ZINC SHOWS ITS METTLE

Zinc is a cool metal that heats up architectural details on homes. Durable and rustproof, zinc weathers to an attractive matte gray color, which has a modern appeal, yet stands the test of time, says Gary Davis, spokesman for A. Zahner Co., a 115-year-old metal fabricator for architectural buildings throughout the world and based in Kansas City, Mo.

"In Paris, the batten-seam roofs, constructed in the 1800s, were made of zinc," he says. "The light reflects off these historic rooftops, and I'd like to think the use of zinc may also contribute to Paris being known as the 'City of Light,' especially at sunrise."

Zinc can turn ordinary house shutters, roofs and guttering into extraordinary architectural details, while opulent outdoor options can also include cupolas, dormers and finials. The use of zinc can give a home character that will last for more than a half-century, yet has an aesthetic that will never go out-of-style.

"People choose zinc for projects because it doesn't require treating or painting and is relatively maintenance-free," Davis says. "Zinc's patina achieves a warm natural gray hue that has a noble, understated quality to it."

Zinc is a naturally occurring element on the periodic table, but when used as a building material, it is fabricated as an alloy. Most commonly, the alloy is 99.995 percent pure zinc, with trace quantities of copper and titanium, which makes the metal easier to work with and gives it structure and strength.

Most commonly found on high-end houses in the form of zinc roofing, architectural details can also become adornments on any home, but expect to pay up to two times as much as you would for the same product made of stainless steel, Davis says. "Zinc is a beautifully neutral metal," he says. "While aluminum needs to be painted, stainless steel remains shiny and copper can have issues with run-off, zinc doesn't compete with the landscape."

American Camp is one such residential project that was built facing the Pacific Ocean by Suyama Peterson Deguchi, an architectural firm in Seattle. This 1,300-square-foot San Juan Island, Wash., retreat home has a vaulted roof shell, which is covered in battens made of zinc.

"I use zinc on projects, primarily because of its organic nature; it becomes even more beautiful as it ages," says founding partner George Suyama. "Zinc has a timeless appeal that is connected to place. It's not about fashion, and is appropriate forever."

When rolled zinc first comes from the mill, it is shiny like aluminum. As the material is exposed to air, humidity and pollution, it weathers, and naturally creates a gray-colored patina that can take two to five years to develop. For homeowners who don't want to wait for zinc to gather a honed patina naturally, manufacturers also offer pre-weathered zinc, which is achieved by uniformly exposing the zinc to an acidic bath in the factory.

"Zinc, by its nature is very malleable and is easily pressed into molds, creating forms that can top a parapet or be used as a scupper for draining rainwater," Davis says. "Zinc is also used to decoratively clad walls and in gutter systems, because rainwater run-off will not stain the surfaces below, as copper will."

While the European market is zealous for zinc, more Americans are now using it in building projects because of its environmentally sustainable qualities, Davis says. Zinc is mined using an extraction process that avoids strip mining and requires less energy to refine, due to a lower melting point, when compared to other metals, such as aluminum, copper and steel.

"Zinc is also a sustainable material because it is so easily recycled," Davis says. "As more homeowners become conscious of building green, zinc becomes an option, because it is considered a lifetime material."

Professional installation is key to ensure zinc details like guttering, roofs and flashing not only look good, but also function properly. Quality craftsmanship includes soldered seams over rivets, and takes into account the expansion and contraction of the metal during temperature changes.

It's also better to get zinc that's been cut to specifications by an architectural fabricator, producing museum-quality edges, rather than installers rough-cutting on-site during an installation, Davis says. "A proper installation using zinc shouldn't require caulks or sealant," he says. "You want to create a waterproof seal by the way the zinc is detailed."

Zinc is also best left to outdoor applications, and is not necessarily an ideal material to form a "counter-revolution."

"I used to have two zinc countertops in my kitchen, but any acid -- in the form of wine, vinegar or citrus - - would leave a mark that I would have to rub out every night," Davis says. "While zinc is a beautiful material, it's a lot of work to maintain when used inside a home."

