PORT TOWNSEND — Saturday’s Jefferson County Home & Garden Show is a place where attendees can plan a strategy to maintain their most important investment, organizers say.
“Your home is the biggest investment you will ever make,” said Lizanne Coker, director of the Jefferson County Home Builders Association, which sponsors the annual show.
“If you maintain your home, it will keep its value and make it easier to sell.
“If you let things go, it can lose its value completely.”
One example is the roof, Coker said. If it falls into disrepair, a leak can destroy a house in a matter of years.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
With this in mind, the show, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Mountain View Commons, 1919 Blaine St., offers a place where homeowners can mix with about 30 vendors who can provide advice about how to maintain, upgrade or build a comfortable living space.
Admission is free.
“We live in a hectic society, so we need to be able to go home and decompress in a comfortable space,” Coker said.
“We want to give people access to the materials, the colors and the opportunity to turn their home into an ideal world, a place where they can relax and enjoy themselves.”
Region specific topics
Several topics are universal. Location is irrelevant for those who want to increase energy efficiency or make the best use of limited space, but there are certain concerns that are specific to this area.
“The saltwater climate provides a challenge,” Coker said.
“Rain is an issue, moss is an issue, and all our roofers stay busy.
“Having a sound septic and drainage system can also be essential,” she said.
“You can see the damage that came from the recent floods in Brinnon,” she added, referring to high water near Brinnon in December and February.
Smaller homes
After a period of building larger homes, people are starting to go for smaller living spaces because they are easier to manage, Coker said.
“People are downsizing because larger homes take a lot of work,” Coker said.
“Many new homes are 1,200 to 1,600 square feet, which was considered very small just a few years ago.”
Smaller new homes have better heating systems that generate less dust and materials that don’t contain toxic chemicals that can impact health, she said.
Many of these options will be viewable at the show, Coker said.
New technologies
Also on display will be new technologies such as a PureAyre odor eliminator and the Aquor hose system, which replaces outdoor faucets with a screw-in unit that contains a cover that prevents freezing pipes and water leakage.
Wilder Auto of Port Angeles will bring at least two electric vehicles for display.
The outdoor display will include an electric-assisted bicycle.
An expanded gardening section inside also is planned.
Presentations
Presentations at the show are:
■ 10 a.m. — “Composting 101: Turning Waste into Gold,” Dana Ecelberger of the Jefferson County Conservation District.
■ 11 a.m. — “Funding Your Dream Space,” renovation specialist Julie Myers of First Federal.
■ Noon — “Solar Power: What’s the Bottom Line?” by Andy Cochrane of Power Trip Energy.
■ 1 p.m. — “Home Building 101: Have You Considered Building a Home?”
This overview of the building process will be followed with a 30-minute question-and-answer session.
■ 2 p.m. — “What to Do When the Unexpected Happens.” This presentation by Celia Fry and Lynn Meyers of Age at Home LLC will tell how to adapt a home for those with disabilities.
■ 3 p.m. — “Is Your Home Wired for the Future?” by Hans Frederickson of Frederickson Electric.
■ 4 p.m. — “What Is a Rain Garden?” by Robert Simmons of Washington State University Extension.
For more information, see www.jeffcohomebuilders.com.
________
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
