South Walton

Volume: 1

Issue: 1

October 2015

Monthly Edition

Now youve got something to think about...

Inside
Fun & Games.................2
Trivia Questions............2
DIY................................3
Home Gadgets................4
Water Damage...............5
Alternative Homes.......8,9
Home Inspection......10,11

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page
(10. Lake Okeechobee)

Welcome To The Neighborhood

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TRIVIA

(Answers are Everywhere)

1/8 page

01. This state has the highest median price homes of

any US metropolitan area
($360,000.)
02) Considered the worlds
oldest castle.
03) Log cabins, a style that
originated in...
04)....... is the most common
city name in the US.

ALYSBEACH
BEACH
BLUEMOUNTAIN
DUNEALLEN
DUNESIDE
GRAYTONBEACH
GULFPLACE
INLET
MIRAMAR
ROSEMARYBEACH
SANDESTIN
SANTAROSABEACH
SEACREST
SEAGROVE
SEASCAPE
SEASIDE
WATERCOLOR
WATERSOUND

works while living in Key

West?
07) What famous inventor
wintered in Fort Myers,
where his home still exists
today?
08) ................is the oldest
European settlement in
North America.

05) What is Floridas State

flower?

09) The United States city

with the highest rate of
lightning strikes per capita
is

06) What famous author is

said to have penned his best

10) The largest lake in Florida is

October 2015

A
Cox Multimedia
Publication
P.o. Box 12
Freeport, Florida 32439
coxmultimedia32435@gmail.com
USPS Mailed Hard Copies
$3.00 per issue
All major credit cards accepted online
via Paypal
Website: coxmm.com.

ABOUT South Walton and

the rental property owners and
residents...
Preparing to sell your home? Home
maintenance and improvements? DoIt-Yourself Projects? Please support the
tradesmen who advertise in this publication. Theyre here to help.
Decorating for the holidays or just need
a new look? We hope this guide will be
an inspiration.

BUSINESS CARD - 3-1/2 x 2

October 2015

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Page 3

How To Clean Cork Flooring Must Read Tips For All

The basics:
There is a right way and a
wrong way to take care of your
cork oors. Cork is a nished
surface and should be treated in
the same way a hardwood oor is
treated. Forna cork products are
factory nished with water based
polyurethane. Polyurethane is a
tough, surface nish that sits on
top of the cork and protects it from
damage and stains. The polyurethane is in the same category
as hardwood oors nished with
urethane or polyurethane. That
means there can be no harsh chemicals, no wax based, no oil based,
no solvent based products used on
these oors. If the bottle does not
say pH Neutral Hardwood Floor
Cleaner then do not buy/use it on
cork or hardwood.
The RIGHT way:
1. Sweep dust/dirt/sand o of the
oor on a regular basis (3-5
times per week)
2. Vacuuming is ne so long as
you TURN OFF the beater bar
3. Dry mopping with microbre
material or push mops that use
static electricity to hold the
material is acceptable
4. Damp mopping with water is
normally all these oors required (1-4 times per month)

5. For a deeper clean or to remove

stubborn dried on food/mud a
pH Neutral Cleaner for Hardwood Floors is acceptable
(1-2 times per month)
6. For natural cleaning products
we ONLY allow a water:vinegar mixture of 10:1 ratio (1-2
times per month)
7. For very stubborn greasy oors
the water:vinegar mixture can
have 1 DROP of Dawn dish
soap added; if you proceed
with this method the oor
must be rinsed with hot,
clean water to remove any
trace of the soap. Several rinses (2-3 rinses)
are normally required for
this procedure which is
why most people choose
not to use this method of
cleaning; this format is
recommended only a few
times per year (2-4 times
per year)
8. After a damp mop, it is wise to
wipe the oors dry to remove
any concerns about water spots
left behind on the oor

The WRONG way shows how

these products will damage your
oor:

