Traveling Around

You can't fault Mother Nature. Her natural products, like wood, are beautiful. But human beings have ingenious ways of improving on her creations.

Siding

Fiber cement siding, the latest improvement on wood, is a big step forward. The siding itself is almost impervious to cracking, rotting, hail damage and termites.

It's made from recycled wood fibers mixed with cement. Unlike vinyl siding, which comes in sheets, it comes in individual shingles or clapboards nailed in place one at a time to look like wood. The baked-on finish won't have to be painted for many years.

Stone walls

 Wouldn't it be nice to have a stone chimney gracing the side of your home? But you would have to install costly concrete footings first.

With manufactured stone, you can have it on the chimney, on a wall outside or inside of your home, or on a stone wall surrounding your home. No concrete footings are required.

The individual pieces are lightweight and one to three inches thick. They are applied wherever you want them like tiles. Manufactured, or cultured, stones are made of light-weight concrete and individually tinted to mimic the appearance of real stone.

Countertops

 Engineered stone countertops combine the functionality and durability of solid stone and the flexibility and practicality of manmade materials. Made of quartz chips pressed together with resins- it costs almost as much as granite but doesn't have to be sealed annually. It is heat, scratch and stain-resistant.

Check with your nearby home improvement store or search the Internet for these products and you'll find many suppliers. Always hire an experienced contractor to install them. To find answers to your Charlotte County NB real estate questions, home improvement stores or experienced contractors visit www.CharlotteCountyOnline.com