The Record Homescape 06-06-2019 | Page 2

2H ❚ THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019 ❚ THE RECORD P HOMESCAPE / ADVERTISING SECTION Bulletin Board YOU CAN BE IN HOMESCAPE! We invite our readers to submit photos and background information for four of our regular monthly features: q CALENDAR n “MY HOME PROJECT” — Do you love tackling home improvement challenges? Is it your idea of fun to build shelves, stencil walls or refinish furniture? Maybe you’ve even renovat- ed a large area on your own! If you can provide a short write up and high qual- ity “before” and “after” photos of one of your projects, we’d like to share them with our readers. n “MANSPACE” — Have you created a unique retreat in your home with a décor that caters to your special interests, whether they involve sports, symphonies, stamp collecting, etc.? “Scouting shots” are OK for this fea- ture, because if your Manspace fits our criteria we’ll have our photographer photograph your space. n “COLLECTIONS or FAMILY HEIRLOOMS” — Are you an ardent collector of interesting items that fit a theme and are integrated into your home décor, or have you discovered a family heirloom that you’ve restored for display? We’d love to see your col- lection or learn about your heirloom’s special history. NEW JERSEY PUBLIC GARDEN DAY CELEBRATION TOUR Dr. Edith Wallace will offer a garden tour to celebrate “New Jersey Public Garden and Arboretum Day,” designated as June 7 by the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly. There will also be a short video and a display of current blooms available. New Jersey Botanical Garden and the members of the New Jersey State Garden Consortium invite you to visit the many beautiful nature spaces in the region. Meet at the Carriage House; wear sturdy shoes. Free, donations welcomed. Friday, June 7, 1 p.m. HOME DEPOT WORKSHOPS During June, most Home Depot stores in North Jersey will present several hands-on learning workshops with professional advice. To participate, visit homedepot.com, check your local store and register online. Following are the workshops for June: Edible and Raised Garden Beds Play in the dirt all summer and taste the results of your hard work with an edible garden. In this workshop, green-thumbed store associates will review edible plants that thrive in your region and hardiness zone, show the tools you need to tend to your garden and teach you how to spot the Contact James Emolo, Homescape editor, at [email protected]. perfect location and build your own raised garden beds. You’ll learn tips on how to prepare and maintain nutrient-rich soil and select plants that work well together and tricks to repel invasive insects, minimize weeds and keep intruders from snacking on your edible landscape so that you can collect a bountiful harvest. Saturday, June 15, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Charging Station Maximize space and charge your family’s devices with a rustic-style charging station during the hands-on workshop. Experienced store associates will show you how to measure, cut, stain and assemble a charging station that hides unsightly cords and fea- tures multiple hubs to charge several devices at once. In addition, store associates will demonstrate safe practices in using common project power tools and can help you shop for everything you need to create your own project at home. Thursday, June 20, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Installing Wall Tile Pick up the skills you need to successfully install wall tile. This workshop will cover tile trends — as wall tile isn’t limited to bathrooms — options, selections and supplies you will need to complete your tile project and avoid common installation setbacks like tile sag. Saturday, June 22, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Area resident’s book highlights beauty of barns M idland Park resident and master pho- tographer Jeffrey Steccato of Haviland Photography has announced the release of his new book, Barns Across America: A Photographic Journey. The book takes readers on a nostalgic journey across America with photographs that highlight the unique beauty of barns. The tour of the American rural landscape includes over 200 images of dairy barns, round barns, tobacco barns and more. Readers will learn about the roles each barn type has played in history and what makes each one unique. Barns Across America: A Photographic Journey is available on Amazon.com and at Haviland Photography, located at 686 Godwin Ave. in Midland Park. It will be released at local Barnes & Noble stores on Aug. 15. For more information, visit www.havilandstudio.com. EDITOR James Emolo ASSISTANT EDITOR Joseph Ritacco PHOTO COURTESY OF SWINGSET & TOY WAREHOUSE NORTH JERSEY MEDIA GROUP 1 Garret Mountain Plaza, PO Box 471 Woodland Park, NJ 07424 Swingset & Toy Warehouse in Upper Saddle River offers backyard play sets made of cedar (pictured), redwood and vinyl. Slides, swings, baby swings, trapeze bars, and rock climbing walls are among the many accessories available, depending on budget and space. Abel Santos, manager of Swingset & Toy Warehouse, said, “Vinyl lasts longer, and nothing ever goes wrong with it, but most people seem to pre- fer the traditional wood color.” ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT PRODUCED BY THE ADVERTORIAL DEPARTMENT OF THE RECORD AND HERALD NEWS To advertise, call 973-569-7800 For content, call 973-569-7895 or email [email protected] Copyright © 2019 North Jersey Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduc- tion in whole or in part without permis- sion of NJMG is strictly prohibited. Backyard playgrounds: STOCK & CUSTOM CABINETS Age-appropriate accessories will entertain kids for years to come CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1H 3 5 Contractors Welcome Landlords Welcome SALES TAX NEW! LUXURY VINYL FLOORING • Waterproof • Pet Proof • Floating • Rigid Core • Click Lock Subway Tiles As $ 75 Low As ESTIMATE & Design services Just bring us your measurements. 1 In Stock SQ. FT. Granite As $ 00 Low As 35 Installed SQ. FT. LOW BUDGET TO FULL CUSTOM CABINETRY 50% OFF Most American Brand Cabinets Convenient open stock from our warehouse inventory Sterl Kitchens Co. Inc. Family Owned & Operated Since 1945 73 YEARS OF SAVINGS, SELECTION & SERVICE WWW.STERLKITCHENS.COM 5426 TONNELLE AVENUE US . 1&9 NORTH NORTH BERGEN • 201.866.7999 Wholesale/Retail Showroom Hours: Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri 9am-5pm • Thurs 9am-8pm OPEN SATURDAY 9-3 CLOSED SUNDAY NR-0004324278-05 moisture, humidity and damage from insects, especially when treated with a paint or finish. Among the cedar play- ground models is the Backyard Adventure Combo Set, featuring a tree house, trapeze bar, monkey bars, fireman’s pole, rock wall and tire swing. Redwood play sets available at Swingset & Toy Warehouse are aesthetically pleasing and durable. They cost more than cedar, but are considerably stronger – resistant to rot, decay and insect damage — and just as eco-friendly. From simple swingsets to more elaborate backyard play sets with bridges, forts and tree houses, redwood wooden swingsets are fully customizable. With safety in mind, Swingset & Toy Warehouse also sells rubber mulch in a variety of colors. Unlike other playground surface materials, rubber mulch does not compact or turn into a hard surface, even after frequent use. It is non-toxic and provides superior fall protection, keeping playgrounds safe through many years of use. Homeowners should also be mindful of the space and slope of their properties, particularly if space is limited. It is advisable to lean on the expertise of professionals. “I don’t always trust pictures [of a property],” said Santos. “I personally go there to give customers as much as I can in the space they have.” Of utmost importance is the perimeter surrounding the backyard playground, which should be at least six feet from any fences or other barriers. The slope of the property is important as well, Samolowicz added, as the sets need to remain level. “There are a lot of hilly properties in the area,” he said. “We can level the sets a little by digging into the ground or installing longer posts on the slope, but if there’s a steep grade on a hill, you need a professional landscaper, which can be costly and time-consuming.” Space-saving techniques can be used to make sure customers are getting the playground experience they want. “We go to people’s houses and check their yards,” said Santos. “We try to simplify what they are looking for and fit it into the space they have.” Swingset & Toy Warehouse sells a variety of space-savers, including free- standing units that are ideal for smaller yards or townhome spaces. Samolowicz added that slight adjustments can be made to designs if space is a tight. “In properties with smaller yards, we can tweak the sets to be space-savers,” he said. “For example, we can install a ladder on the back of the set rather than the side in order to reduce the width a little.” Recent trends in backyard playgrounds include more accessories – windows, bridges and other “knick-knacks,” as Samolowicz described them. NJ Swingsets offers a host of accessories, including basketball hoops, trampolines, monkey bars, tire swings, sandboxes, rock walls and picnic tables. Swingset & Toy Warehouse also offers trampolines and basketball hoops, as well as toddler swings, telescopes, periscopes, water cannons and trapeze bars. For do-it-yourselfers, local Home Depot stores are stocked with backyard playground equipment and accessories, with in-store specialists available to assist customers and instructional videos on the company’s website. The company prides itself on helping homeowners create safe places for their children to play, allowing them to not only have fun, but also exercise and develop motor skills. The beauty of outdoor playground equipment, the experts at Home Depot point out, is that it can grow with a child. Parents purchasing playground equipment for preschoolers might decide to start with an infant swing or bucket swing, glider and a toddler slide. As the child gets older, they can switch out the accessories by upgrading that infant swing to a standard belt swing and graduate from the toddler slide to a larger, faster slide. The possibilities for a backyard playground are truly endless, but the spring and summer seasons are not. “The biggest rush is Memorial Day,” said Samolowicz, “followed by the end of the school year.” The time is now for interested home- owners to create play areas that fit their properties and their budgets.