#1 WORST thing to use is

Murphys Oil Soap will ruin
the most expensive nish in-

side of a year or two and there

is no way to apply more nish
to save the oor; the only cure
for Murphys = new ooring
All Purpose cleaners are not
to be used on nished wood
oors; they can to be used on
glass, ceramic/porcelain/cement tiles and metal but NOT
WOOD!
Natural All Purpose cleaning
products are as bad as their
chemical cousins; they are

not meant for anthing other

than glass, cement or metal
Natural Cleaning products
are often derived from oil
based soaps which puts these
products in the same oor
killing category as Murphys
Oil Soap; best to avoid these
products
Oil Based cleaners or shine
products such as Mop&Glo
or Orange Glo; these prod-

ucts leave heavy residues that

rank in the same category as
Murphys Oil Soap and should
never be used on wood surfaces
ever!
Steam Cleaners will cook
the nish to the point where it
will turn white and hazy; this
is quite common and often
requires the oor to be fully
sanded and renished which
means you will loose the pretty
pattern and the colour of the
cork you paid plenty of money
for; or the cheapest option is
to rip out the oor and install
another oor while at the same
time throwing out the steam
cleaner
Swier style spray mops
are not designed for polyurethane or urethane oors; they
are allowed on ceramic/porcelain/cement tiles, linoleum and
sheet vinyl but NOT WOOD!
Oil, wax or polishes should
be avoided They are inappropriate for Forna cork ooring
products

These are the basics of How to

Clean Cork Floors. Most of these
products are heavily advertised
with pretty pictures of the product
being used on wood oors but the
reality is that very few are acceptible for use with wood or cork.

WORD SEARCH - THE HOODS

(05. The Orange Blossom)

T Z Z U W R U S K K S B V S P H H X B D
W A T E R S O U N D E X A W I C T F A U
T X Q K Z N E T E A I N W V T A M B I N
D Y C F B T Y C C D T P O F I E V X R E
G Z N V T F Z H O A O A E D N B I O W A
M N H C A E B Y R A M E S O R N L Q T L
N B I H T X U O M G Q H P Y P O E J Y L
R Q Z A C J S E U I L O T D C T V T R E
S N F R T A S L S P R P R R N Y O E F N
C U A H B N F A K G O A E X X A R C F R
X N F E E P U B N L E T M N F R G D S T
J T A T L M H O O D A P S A P G A M E T
C C O A F Z H O M W E R A H R N E W A T
H Z C T E L N I X E F S I C K S S G S G
U E D U N E S I D E U J T T S J Q E I I
H C A E B S Y L A W L L S I O A R W D M
R X S U H I N C M Y O Q B Q N C E I E A
F N Z V Y D X V U K U F X N A M H S G Z
S E H F K Z L H U B K U N E S G Z Y W A
J V E L K H L X H V E V S K W H E O E J

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October 2015

South Walton County Projects

County Project:
US 98 & CR 395 Improvements
Project Manager: Greg Graham
Email: harjim@co.walton.fl.us
Project Phase: Will start construction after Labor day
Last Update: August 19, 2015
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
____________________________
Operational Issues have been
identified over the last several years
with the existing trac volumes being experienced at the intersection
of CR 395 & US 98. This four-way
intersection is currently controlled
by overhead mast trac signals.

Public Works has had an operational trac analysis done on the

intersection and the following has
been determined: A) Southbound:
a free flow right turn lane on
CR 395 and B) Northbound: an exclusive left turn lane on CR 395 will
relieve operational issues currently
being experienced.
This project provided Board approval, is to be funded through the
use of US 98 Proportionate Fair
Share monies.
www.co.walton.fl.us

Road Improvement Projects Scheduled for Betty Street, Buddy Street,

and Vicki Street
Walton County Public Works is
scheduled to begin road improvement projects on Betty Street, Buddy Street, and Vicki Street beginning September 8, 2015.
These roads are located in the
Gulfview Heights Subdivision south
of CR30A and east of Gulfview
Heights Street. These road improvement projects will include drainage
improvements, utility relocations,

and paving of the existing unimproved roads.

