The Charlotte Observer Home & Garden News

I need to feed you a line – a clothesline, in this case, which, without fear of contradiction, remains the most energy-efficient way of drying laundry.

The humble clothesline is, however, not the best way of doing it. Sheets can freeze as stiff as boards even on the sunniest of winter days. It can rain at a moment's notice. Birds … well … birds can leave a clean shirt in need of fresh laundering in the blink of an eye.

One more thing: Energy-efficient doesn't mean quick, and the clothesline is not a surefire cure to discovering Johnny's soccer uniform is still dirty a couple of hours before today's game and needs a wash and dry.

So, the easiest way to get your clothes dry is with an electric or gas dryer. Dryers don't vary much in energy consumption from model to model, but there are other factors to consider before you buy one.

Need to know: A dryer's efficiency is measured by the “energy factor.” The energy factor is similar to the miles-per-gallon rating of a car. Energy factor is measured in pounds of clothing per kilowatt-hour of electricity. This means that the more clothes you can dry per kilowatt-hour, the less your dryer will cost you to run. The minimum energy factor for a standard-capacity electric dryer is 3.01, according to several major manufacturers queried.

For gas dryers, the minimum is 2.67, based on a natural-gas equivalent of the same kilowatt-hour measurement used for an electric dryer.

Be sure to ask: What is the dryer's drum capacity? Drum capacity for a full-size dryer is 5 to 7 cubic feet, and you'll want to coordinate it with the capacity of your washing machine. A washer with a 3.5-cubic-foot capacity requires 7 cubic feet of dryer capacity.

Operating manual: All dryers use heat to extract moisture from clothes as they tumble – and the amount of work the dryer has to do depends, of course, on the amount of water remaining in the clothes when they come out of the washer. Newer dryer models aim to minimize running time. The best models have moisture sensors in the drum that can save you up to 15 percent of drying time, but most models estimate dryness by sensing the temperature of the exhaust air.

Look for a dryer with a cycle that includes a cool-down period, sometimes known as a permanent-press cycle. In the last few minutes of this cycle, cool air rather than heated air is blown through the tumbling clothes to complete the drying process.

Gas vs. electric: Every dryer uses a small electric motor to turn the drum so the clothes can tumble. All have electric fans to spread the heated air evenly. That's where the similarities between gas and electric dryers end.

Electric dryers supply heat through coils that require a 240-volt current to work. The typical outlet is 120 volts, so you will likely be calling your favorite electrician to make the necessary change. Gas dryers use a burner to create heat; for one of these, you'll need a gas hookup, a safe way to vent the gas, and a 120-volt electric outlet for that blower and the fan.

If your laundry room is set up for both gas and electric, consider price. Gas dryers cost $50 more than similar electric models, but in many areas natural gas is less expensive than electricity, so you could recoup the extra costs over the life of the dryer. (The typical dryer lasts about 18 years.)

The combo washer and dryer: A few manufacturers – LG, for one – have produced all-in-one washer/dryers that are designed to get Johnny's dirty soccer uniform in and out in record time. They are kind of pricey – $1,700 is the most recent on the Internet – and LG has added one with steam – the latest washer/dryer innovation.

What will it cost: Standard-capacity electric dryers cost $200 to $1,000; gas models range from $250 to $1,100. Compact dryers range from $200 to $700. These space-saving units can be stacked on top of companion washers that often work like regular-capacity models, so they need a 240-volt line. There also are combination washers and dryers on the market that do both jobs in a single machine. Smaller-capacity combos start around $700. Standard-size combos range from $1,200 to $1,600.

But there is much you can do with a little space, and the best way to enjoy it is to design the balcony as an extension of your indoor living space. If you are just starting out, there are alternatives in outdoor seating that will help you set the style, and you can hide the concrete floor and walls, too.

Recently I met some great guys whose company specializes in full-service landscaping – Plant Specialists, www.plantspecialists.com. They took a small concrete balcony and made it very hip. They clad the floor and walls of this modern terrace with perforated steel. What a clever use for a common material that you would recognize as radiator grilling.

The perforated steel is sold in manageable sheets with finished edges at hardware and building stores. There are dozens of patterns, and you can even customize a pattern through a steel supplier. Attach the screen with masonry screws (check your condo rules first to see if you can do this). Stainless-steel grills will not rust, and you can paint them with metal paint.

Evergreen plants provide a lush backdrop as well as year-round privacy. Tall, slender urns take up less floor space and keep the eye moving upward. The conical Kanpazar lights are chic and dramatic, well placed in this ultramodern outdoor lounge.

