Kiplinger’s Personal Finance offers six pieces of essential hurricane-preparation advice, including: 

• Brace your garage door to prevent more-extensive damage. “A lot of people believe that the roof is the most vulnerable part of the house,” says Ray Stone, vice-president of catastrophe operations for Travelers Insurance. “But it’s not. It’s the garage door.” Most garage doors are not reinforced, and when the wind gets into the garage, it creates a positive push at the same time that the wind swirling above the structure creates a negative pull. That push-pull combination can cause the roof to fly off. See the National Weather Service information sheet to learn about kits that you can buy at home-improvement stores to brace your garage doors.
   
• Secure your windows and doors. Broken windows can let in wind and rain, and they can also increase the pressure under the roof. Storm shutters provide the best protection, but boarding up windows when a storm is on the way can help, too. Don’t bother taping your windows, though. “Putting masking tape on the windows literally does nothing,” says Stone. Make sure doors have several locking mechanisms so they don’t fly open; deadbolts are best. And it’s important to secure windows and doors at all sides of the home — not just the one facing the body of water where hurricanes could form — because hurricanes can swirl in any direction. See the Institute for Business & Home Safety’s DisasterSafety.org for details about how to make your windows and doors more secure.
   
• Take inventory. “The last thing you want to be doing after you’ve been affected by a hurricane is to try to remember everything you had in the house,” says Stone. “Having an inventory will make the process of getting through the claim and getting back to normal so much easier.” The Insurance Information Institute’s KnowYourStuff.org is a great place to get started. Keep the inventory in a safe place away from your home.

Guest Cottage 30-727
                

This delightful small house plan, makes a relaxing stay for friends and family. Enter through the double doors to the great room with a wood stove in the corner. Towards the rear of the cottage is a kitchenette, perfect for allowing guest to make there own snacks and lunches if they would like. There is also a full bathroom. Ladders on both sides of the great room access the two storage spaces above.
                    

Blue River 30-789
                   

This two-story Craftsman bungalow would be equally at home in a suburban neighborhood or a retreat setting. Family living areas fill the main floor, where the living room flows into the dining room and on into the kitchen. All of these spaces are naturally bright. A good-sized hobby room and a fully outfitted utility room are nearby.
                    

A lot of progess has been accomplished during the summer on the Barrett (formally referred to as the Crestview). You can begin to see just how well the hexagonal core of this design is ideal to take in all the beauty of the views from every living space through out the home.

July 22, 2010
                   

The Barrett is the new hexagonal home plan created from the modifications that our client made to the original design, the Crestview. This beautiful home is perfect for the river view lot on which it is being built.

Associated Designs can modify any of our home designs. Whether it’s simply adding another bay to the garage or using the design as a basis to create an entirely new plan; we work with clients all over the country to create the home of their dreams. With us, you are working direct with the plans original designer and knowledgable staff who are available to answer your questions when you have them.
                   

June 7, 2010
                   

The main floor framing has begun on the Crestview. Here are current photos showing the garage taking shape.
                   

May 17, 2005

The current progress of the construction on the Crestview shows the walk-out basement framing and main floor joists.

May 13, 2010

We are excited for the opportunity to watch the construction of our hexagonal Crestview design.

The process began when Mr & Mrs B contacted us to modify the original design for their beautiful view property along a river. Revisions made were: reversing the plan, removed the loft, added a bay window at the great room, merged the office space with the owners’ suite, added a guest suite and 3 car garage bay. The basement was customized to include a recreation room, bunk room, bedroom and shop area. The exterior was changed to include additional stone and wood elements.

Check back to this blog often to watch the continued progress of this beautiful home. We invite you to post comments or ask questions along the way. Thank you Mr. & Mrs. B for providing us with photograhs!

Belknap 30-771
                   

Craftsman detailing adds nostalgic charm to this update of a country-style cottage house plan. On the ground floor, spacious formal and informal gathering spaces fill the left wing. A den, utility room, half bath, and luxurious owners’ suite are on the right side, along with direct access to the garage. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study are upstairs.

Canyonville 30-775
                   

Windows fill most of the rear wall of the vaulted great room at the heart of this comfortably spacious European-style house plan. From the kitchen, you can watch TV or converse with family and friends in the great room, or the dining room. Extra rooms include: a guest room and a hobby room on the main floor, and a den and an unfinished bonus room upstairs.

Barrett 30-773
                   

A rhapsody of shapes and textures makes this estate-size contemporary chalet home plan a treat for the eye, inside and out. A kitchen, dining area and living room fill the hexagonal great room at its core. Two bedroom suites extend off to the right and left, and more sleeping areas, along with a huge recreation room and a spacious shop, fill the daylight basement below.
                   

                   
Wedgewood 30-629
                   

The European feel of this home constructed by Bella Chateau Homes, Inc. is distinct by it’s clipped gables, an iron balcony, siding and stone details. In the great room windows fill the living room’s rear wall with a wide-hearthed fireplace between them. The nook is completely open to this large space, as is the kitchen to the nook.
              

Bella Chateau Homes, Inc. is committed to timeless old world design and quality craftsmanship with exceptional detail. Old world design fits their desire to create the ambiance of an European estate or manor in a relaxed, comfortable home.

Below is Taylor Made Homes, Inc. new construction project. It’s  a 3 bed 2.5 bath home with a 2-car garage and covered porches located in downtown Eugene, in the South Eugene School District. Available now and scheduled to be completed by the end of August 2010.

Contact: Joe Taylor – Taylor Made Homes – 541-338-0738 or by email at: taylormadehomes@comcast.net