The roads to be improved are
scheduled to remain open to trac
during construction; however, some
minor delays may be expected.
Weather permitted, these projects
are scheduled for completion by
late December or early January. The
public is encouraged to use caution
while traveling in this area.
If there are any questions regarding
these projects please call Walton
County Public Works at 892-8108.

October 2015

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Page 5

Simple Steps to Safeguard Your Second Home

(NewsUSA) Water damage is the
second most common reason for
homeowners to file claims with
their insurance companies; only
home fires are associated with more
damage and more claims. Water
damage can stem from a variety of
sources, including leaking water
heaters, ruptured washing machine hoses, leaky pipes and failed
plumbing systems. These leaks
can cause flooding that can stain
ceilings, warp floors and destroy
personal property anywhere in the
home.

ranging from $15,000 to $30,000.

Another consequence of leaks and

water damage: mold. Indoor mold
is an additional source of damage
that, according to the Insurance
Information Institute, costs the
average $3,000 to $4,000; while
water damage combined with mold
yields homeowner insurance claims

Not only is
mold almost
impossible to remove, it contributes to poor air quality in the
home, which can cause health
problems for homeowners with
allergies or asthma. Even non-allergic individuals may experience skin

Mold can damage walls, stain ceilings, ruin carpeting and damage
home ventilation systems.
Mold also has the potential to
damage personal items, including personal
electronics,
clothing with
sentimental
value (such
as a wedding
dress) and fine
art.

and eye irritation or respiratory

problems in moldy environments.
Although visible mold can be
cleaned from walls, and moldy rugs
can be replaced, homeowners with
mold problems must consider how
to reduce or control the moisture
content in
the home.
An automatic water
shut-off
system can
help stop
mold before
it starts by
identifying
leaks before they lead to major
water damage. One example of
such a system, FloLogic, acts as a
circuit breaker for home plumbing. The System shuts off the water
when it detects a leak, whether it

is a pinhole leak, running faucet or

malfunctioning appliance causing a flood. The FloLogic System
automatically shuts off the water
and alerts the homeowner with an
alarm so the leak can be identified
and repaired as soon as possible,
limiting the water damage.
Homeowners who install and use
a system such as FloLogic may be
able to avoid the costly insurance
claims associated with water damage. Some homeowners insurance
companies recognize the benefits of
such systems and may offer discounts to homeowners who install
devices to protect against water
damage.
Visit www.flologic.com for more
details about how the FloLogic
System works.

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(06. Ernest Hemingway)

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A NAME YOU CAN TRUST

The Premier Group is an innovative full-service real estate
company based in Destin, Florida. The companys reach extends from the beach to key markets in the Southeast including Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston to
name a few. The Premier Development Group, a subsidiary
of The Premier Group, is one of the most substantial development companies along the Gulf Coast with five significant
developments in various stages stretched from Destin, Florida to the east end of Highway 30A.

October 2015

October 2015

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October 2015

Are dome homes the next big thing?

There is, however,

a growing sector of
housing that bucks this
most basic structural
element -- the dome
home.
The domes shape and
inherent structural
integrity make it both
stronger and more
energy-ecient than
a typical family home.
Domes can withstand
powerful winds and
strong earthquakes.
Concrete domes have
been known to survive flying debris as big as cars and
direct hits from bombs.
They are practically indestructible, said Johnny Delirious, spokesman for Monolithic Dome Institute
in Texas, a company that has been
building the domes for nearly 50
years. Anyone who wants one
wants it for the protection first.
Concrete monolithic domes are
the safest of the dome homes. Built
out of concrete over an air form,
these homes can look as simple as a
bubble over the earth or as complex
as a luxury mansion with a curved
roof.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency rates them as having
near-absolute protection from F5
tornadoes and Category 5 hurricanes. They have withstood wildfires in Arizona and California and
survived direct hits from Hurricane
Katrina and tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas.