Zinc is a memorable metal that is historic, yet has contemporary character. "Zinc complements and doesn't compete with other materials -- such as limestone -- and its natural surroundings," Davis says. "There's a friendliness to zinc: It makes a statement by being able to blend with the ocean, the mountains or the sky."

SHEDDING LIGHT ON HOME DESIGN

Illuminate your home's design by getting the light right. Rooms that are lit properly inside a home feel comfortable and unstrained, but designing them isn't always as easy as flipping a switch, says Patricia Davis Brown, an interior designer and lighting specialist based in Vero Beach, Fla.

"Lighting is one of the most important -- yet can be one of the most undervalued -- components when designing or renovating a home," she says. "A proper lighting plan is very right brain, left brain -- blending intuition with geometrical and mathematical concepts."

When working with clients, Brown tries to shed real light on a design concept by creating a layered lighting plan that blends different types of illumination:

-- General -- This type of lighting provides a room with overall illumination. The goal is to create ambient light so people feel comfortable and look good in the space, which includes ceiling fixtures and recessed lights.

-- Task -- Optimal task lighting is achieved by hanging pendants, track lighting and table lamps, which illuminate the specific spaces in which people work and read.

-- Accent -- Indirect lighting can be achieved by using wall sconces and torchieres that throw diffused light upward, which doesn't cause glare or shadows.

Brown says most homeowners give little additional thought to the lighting inside a house -- that is, until they notice it doesn't feel welcoming or is too dark.

"With all the choices of light fixtures and types of bulbs that are on the market right now, choosing what's needed for a space can seem daunting," Brown says. "A bulb's wattage says nothing about what kind of light it gives off."

When creating a lighting plan, a good place to start is by thinking about how much sunlight streams through a room at different times of day, during different seasons. To map out a lighting plan, a person must also mathematically make accommodations for the spread of light from a fixture, so it's important to consider the type of bulb and the fixture in use, before they're installed.

Based on a color-rendering index (or CRI), look for bulbs that have CRI ratings of 75, or better. With daylight rated at 100 CRI, some fluorescent lights might only score a 50 CRI. However, compact fluorescents, color corrected fluorescent tubes, incandescent and halogen bulbs can all have CRI ratings that are 75 and greater.

"We want to have a lighting plan that has many levels to it, because when you show the fixtures' arrays on architectural renderings, you can see how they intersect, and objectively see where there will be more need for light," Brown says. "Two of the most important places in a home to consider the lighting are in the kitchen and bathrooms."

The kitchen has always been the center of the home, but now it's also used for much more than food preparation. Lighting in the form of hanging pendants above the kitchen island illuminate the task at hand, whether it's doing homework or chopping vegetables. Brown says other task lighting can be set above the sink and beneath upper cabinets, so countertops are illuminated without shadows.

Kitchen cabinetry with glass fronts can be a perfect place for accent lighting. "LEDs (light-emitting diodes) can come in any number of colors and can make a design statement when placed vertically inside cabinets, which illuminate glassware placed on shelves," she says.

Brown designs bathrooms that are light and bright without being sterile by using cross lighting in the space. "What you don't want in a bathroom is one fixture that illuminates from the top with the beam spread moving downward. That top-down approach just creates harsh shadows on the face," she says. "Instead, you want wall mounts on either side of the mirror, which help light the face from each side and eliminate shadows. This makes tasks like shaving and putting on makeup easier."

Having the ability to control the amount of light in a space is also important. "You want to be able to control the general light in a room through the use of dimmer switches," Brown says. "That way, you can set a mood by dialing up more or less light from overhead fixtures."

The placement of lights isn't the only important factor in a well-lit room. Since the surfaces in a room reflect light, the colors and textures on walls and floors make a big difference in how light travels. Painting white walls to dark red will affect the way light is also perceived by the eye and may also cast a rosy hue.

When remodeling or constructing a new space, Brown says it's important to pay attention to the lighting details. "Know your overall design aesthetic and purchase fixtures that fit," she says. "You don't want an opulent, traditional chandelier in a very minimalistic space."

Making a multilayered lighting plan is something best done before construction begins, because after walls and ceilings are drywalled, it becomes more difficult and costly to fix shadowy problems.