There are many options for enhancing a balcony floor. New and improved outdoor carpets are durable. And making a comeback is the original AstroTurf, now in blue, red, yellow and gray, as well as green and black. It's colorful for a bit of whimsy, and always practical.

Hand-painted floorcloths are a country-style standard that is easily citified. Floorcloths are made from heavy canvas, cut to fit, hemmed, painted and sealed. A faster and just as durable method is to paint on the paper-backed side of vinyl flooring.

No hemming is necessary; it wipes clean and you can roll it up and store it during the winter freeze. Any pattern can be painted, from traditional flowers and ivies to asymmetric shapes in black and white. No need to be an artist, simply use stencils and tape off a strip for borders. Always seal your work with a good-quality acrylic varnish.

Floor space is limited, but the outdoor walls offer additional surface area. Shelves, hooks for small plants and overhead lighting will expand the space. Keep in mind that condo or apartment balconies are seen easily from either the living room or bedroom, and the view should enhance your indoor space.

The idea of miniature evergreens is a good one, and some all-weather decorating that will stand up well all year round. One or two metal chairs with weather-proof upholstered cushions are useful. Wood or metal artwork hung on the balcony wall is a valuable addition.

A tiny balcony is meant for one or two people. It's a personal space that allows you the pleasures of outdoors on a small scale. Treat yourself to an inviting outdoor lounge to enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and a bit of greenery. Then relax and enjoy.

I put them on our patio and enjoyed them until cold weather arrived. I then stored them in the garage, paying little attention to them. In fact, it was late spring last year when I noticed shoots sprouting from the poor, neglected pot. In May I planted them in the landscape and watched them grow into the most beautiful plants with dark red stems and petioles.

My wife took a small clump and put them in horrid soil that received western sun, which is normally the kiss of death for a ginger. I also left a smaller clump in a 6-inch container in a shady location in the garden. I had every intention of planting it elsewhere in the garden but never did.

After a very cold winter, I figured the Red Emperor was graveyard dead, especially because my bananas and other gingers were already starting their spring routine.

The ginger planted in the cement-like soil with western sun was the first to show up. Even the planting left in the 6-inch container survived the winter. Then I noticed something happening in the backyard: blooms. Before I knew it, my clump had seven incredible blooms. The blooms are formed by a cluster or cone of bracts. The top portion is iridescent purple with white on the bottom. The true flowers are yellow, giving this exotic bloom real eye-catching interest.

After realizing the true potential of this wonderful ginger, I have moved my wife's planting and the one in the 6-inch container to more suitable spots in the landscape.

The blooms have remained for more than a month, and the leaves have emerged and are growing rapidly. The Red Emperor leaves are borne upright and look so picturesque with their red stripes right down the middles.

Botanically speaking, Red Emperor is a ginger known as a curcuma. It looks good in the landscape until cold weather and then goes through a dormant period. Those of us in zones 7b and higher (Charlotte is 8A) can relish its beauty in the landscape, as long as the soil is fertile and well drained. A good layer of mulch will provide extra winter insulation.

Those living in colder areas can still enjoy Red Emperor as the thriller plant in mixed containers. The containers should be placed in a frost-free area during the winter, or the rhizomes can be dug and stored. The blooms will probably be sparse in these situations, but remember the plants are beautiful even without blooms.

For a tropical, lush-looking landscape, combine Red Emperor with blue-foliaged hostas such as Elegans. It also works well with lime green hostas, such as Sun and Substance. They also complement ferns or clusters of bananas. At my home, I planted them near a papaya tree and another ginger species.

Gingers can be addicting. Once you start growing them, they'll make you feel like you are on an island getaway.

Allen Tate Insurance Services, part of the Allen Tate Family of Companies, has been named Agency of the Year by the Independent Insurance Agents of Charlotte Mecklenburg. Allen Tate Insurance was recognized for more than 100 hours of outstanding service to IIACM through volunteerism and participation during the past year. IIACM is composed of about 25 independent insurance agency members in the greater Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. Information: www.allentate.com or 704-547-5656.

Eastwood reports quarterly increase

The Charlotte division of Eastwood Homes reports that it saw a 54 percent increase in home sales during the first quarter of 2009 over the fourth quarter of 2008. Eastwood has homes in 18 neighborhoods across the Charlotte region, ranging from the $120,000s to the $220,000s. www.eastwoodhomes.com.

