‘Roots of Home’ shows a passion for the past

‘Roots of Home’ shows a passion for the past

Russell Versaci has a love of old houses. He enjoys studying their distinctive features and digging into the historical forces that shaped their designs, their use of building materials and their quirks.

An architect known for designing what he calls “new old houses” — homes with old-house character — Versaci shares his passion for the past in his new book, “Roots of Home: Our Journey to a New Old House.”

The book explores America’s early architectural styles and the factors that influenced them. He focuses on the 10 areas he considers cradles of regional architecture and introduces readers to the old-world traditions and ways of life that influenced construction there, along with such factors as natural resources and climate.

And since we don’t live in the past, he also features some newer homes and renovations that interpret those traditional styles.

“Roots of Home” is published by the Taunton Press and sells for $45 in hardcover.

Freshaire Choice Paint eliminates odors, effects

Ah ... the smell of fresh paint. Don’t you just love the headache you get?

Luckily, when it comes to paint, choices abound.

The Freshaire Choice Paint has no volatile organic compounds in the paint or the colorant, eliminating chemical odors and their harmful effects.

Made with a premeasured color delivery tinting system, the line has 66 colors in four collections: Waterscape, with water and weathered-glass shades; Botanical, with woodland shadows and blooms; Atmosphere, with sky and cloud colors; and Earth, with grounded tones.

Freshaire is backed by a lifetime warranty on performance and appearance and is certified by the Greenguard Environmental Institute, a nonprofit organization that establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products. The line’s labeling is made with 75 percent recycled fiber content and printed with soy ink. The can is made from 100 percent recycled material.

Available at The Home Depot, the assortment comes in flat, eggshell and semi-gloss finishes and includes drywall interior primer and ceiling paint.

Cost is $35 to $38 for 1-gallon containers.

For more information, visit Thefreshairechoicepaint.com or call (866) 880-0304.

Inspect your home for termites, and try tips

Termites cause more than $5 billion a year in property damage, according to Terminix. Worse even, the company warns, the damage is usually not covered by homeowners insurance.

Winged termites or discarded termite wings often found near doors and in windowsills are signs of a possible termite infestation. Other signs include mud tubes, which are hollow, drinking straw-sized roadways for termites, and wood that makes a hollow sound when tapped.

In addition to having your home inspected by a professional at least once a year, the company offers these tips to keep termites out:

UFix roof or plumbing leaks that allow termites to survive aboveground.

UEnsure that gutters drain properly and direct moisture away from foundations.

UEliminate all wood-to-soil contact around the foundation, keeping firewood or other wood debris from being stacked against the side of the home.

UKeep mulch or soil away from the home’s siding. It’s best to have a barrier of a few inches.

URemove items such as scrap lumber, boxes and old books or newspapers from crawl spaces.

UMaintain adequate ventilation in crawl spaces.

UUse a mesh screen on all windows, doors and ventilation openings.

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