PORT TOWNSEND — An exhibition of local options, rather than national vendors, is what makes Saturday’s Home & Garden Show a special event, its organizers say.
“There have been a lot of home shows here that have been so large and have included outside advertisers,” said Jefferson County Home Builders Association Director Liz Coker.
“We wanted this event to be locally oriented, with presentations from local businesses about options for home building and renovations.”
The Home & Garden 2013 Expo, which is free and open to the public, is set from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
Coker said the event will teach people how to retrofit their homes for the long haul, adding that it is no longer common, especially in Jefferson County, for people to live in their homes for 10 years and then move on.
“We want to show people how to change their home for the better,” Coker said.
“We want them to see how they can put on a roof they will never have to fix, have an irrigation system they can operate without having to bend down and have everything in place so they could live for many years in the same house.”
As people age, their needs change, Coker said, pointing out that sometimes, lower cabinets must be installed so as to be accessible to those in wheelchairs.
Reusing materials
Recycling can be used both in the construction and demolition of a home, Coker said.
As an example, she told of Rich Stapf taking down a house on the corner of Lawrence and Quincy streets.
Instead of throwing away the materials, he made them available to any takers, who were then able to use them in new construction and renovation.
“This is a new way of doing things,” Coker said.
“Instead of just bulldozing an old house and taking the materials to the dump, you can reuse everything, like the bricks, the beams and the gutters,” she added.
“It cuts the contractor’s dumping fees, and he doesn’t have to haul away the material or put it in a landfill where it will take up space.”
Presentations
While vendors will be available throughout the event to answer questions, there will be scheduled presentations every 30, minutes including:
■ 10 a.m. — “Aging in Place/Universal Design,” Ann Raab and Kevin Coker.
■ 10:30 a.m. — “Rain Gardens,” Darcy McNamara of Washington State University.
■ 11 a.m. — “Home Energy Trends,” Hans Frederickson, Frederickson Electric.
■ 11:30 a.m. — “Roof Care 101,” Jordan Eades, Hope Roofing and Construction.
■ Noon — “Spin the Meter Backwards: Solar PV on Your New Jefferson PUD,” Andy Cochrane, Power Trip Energy.
■ 12:30 p.m. — “Community Garden,” Judith Alexander, Local 20/20.
■ 1 p.m. — “Low Impact Development,” Kevin Coker, Coker Design Works.
■ 1:30 p.m. — “Alternative Building Systems,” Randy Welle, Blue Heron Construction.
■ 2 p.m. — “Crops in Pots,” Mike McFadden, Master Gardener.
■ 2:30 p.m. — “Hydroseeding and Irrigation Systems,” Stephen Serafin, Quality Landscapes.
■ 3 p.m. — “Building a Butterfly Garden,” Jacklyn Lovato-Kraut, Hadlock Building Supply.
■ 3:30 p.m. — “Demolition Without Dumping: Recycling Your Old House,” Jefferson County Home Builders Association.
For more information, visit www.jeffcohomebuilders.com, phone 360-821-9688 or email jchba@live.com.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