It's not uncommon today to see professional-style gas ranges in new and remodeled kitchens. Most of these, except for some painted retro models, have stainless steel exteriors to match other stainless steel kitchen appliances.

Don't just go shopping or do a computer search and select a true professional gas range. You must use one that is certified by the AGA (American Gas Association) for residential use. These models have many safety features, such as a cool exterior, which are not required on true professional models. These make a residential-certified model somewhat more expensive.

Most professional chefs and serious cooks prefer a gas range over an electric one because gas burners provide more precise control over the heat. When you turn off or turn down the gas flame, the heat stops or decreases immediately. With an electric range, there often is residual heat and a lag until the stove top cools. Electric induction elements can minimize this problem, though.

Although professional-style ranges do have some very large burners, cooking with one should not use considerably more gas.

Actually, the large gas burners may save gas as compared to a standard residential gas range if you use the correct-sized pots and pans. When boiling a pot of water, for example, a large burner can bring the water to a boil quicker and then you turn the heat down. By reducing the total cooking time, less heat is lost from the pot to the room air.

Just as many professional chefs prefer gas ranges, they often also prefer electric ovens. Residual heat in the electric heating element is good because it holds the temperature fairly constant when it is switched on and off from the thermostat. A gas range often has larger temperature swings.

If you plan to do a lot of baking, a dual-fuel model with a gas range and electric oven is a good choice. The heating wattages of the broiler and baking electric elements can be as high as 3,000 watts. Selecting one with a convection option can speed baking and save electricity overall.

Standard width 30-inch professional-type gas models are available to replace an existing range. If remodeling your kitchen, plan on space for a 36- or 48-inch wide model. This provides space for more optional burners and work space.

The following companies offer professional-style gas ranges: Dacor, www.dacor .com; Five Star Ranges, www.fivestarrange.com; Heartland Appliances, www.heartlandapp.com; Viking Ranges, www.viking range.com; and Wolf Appliances, www.wolfappliance.com.

Q. I want to seal my old windows, but I am having a problem getting the old caulking out without gouging the wood. Can I just put the new caulk over the old?

Although it may be difficult, definitely remove as much of the old brittle caulk as possible. Caulking over old caulk is just asking for trouble and having to do the job again next year.

Here's a tip: Hold a wide steel drywall knife on the wood molding to protect it. Slide a scraper along the knife to cut through the old caulk without damaging the wood.

The file drawers could be detached easily from the desktop. But the fronts of the drawers, made of a thin and very cheap laminate, had strips of material removed from them, so salvaging wasn't worth it.

I happen to live in a town that is the poster child for conspicuous consumption. They throw out really nice stuff to buy more nice stuff, I guess. A few years ago, a church put its outdated organ at curbside.

It did get me thinking about buying more storage – an unending occupation even in a so-called paperless society. Within a couple of months of purchasing a file drawer or other storage unit, I have it covered with things that just don't fit comfortably inside.

With that said, here's something to think about when you shop for filing cabinets:

Need to know: What you're filing, and what kind of space you're working with. File cabinets come in a variety of heights, widths and depths, so you'll want to head to the store or Web site armed with the appropriate dimensions.

What's your profile? File cabinets today fall into two types: traditional (vertical storage) and lateral (horizontal storage). The traditional file cabinet has two to five drawers, easily stores letter- or legal-sized files, and is ideal if your wall space is limited. A lateral cabinet spreads storage out along a wall.

Operating manual: Traditional models have less capacity, but their narrower, deeper drawers (15 to 28 inches) store file folders in a way that allows you to lift them up and let them slide back down into place. Lateral cabinets are wider (36 to 42 inches) and allow files to be stored either front to back or side to side in the drawers. Because lateral cabinets are not as deep as vertical units, they also can serve as partitions or credenzas to block off a home-office space

Material world: The more use a file cabinet receives, the more likely it is to be damaged, so durability is worth considering from the start. Metal and steel cabinets, used in heavy-duty situations, might suit your purposes – and a more industrial decorating style. Then again, you might want to go with wood. If your home office is part of a guest room or a bedroom, you can look for a desk that has filing cabinets to match.

Safety first: When shopping for quality cabinetry, first look at the suspension system that holds the drawers. Even when filled with heavy files, well-built drawers should open and close smoothly. The highest-quality units use counterweighted drawers and internal locking devices that allow only one drawer to open at a time. Be sure, too, that the cabinet has a mechanism that will keep it from tipping over.