"Overall, light affects our mood, and if a room is dark and dank, it can have a powerful affect on us," Brown says. "Conversely, if a room is lit properly, it can elevate and inspire us, without us consciously knowing that the light is right."

Additional Information

For more information on illuminating ideas, go to DigThisDesign.net, and click "How to Survive a Kitchen and Bath Remodel" to view an in-depth lighting plan under "Light Your Space."

AGE-IN-PLACE SPACE

Active baby boomers -- sometimes called "zoomers" -- are having new homes constructed with a universal design concept that allows aging in place. Despite the economic downturn that began in 2008, many of these retirees continue to gravitate to new homes built in active-adult communities in warmer climates located throughout North America.

With housing developments that may also have a central clubhouse, community swimming pool, golf course and social calendar programmed with activities and events, these newly built homes come with a ready-made community of like-minded active adults, says Lyndsay Higgins, director of marketing for Robson Resort Communities with eight retirement developments featuring more than 20,000 homes located in Arizona and Texas.

"The 60-something-year-old demographic is acting younger than ever, and their homes reflect that," Higgins says. "The homes we build aren't what another generation might remember as their grandparents' house."

Whether active adults are purchasing a second home in a warmer climate, or downsizing after retirement, Higgins says these folks are attracted to ranch-style homes that have no steps to climb up and down.

Wally Campbell is a Robson Resort Communities resident with a home in the Temple Creek subdivision, located in Goodyear, Ariz. She and her husband, John, moved into their 2,200-square-foot home in June 2000, and enjoy the perks of one-level living. "One of the things I love the most about our home is that from the moment you open the front door, you're able to see the entire living area, all on one level, with an open floor plan," she says.

Creating an environment that encourages outdoor living, while also bringing the outside to the inside of a home is what many of these newly constructed homes strive to achieve, Higgins says. "Outdoor living spaces can include an outdoor kitchen, water features and an outdoor fireplace," she says. "These amenities increase a home's square footage outside and let residents soak up the sun, which is an escape from the winter weather in other parts of the country."

Campbell says their three-bedroom, two-bath home has a kitchen that flows into a family or great room. "The way we entertain with our friends and neighbors here doesn't require a formal dining and living room," Wally says. "Gatherings can just spill over from the kitchen/great room area right outside into the courtyard area."

Higgins says seniors may be moving into smaller homes, but they want to use of every single square foot of space in it. Robson and many other "smart-sized" homes have designs in which none of their floor plans have hallways to the bedrooms, which many consider a waste of space. "Some people also opt to build a Casita off the courtyard, which is a separate guest house that includes a bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette," Higgins says. "Our floor plans have flexibility built into them, which allows for the opportunity to expand."

Home offices or dens are popular additions to floor plans for active aging adults. Many continue to work and are involved in their community, including Campbell, who was elected to her city council. "No matter what you do, it seems like we all need access to a computer," she says. "Which is why we set up an office in our home."

Sometimes it's the unseen aspects that make a home more comfortable than ever. "We are building homes that are energy efficient," Higgins says. "Our homes can have added insulation, and energy star-rated appliances and windows." Campbell says her home was built to a standard called the "energy star series," which also includes a lifetime tile roof that won't need replacing. Some communities even offer home packages that have a solar-powered panel system and solar-powered attic fan.

Higgins says in addition to selling homes, Robson Resort Communities is also selling a lifestyle. "More builders are offering universal design as a concept so retirees can age in place," she says. "The key is to make accessibility accommodations in a home, without making it look too institutional."

Universal design can mean one-story living with wider doors, an entrance with no stairs, nonslip flooring, grab bars with step-free showers in bathrooms, lower kitchen cabinets and readily accessible light switches.

Today's one-level living for active adults has smarter bedroom placement, laundry facilities, storage opportunities, home offices, energy-efficient packages and open floor plans with a kitchen/great room that has easy access to outdoor living.

Higgins says a nearly 1,500-square-foot newly built Robson home can start around $160,000. Campbell says she can't put a price tag on the community of neighbors that surrounds her and her husband. "We bought this home, knowing that it would age well with us," Wally says. "What we didn't expect is how we've found a home for life."