Geodesic domes, made by assembling triangular building materials, are similarly protective but
with so many seams dont have

Spaceship Earth dome at Disney

World. Advocates of Buckminsters
idea went on to build their own
dome homes before selling the concept to the public.
The buildings are
economical, costing
about $120 to $150
per square foot,
which is in line with
the cost to build
an average house,
though their builders say they would
cost less if they were
mass-produced like
the average home.

the exact same strength as their

cement counterparts. They are just
as energy-ecient, offering owners
savings of around 50 percent, said
Blair Wolfram,
general manager of Dome
Incorporated
in Minnesota,
a company that
builds domes.

The problem with

the unusualness of
the dome is all the
custom work that goes into it,
Wolfram said.
The custom parts and custom

The construction industry is like

the fashion industry, they want
things to follow trends, Delirious said. Neighborhoods have
homes looking a certain way and
thats what we want. We dont want
neighborhoods to drop in value by
building something weird like a
dome.
Getting financing for a home like
this, as well as pricing it for resale,
can be dicult.
The comparable sale is the problem, Wolfram said. You dont
want to get pigeonholed into a
category of housing, so I tell people
to list it as a custom home.
The homes attract a group
thats willing to stretch their
imaginations as to what a
home looks like, and that
means that those with
dome homes have a niche
audience to sell to. That
may be one of the reasons
that builders are mostly
seeing people buying them
as second homes that they
intend to live in throughout
their lives, and can typically
finance themselves.

What attracted me to the

geodesic dome
is that it is
simply the most
energy-ecient
home you can
build, he said.
Wolfram, like
Monolithic owner David South,
was inspired by prolific architect
Buckminster Fuller, who first popularized the geodesic dome in the
1940s and 1950s and inspired the
most well-known geo-dome, the

despite the great strides the industry has made in mixing in common
architectural elements to smooth
out the domes unique look, there
is no hiding the distinct look of a
curved building that the eye thinks
should be square.

work drives up their cost. Besides

that, domes simply dont look like
the home most Americans dream
about.
The dome home is an oddity and

10 x 2

Despite the limitations,

both companies have seen steady
growth.
This is the home of the future,
Wolfram said.
(02. Castle at Gomdan, Yemon)

Look at most any home in America

and they all have at least one thing
in common: Four walls.

October 2015
(04. Fairview)

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Page 9

Worlds First 3D Printed Oce Building, Complete With

3D Printed Furniture & Interior To Be Built in Dubai
[3dprint.com]

By now the thought of a 3D printed

structure like a home or an apartment building doesnt surprise
most of us. After all, we know for a
fact that several ambitious projects
to construct
such structures are
currently
underway.
With that
said, the
majority
of these
buildings
only utilize
3D printing
for their exterior walls, as sort of a
replacement for the use of concrete
block or wood framing.

year in China, as well as Gensler,

be assembled on the build site,

Thornton Thomasetti, and Syska

located at a busy intersection right

Hennessy, all which are leading

in the heart of Dubai. They will

engineering and architecture firms.

use Special Reinforced Concrete

This project reflects the vision of

(SRC), Fiber Reinforced Plastic

This morning, however, the United

Arab Emirates National Innovation
Committee has revealed a project
which will take things a step or two
further. The committee, as well as
Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, UAE
Vice-President
and Prime Minister and Ruler
of Dubai, wants
to transform
the UAE into a
technological
center of the
world when
it comes to
architecture and
design, and has set forth a plan to
3D print an entire oce building.
Not only will the exterior walls be
printed, but so too will the interior
walls, and furniture.

ing buildings was once a dream,

Once complete, the building, will

but today it has become a reality,

be used for a variety of purposes

he added. This building will be a

and will feature its very own 3D

testimony to the eciency and cre-

printing exhibition inside. This is

ativity of 3D printing technology,

the first major project undertaken

which we believe will play a major

by the Museum of the Future, a

Leading this project will be

WinSun Global, a company who
has 3D printed an apartment
building as well as a home late last