Hardware: The first thing to go on a file cabinet drawer is the pull. The best are those built into the drawers rather than screwed in, since screws can loosen when you tug.

Rolling, rolling, rolling: If your needs exceed your available filing space, consider a mechanical system – rolling cabinets that can store many more files in a set amount of floor space. To access the files, you simply roll or move the cabinets apart to create an aisle.

Fire drill: Some specially made cabinets are fire- and impact-resistant. They can maintain an interior temperature of less than 350 degrees for an hour even if a fire around them is burning at 1,700 degrees. Some cabinets can even protect computer disks and videotapes, which must be kept below 125 degrees to avoid damage. But price is an issue: You can buy a fireproof safe for $50 to store your will and the deed to your house; a fireproof cabinet can cost $400 or more.

What will it cost? File-cabinet prices depend on material, the number of drawers, the size, and the lock. They can range from $30 particleboard units to $1,000 or more for fireproof steel.

The buyer broker told me that I would not be able to buy a home in my new state without having a job and a pay stub from a job in the local area.

I don't understand this. My husband and I are looking for new jobs in our new state. Can we buy a home out of state with the intent to reside in the state within 60 days?

Is this buyer broker just brushing me off because I live out of state? I want to buy a home before I move to our new state and start work. Is this possible? I don't know if this matters, but this is my first home purchase.

You say that you've been prequalified to purchase a home in your new state. However, that prequalification was probably based on your continued employment at your current job. The income and job used to prequalify you and your spouse for this purchase will not be available to you when you move. I'm not sure whether you made this clear to your lender during the prequalification process.

Also, prequalification is a far cry from getting preapproved for a loan. In the preapproval process, you actually apply for the loan and go through the verification process. It's possible that your lender didn't realize you were moving halfway across the country, or figured that in the prequalification process, that didn't matter.

The fact that you're moving without a job is problematic if you intend to buy a house. If you quit your job and then try to close on a house, you may not be able to at the last moment. That would be a disaster for you and the sellers.

If you're trying to close on your new home before Nov. 30, in order to take advantage of the up to $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers, you should intensify your job hunt so that you won't have a problem qualifying for the mortgage.

As for the buyer broker, perhaps this was the message he or she was trying to convey. In the current mortgage market, you might not qualify for a loan without having a job or enough assets to put up as collateral. Perhaps the buyer broker didn't want to spend a lot of time with buyers who may ultimately not be able to afford a home.

My advice: Find a job. Then, buy a home.

Pull copy of credit history

Q. My ex-spouse and I purchased a home together in 2001. He was the primary borrower and I was the co-borrower. I also owned an investment property in another state that went under, but it was listed as commercial property, not residential property.

As a single mom, would I technically be a first-time buyer for a home I wish to live in with my daughters?

If you haven't owned property in the last three years, you'd qualify as a first-time buyer under federal rules. I can't tell from your e-mail when you sold the property you co-owned with your ex-spouse. If you sold it in 2005, and haven't owned a home since, you would probably qualify.

The issue with your failed commercial property investment is an interesting twist. If it was a true commercial property investment, then you may be fine. A HUD-certified housing counselor may be able to provide some additional guidance. You can find one by going to the www.HUD.gov Web site and clicking on the “housing counselor” link.

A bigger issue for you is where your credit history and credit score are now that you're divorced. With a failed investment property on your credit, you may not have a high enough credit score to qualify for even an FHA loan.

Pull a copy of your credit history at annualcreditreport.com, and when you're there pay $8 to buy a copy of your credit score from Equifax, which is most similar to the credit score used by the vast majority of mortgage lenders.

I can discuss Chaucer with the best of 'em, but I am mystified by soil pH and still can't explain why, in our small garden, last year's okra was bigger than the bell peppers, which resembled sad green prunes.

To shore up my knowledge of all things green and leafy, I went to a gardening workshop.

Maybe holding the workshop on a weekday precluded more gardening neophytes from attending. Or maybe everyone in Catawba County except Phil and me knows what they're doing. I was one of two students in a very attentive class.

Catawba County Cooperative Extension Director Fred Miller acknowledged my lack of experience.

“A lot of people are gardening now that have never gardened before,” he said.

With tighter budgets, growing veggies at home can save money. And the closer to home the produce is grown, the better, both for the environment and nutrition's sake. Besides, nothing tastes quite like a fresh-sliced tomato sandwich.

