tutorials, click here
To see other videos from Jeff Satterwhite, click here

join us Saturday May 26th — 10am-5pm, for the St. James Plantation Memorial Day Open House Weekend.  Centerline Development is showing three new and exciting models during the event.

Jeff will be available from 10am to 5pm in the 3732 Selwyn Circle house, so please stop by to view this outstanding new home.

Directions and Homes:

3609 Gleneagle Drive in the Members Club – Directions:  St. James Drive, Right on Sanderling Drive, Right to stay on Sanderling Drive, Left on Gleneagle Drive

3054 Baycrest Drive in the Reserve – Directions:  St. James Drive, right on Ridge Crest Drive, Left of Wyndmere Drive, Right on Bridgewater Drive, Left on Baycrest Drive, First house on left side of street.

3732 Selwyn Circle in the Reserve – Directions:  St. James Main Gate, St. James Drive,  Right on Ridge Crest Drive, Left on Wyndmere Drive, Right on Selwyn Circle – last house on right

Come out and enjoy all the activities that will be taking place in the plantation to celebrate Memorial Day weekend including Mike Garage Band playing at the amphitheater on Saturday May 26th, 2012.

See Event Details on the St. James Plantation website.

For questions or more information on the event, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Watch Jeff Satterwhite in the video below explain the different types of stone that are used in building and how they are used. See the text version below.

Simulated stone

2 types: Flat Stone – for flat wall, and Corner

Several manufacturers’ make the stone. – Eldorado is who makes the stone shown in the video (Owen’s Corning is a company which produces Cultured Stone)

The stone comes in a variety of different colors and styles and is made of a light weight concrete which is created in a mold. Some varieties include Ledger Stone, Field Stone and River Stone.

2 areas stone can be applied to: Masonry wall or Wood wall.

If applied to a Foundation or Masonry wall, a cement coating is put on, let to dry, then another cement coating is applied the back of the stone or to the wall, where it will be stuck to the Masonry wall.

The Corner Stones are done the same way but they go around corners, they’re put in like a puzzle on the wall or foundation.

On the Wood wall, a moisture barrier (like hydro stop) is attached to the wood wall, and a lath is used, which is nailed over moisture barrier. A base coat is then put on to dry. You apply these the same way you would on Masonry wall – Cement material is put on the back of stone with a scratch coat.

These particular stones are only good for vertical surfaces.

If you are using stones in a horizontal area, like stair treads or a porch, you would need to use a natural stone like Pennsylvania Blue Stone because the other products are not durable enough for foot traffic.

Click Here for other Centerline Construction Chat Videos

For more information or questions, go to:
www.gocenterline.com
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

LED Lighting for your Brunswick County Home

How do they work?
The light-emitting diode (LED) bulb uses a semiconductor as its light source, and is currently one of the most energy-efficient and quickly developing types of bulbs for lighting your home. LEDs are recently being purchased to replace incandescent and other types of bulbs. LEDs are relatively more expensive than other types of bulbs, but are in the long-run end up being more cost-effective because they use only a fraction of the electricity of traditional lighting methods and can last far longer.

Cost: Saving Money and Energy
Many researchers and manufacturers are currently working hard to develop new and better LEDs for consumer use, and consumer prices are falling as the market grows. LEDs for the home are available in many different varieties, ranging from recessed fixtures, track lights, and traditionally shaped bulbs that can be used to replace incandescent bulbs in lamps and fixtures.

A large percentage of the energy that goes into a standard 40 Watt bulb is wasted as heat which is not good for conserving electricity and saving money. LED light bulbs generate relatively little heat as they glow, instead transferring more of their energy directly into light.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that rapid adoption of LED lighting over the next 20 years in the United States could save about $265 billion in energy costs and replace the construction of 40 new power plants.

Ceiling Cans
Ceiling cans (or recessed lighting) have become one of the most common styles of lighting for homes in the U.S. They are typically installed in groups simply for symmetry. Ceiling cans are an ideal place for LED light bulbs.

Other options for LED Lighting: Reading Lamps, Art Lighting, Night Lights, Outdoor Lighting, Children’s rooms: the Color Changing Party Light Bulb is particularly popular with children. It is a fun light that changes from red to blue to green at a gentle pace.

More about LED lighting
An LED light bulb can last you up to 50,000 hours. That averages out to 6 hours of light per day for 22 years. Some LED light bulbs are so energy efficient that, depending on how often you use them, they can pay for themselves in just over a year.