(FRP), and Glass

Fiber Reinforced
Gypsum (GRG)
to fabricate the
various structural and decorative
components of
the structure.
Total construction time will be
just a few weeks,
our leadership here in Dubai, Al

while labor costs will be reduced by

Gergawi, the Chairman of the UAE

50-80% and construction waste will

National Innovation Committee

be reduced between 30-60%.d3

explained. The idea of 3D print-

museum that
began construction earlier in
the year, with
the promise that
3D printing will
be utilized in its
creation.
It will be very
interesting to
role in reshaping construction and

see just what else spawns from this

design sectors. We aim to take ad-

project as Dubai aims to make a

vantage of this growth by becoming

statement to the world about its

a global hub for innovation and

technological prowess. It is also

3D printing. This is the first step of

interesting to note that Winsun will

many more to come.

be printing this oce on-location

rather than printing single walls

To print the 2,000 square foot

and shipping them to the construc-

building, engineers will use a

tion site, like they did with their

20-foot tall 3D printer, which will

other printed structures.

1/4
page

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October 2015

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Page 11

5 Ticking Time Bombs Every Homeowner Should Know About

THE FOUNDATION
Why Its Explosive: Houses settle.
But not all settling is the same. A
lot of times people will ignore the
cracks in the brick veneer on the
outside of the house, even when
they get to be a half-inch or more,
says Bill Loden, incoming president
of the American Society of Home
Inspectors (ASHI). Even though
that brick is often just the skin
of the house, a crack that large can
signal much deeper problems with
a moving foundation, Loden says.
Caught early, a repair might cost a
few thousand dollars. Caught too
late, the tab could run $20,000 to
$50,000.
Snuff the Fuse: Some cracks in your
house are essentially cosmetic, the
result of natural settling. When is
a crack something more? If you
see a crack big enough to put a
No. 2 pencil in, youre looking at
a problem, says Loden, owner of
Huntsville, Alabama-based Insight
Building Inspection. Other signs of
trouble: a tilting chimney or windows and doors that stick or jam,
which can be caused by a moving
foundation that is twisting their
frames. If you suspect foundation
issues, hire a structural engineer to
evaluate your house, Loden says.

THE SEPTIC SYSTEM

Why Its Explosive: Homeowners
who have septic tanks dont always
like to think about them, Loden
says. Thats a mistake. A septic

Generally speaking, a septic system

breaks down the solids and liquefies them. The liquid then goes out
into lines and is dispersed into the
surrounding ground. But other materials also reach the septic tank
from sanitary napkins and cigarette
butts to foodstuffs such as coffee
grounds and grease (particularly if
you have a garbage disposal). Over

time, the baffles that stop the larger

solids from going into the lines
can get blocked. If that happens,
the system can back up into your
house. Thats not a check engine
light; thats an engine failure light,
Loden says. Thats when you end
up with a backhoe in your yard.
Snuff the Fuse: If you have a septic tank, have the tank pumped
every five yearsand if you have
a garbage disposal, you might
want to have it done every three
years, Loden says. In Lodens area
of the South, the cost is between
$300 and $500, he says. Its really
relatively inexpensive to have it
pumped. A lot of those guys will
pump it and inspect it at the same
time. Its particularly cheap when
compared with the cost of digging
up your yard to repair your system,
which can run thousands of dollars
OLD ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
Why Its Explosive: Homes built after World War II, as well as homes
built earlier, didnt have the same
requirements for power that we
do now, Loden says. Homes built
today cant have more than 12 linear feet of space between electrical