Choosing a good garden spot is the first consideration. “Sunlight's a very limiting factor,” Miller said. For some homeowners, like us, that leaves little choice of where the garden goes. We have only one area that gets the required six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day.

The spot doesn't have to be very big. You can easily grow enough vegetables for your family in a 25-square-foot area. If space is limited, you can plant more than one type of plant in the same area of the garden, pairing taller plants with shorter ones, or planting crops according to when they mature so that something's always coming in. For example, after our okra matures in a month or so, we can plant collard greens or onions in the same spot.

The garden should be close to an irrigation source – garden hose or pond – and needs about one inch of water a week. This year, that hasn't been a problem; most days, our garden has been more of a breeding ground for mosquitoes than tomatoes.

Mulching helps with moisture retention and weed control. Leaf compost is a good choice, Miller said, because it is readily available and doesn't produce weeds. Pine needles or straw also work well.

Now about that soil pH stuff that seems to be so important. Miller said that now is a good time to send a soil sample in to the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service for testing because it's currently a free service. But that could soon change.

Knowing the pH of your soil helps you determine whether to add lime. Vegetables produce best at a pH of 6.0 to 6.5, a level that allows the most nutrients to be absorbed into the plants.

Growing a successful garden doesn't mean you're out of the woods. In fact, that's exactly when animals come out of the woods to partake of what you've so lovingly nurtured. For Phil and me, this hasn't been a problem. Our garden is contained in a fairly high fence; not many deer are interested in scaling that fence to get at the odd prune-peppers we're growing.

And I suspect that we're not the only ones who run into problems. Even though less than a handful came to the workshop, the Cooperative Extension does have a weekday help line open from 9 a.m. to noon: 828-465-8240.

The N.C. Cooperative Extension Web site is also a good resource for gardening tips, planting schedules and other information to help you grow your green thumb: www.suc cessfulgardener.org.

These are just the physical signs of change in the century-old, historically African American neighborhood.

What some residents and advocates say they are most enthusiastic about is that the perception of the community is changing. It once was frequently associated with drugs and crime. Now Grier Heights is developing a new persona that has residents fielding offers from outsiders who see promise in the neighborhood that's sandwiched between Monroe and Randolph roads, just beyond Elizabeth and about three miles from the center city.

“I get letters every day saying, ‘If you would like to sell your home, I would be willing to buy,'” said Barbara Simpson, 70, a resident for 60 years and president of the Grier Heights Community Improvement Organization. “I usually drop them in the trash as soon as I get them. I'm not interested in going anywhere.”

Charlotte's Quality of Life study described Grier Heights as challenged in 2002.

That changed in 2004. That year, and in two studies since then, the city has described Grier Heights as transitioning upward.

Yet, Simpson would be among the first to say Grier Heights still has a way to go before it once again can count itself among stable, sought-after communities.

The neighborhood of nearly 3,000 suffers from high unemployment, and the median income is about $23,000 among its nearly 1,200 households, according to Charlotte's 2008 Quality of Life study. Nearly 47 percent of residents received food stamps, according to the 2008 report, compared with nearly 9 percent citywide.

Close to 35 percent of children scored at or above grade level. The violent crime and property crime rates were more than twice that of the city.

“Somewhere along the line I think that we fell through the cracks,” said Larry James, pastor at Grier Heights Presbyterian Church, which has served the community since 1943 and is among the organizations working to reverse years of decline.

Guiding the neighborhood transition is a collaborative effort, and Grier Heights has amassed a motivated support group. It includes two local congregations: James' Grier Heights Presbyterian and Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.

Those congregations have ties to other support systems. They've formed a privately funded community development corporation with two churches from outside the community. CrossRoads Corporation for Affordable Housing and Community Development Inc. gets support from congregations at Myers Park Presbyterian and Westminster Presbyterian.

Antioch is a founding member of the advocacy group Helping Empower Local People, which helps Grier Heights with community organizing and reaching out to elected officials. Self-help Credit Union is helping to bring affordable new housing to replace aging homes.

“It's not going to be overnight that we increase home ownership or eliminate blight,” said Chris Bishop, lead organizer for Helping Empower Local People. “We've helped create a sense of hope and possibility.”

With advocates and supporters on hand, residents want to continue with the initiatives that have helped them move the community's status from challenged to transitional. The goals include increasing home ownership, building new houses to replace the aging housing stock, improving education and lobbying for neighborhood improvements such as more lighting and sidewalks.

“We've motivated people in the community and outside to see what can be done when people come together to make it happen,” James said.