The best way to conserve energy is to use less of it. Most LED light bulbs are directional — which means they generally put the light out off the top of the bulb and away from the base. Incandescent bulbs, on the other hand, throw their light all over the place including toward the base — wasting electricity and generating heat. LED light bulbs run relatively cool, so they’re safer to use than fragile, burning hot halogen and incandescent bulbs. LEDs turn on instantly — a welcome difference to CFLs. LEDs do not use mercury like CFLs — so disposal concerns aren’t the same.

For more information on LED lighting for your home or any construction questions,
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com
or go to www.gocenterline.com

Watch the Video below to help understand what type of parts are involved and what process goes into building the stairs in your home.

Stairs – What is involved?

Parts – Post, Tread (on side), Nosing – top of the stair that goes onto landing, Cove Molding, Baluster, Riser

Stairs can be one of the most difficult parts of the house to construct properly and make look good, so choose your carpenter wisely.

The nosing is the top piece and is normally 5 inches wide, and tread is normally anywhere from 10-12 inches wide depending on the travel of the stair. We use red oak on the tread and paint the riser white or according to trim color.

The distance of travel up the stairs can vary ¾ of an inch so it is very close on the code because it’s a trip hazard if it the treads are too far or too close together.

The post – balusters (or pickets as they’re sometimes called) are drilled into the treads and placed with no more than 4 inches of gap between it and the post, or between baluster and baluster – the reason is that small child can fit their head through a space that size if they’re too far apart.

There are many choices in balusters – there are painted balusters, iron, or ornate wood and aluminum balusters. The handrail is usually an oak product or some type of painted product that matches the stairs.

For more information or questions, go to:
www.gocenterline.com
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

The concept of the tankless hot water heater is on the rise due to the numerous benefits involved. Check out the reasons below why you might want to think about going for the Tankless opportunity as opposed to Traditional Hot Water Heaters..

Hot Water For Everyone
A tank water heater can only supply enough hot water to fill a bath tub and may have enough hot water left for a quick shower. With the tankless water heater you get endless hot water. Tankless water heaters heat water on demand, which means never having to worry about running out of hot water.

Hot Water For Any Size Home
Not only can a tankless water heater provide an endless supply of hot water, it can also deliver more of it for all your hot water needs.

Flexible Installation Options
One of the most obvious differences from traditional water heaters to the tankless water heater is its small size. Compact in design, tankless water heaters can be installed virtually anywhere; they can mount on a wall, and be inside or outside as well.

If you want ultra-fast hot water delivery, you can actually relocate the tankless heater closer to the fixtures you use most often. Therefore, a tankless heater not only saves you space, but can also save you water. Relocating a big, bulky tank to a location that makes more sense would definitely be a challenge.

Lower Water Heating Bills and Going Green
With a tankless water heater, you’ll save energy and therefore money. These systems can save about half the cost of your current water heating bill since there is no re-heating of water as with traditional water heaters. Compared to a tank water heater’s 60% efficiency, an 83%-94% energy-efficiency levels make tankless water heaters much more eco-friendly.

No More Dirty Tanks
With a tankless water heater, water is heated as it passes through the unit so you’re always using a fresh supply of water. As the years pass by, traditional tank water heaters start to rust and build-up scale inside the tank, which is where your hot water is stored for use. This is no longer a concern with the tankless water heaters.

For more information on Tankless Hot Water Heaters, check out the world’s most advanced manufacturers of the product, Noritz

Visit them online at www.noritz.com

For more information or questions, go to:
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Watch the following video to learn about Interior Trim – what it is made of, the different types, tools used to install it and more! See text version below.

Interior Trim

Interior Trim can be casing – which goes around doors and windows, baseboard – which goes around the bottom of the floor, and crown molding – which goes around the top of trey ceilings and the top of the wall, joining the wall to the ceiling.

There are a lot of options in selection of interior trim, whether your style is a contemporary, traditional, coastal or cottage – the combination of baseboard and casing creates trim that fits the style of your home. If it was a Coastal home, you would want to make sure to pick out trim that matches that style.

In the mantle shown in the video, a Poplar material, which is fluted board with an MDF material creates the beautiful outline. We build all of our custom mantles and custom bookcases, using MDF material which is a medium density fiber board and is faced with a clear Poplar. We will be building doors on this particular bookcase around the fireplace, which will create a very nice finished, custom product.

Tools of the trade – include cordless drills, air staplers and air gun nails, mini routers to put edges on particular boards and bookcases, sanders, and different types of jigsaws.

There is a lot of variety with interior trim, so choose your builder and your trim wisely, after all, it is what makes the whole package come together nicely.

For more information or questions, go to:
www.gocenterline.com
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com