outlets. This stipulation was intended to minimize the use of extension

cords, which can cause fires. The
electrical systems of older homes,
particularly those outfitted with
lots of appliances and amenities,
just cant handle modern electrical
demands. Sockets can actually wear
out, and switches, too. Breakers become less reliable as they age. The
upshot can be a fire.
Snuff the Fuse: Probably every
20 years, a home should have a
thorough inspection
of its electrical system,
Loden says. Homes
built prior to 1980
should definitely be
looked at, and another break point in
my regionthe Deep
Southis 1965. There
were a lot of improvements in the 1960s, he
says. You could call an
electrician, although
Loden cautions that
an electrician may see
it as a sales call. Like
any trade, theyre there
to fix things. Another alternative:
Consider calling an experienced
home inspector.
THE CRAWL SPACE
Why Its Explosive: Few homeowners ever pay attention to their crawl
space, that often dank, dirt-floored
area beneath many homes. And
why would they? says Jacques, of
ASHI. But you should, because the
crawl space is sort of a window into
the belly of your home and all its
inner workings, he says. It could
reveal all sorts of problems before
they get bigger:
You might have a leak in the bathroom under the commode or in
a supply line that could be weakening the floor, Jacques says, and
youd never know it until the day
a sag appears in the floor and you
need major repairs.
Termite damage can usually be
seen there before it appears elsewhere.
Many crawl spaces carry the heating and air-conditioning duct work
that runs throughout a house. But
when repairmen clamber about in
Cont. Next Page EXPLOSIVE

Skilled construction Trades

Brick masons and block masons
Carpenters
Tile and marble setters
Cement masons & concrete finishers
Electricians
Roofers
Insulation
Painters, construction and maintenance
Plumbers
Plasterers and stucco masons
Heating, air conditioning

These are just some Construction

Trades.
As a homeowner or rental property
owner finding qualified tradespeople can
sometimes feel like an art more than a
skill.
Theyre out there and well find them
and when we do theyll be featured here.

(03. Finland)

Here are some of the top structural and mechanical time bombs in
your home that experts say have
the potential to blow up and are
worth squelching nowbefore the
big boom.

Snuff the Fuse:

Some people
say, Ive got a
20-year shingle,
its gonna last 20
years. Well, no
its not, Jacques
says. I would
just recommend
that about every
five years they
have the roof
inspected. One
of the telltale
signs of a wearing roof is coarse
sand pooling at the base of gutter
downspouts; the sand is most likely
the granules of the shingles washing off. If you see a lot of it, then its
a good idea to have someone climb
higher. If you can safely get on the
roof (be careful!) and the surface
feels slippery, thats another sign
that the shingle material is coming
off, Jacques says.
You can find evidence of additional
problems under the roof. Water
will usually enter the attic first.
Hire an inspector, or look for stains
around the chimney and the stack
vents, or around other venting
pipes that exit the house. Those are
places where the metal flashing can
fail, says Jacques. Also, look around
the attic for wet and/or damaged
insulation. Discovering issues early
on could mean the difference between repair and replacementor
a few hundred dollars rather than
thousands.

tank is gonna work until the day it

quits, he quips.

From Previous Page EXPLOSIVE

this cramped space, over time they

might cause some damage to the
insulation or to the duct work. So
you could be pumping your nice
cold air into
the crawl
space itself,
Jacques says.
Snuff the
Fuse: Jacques
recommends that a
homeowner
periodically
spend a few minutes with a flashlight looking inside the crawl space
as a precautionary measure.
He also recommends occasionally
hiring a home inspector to do a
more thorough examination of the
space. An inspector can look for
leaks in plumbing and find faulty
or damaged duct work and worrisome wiring. As well, while often
not licensed to inspect for termites,
an inspector usually knows enough
to point out suspected trouble and
recommend treatment or repair.
(08. Saint Augustine)

There are some maintenance and

repair issues that homeowners just
hate to deal witheither because
they take time, or cost money, or
just dont seem, well, urgent.But
some of these problems can become ticking time bombs, poised to
explode if theyre not defused early,
when they are more like firecrackers than bombs.

THE ROOF
Why Its Explosive: Most people
dont pay any attention to their
roof until they see water coming
through the ceiling! says Bill
Jacques, outgoing president of the
American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and owner of American Inspection Service in Charleston, S.C. But if you see drips in
your living room, the problem
is already far gone. A new roof
could cost you probably $8,000
to $10,000,
Jacques says.

(07. Thomas Edison)

Youve done everything you can to

make your house picture-perfect,
but dont forget about the real big
picture. Maintenance and repair
issues that may lurk beneath your
beautiful facade could turn any
dream home into a nightmare on
Elm Street.

(09. Clearwater)

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October 2015