Client News

BigTreeSupply.com: Popular Trees For Creating Privacy

by Ross Latham

Screening trees are becoming more and more necessary as houses are getting closer and closer together. Let’s face it, we like our privacy and fences can only provide so much. This is where privacy trees come into play. Our saying here at Big Trees is “Big Trees Make Great Neighbors.” Whether it’s a solid row of evergreens or a strategically placed deciduous tree, this article will help you determine what options are available and what choices are best for your particular situation.

Best Pick for Small Planting Spaces: Emerald Green Arborvitae

One of the most popular trees for screening is the emerald green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘emerald green’). The emerald green arborvitae and the pyramidalis are different varieties of the same genus and species of tree. The emerald green has become the more popular choice over the years because it maintains a nicer shape as it matures. However, the pyramidalis are still effective screening trees.

The emerald green is a dense evergreen that maintains its deep green color all year. Because of its columnar growth habit, and limited spread, the emerald green is a great selection for small planting spaces.

If planted correctly, emerald greens will form a low maintenance solid hedge. The dense and columnar growth habit of emerald greens means that they require little maintenance and no pruning. However, emeralds can easily be sheared back to limit their spread and the tops can be trimmed to create uniform heights. Emerald greens are often planted on two to three foot centers. This means that there will be two or three feet between each tree trunk. Selecting a wider spacing means that you save on cost but you will have to wait for the hedge to become solid.

Emerald greens mature to be 15-20’ tall by 3-4’ wide. They thrive in full sun and in moist but well drained soils. When planted in shady areas, emerald greens have a tendency to thin out and develop patchy brown spots. The one down side to the emerald green is that they are slow growing. On average they will grow about 6-8” annually. Attention to irrigation and proper fertilization can help promote growth.

Best Picks for larger Planting Spaces: Leyland Cypress and Excelsa Cedars

Both the leyland cypress and the excelsa cedars make excellent screening trees. They are fast growing trees that can be hedged or maintained at a smaller size if necessary. The leyland cypress can seem less than impressive initially but they get big and full fast. Once established the leyland cypress can grow 3’ per year and the excelsa cedars trail slightly at 2’ per year.

Leyland cypress mature to be 50’ tall by 20’ wide and the excelsa matures to be 40’ tall by 12’ wide. Both are often planted on five to twelve foot centers. Our Big Tree horticulturalists can help you determine the best spacing for your particular situation and your long term landscape goals.

The leyland cypress thrives in full sun whereas the excelsa cedar will thrive in full sun to shade. Other, larger evergreen tree option are; castlewellan cypress, virescens cedar, Douglas fir, western red cedar, pines and incense cedar.

Broadleaf Evergreens

Broadleaf evergreens are leafy trees that maintain their foliage year round. Our most popular types of broadleaf evergreen used for screening are the Portuguese and English laurels. Both mature to be close to 20’ tall by 15’ wide. They can grow one to two feet per year.

Deciduous Trees

Deciduous trees, or trees that drop their leaves in fall, are often overlooked for screening purposes. We suggest them regularly here at Big Trees tree nurseries because they can give you coverage when you are outside in the summer and they let light into your house in the winter. Deciduous trees often are the right shape for screening, wide at the top narrow at the base unlike evergreens which are mostly cone shaped, wide at the base and narrow at the top. Deciduous trees give you coverage when you need it and where you need it and often when they are bare in the winter the branch structure alone can create a good visual block. Some deciduous trees are better screeners than others. Trees like the thundercloud plum or ornamental pears have dense branch structure and they leaf out early and they hold their leaves longer than other deciduous trees making them excellent screening trees.

We hope this helps you narrow down the search for the perfect screening tree. Please contact us if you have any questions. We can help you pick the best trees for your particular situation and budget.

 

Tax Reform – What Would I Do?

by William D. Truax - www.truax.net 

There’s a debate ongoing in Washington concerning tax reform. This was last done in 1986 and was done to simplify a tax system encrusted with special rates, exceptions, loopholes, deductions and credits for special interests. The idea was simple; close up most of the loopholes and abolish most of the special credits and deductions and in doing so raise so much revenue that one could then dramatically lower rates across the boards for all taxpayers.

It worked fairly well. The last years of the 20th century and the first few years of the 21st were the last flush of prosperity that we had as a nation. Since then, the economy has fallen into a deep pit which the Federal Reserve is trying to float it up out of by filling the pit with newly-minted money. So far, that’s not working too well, unless you view the not-so-gradual devaluation of the dollar and impending inflation as important policy achievements.

Even though the last big tax reform worked fairly well, politicians being who they are and the system being what it is, it was too much to expect that the tax system would not soon be re-encumbered by another load of chaotic special interest legislation enacted mainly to assist politicians to buy votes with public money.

And so, 25 years after our income tax system was reformed and simplified with the idea of making it reasonably fair and comprehensible, it’s once again totally out of hand. I do this stuff for a living and I hardly know what to make of it.

Not only that, but the boys in Washington are getting nervous. They’ve been running the numbers, and things don’t look too cheery. If all the taxes to which we, as Americans, are subject were to be doubled overnight, it would just about be enough to cover the deficit and our future commitments. Of course, life doesn’t exactly work like that. As an example, it’s easy to say that General Motors could become wildly profitable overnight by simply doubling the price of each car they sell, but don’t you think the price increase might have a small effect on sales? The more likely effect of an overnight doubling of prices would be bankruptcy in short order, as sales collapsed to almost nothing.

Well, saying that our government could double it’s income by simply doubling all its taxes is just about as glibly optimistic. You can safely bet that a doubling of taxes would result in some rapid and significant changes, the overall effect of which would not be to significantly increase tax revenue. We would more likely become a nation of rebels, both overt and covert, before we would quietly submit to such a monumental shearing. Remember your history, folks; the system of “from each according to his ability and to each according to his means” was tried really, really hard for about a century and really, really failed, police states notwithstanding.

So, let’s look at this as if we were politicians in Washington and had to come up with something which looked or sounded like a solution. Would would we do? We can’t just double taxes without setting off a revolt, so what other choices do we have? Maybe…….tax reform?

From the point of view of a rational economic system, we certainly could come up with a different and more effective tax system which would enable a rapid increase in our Gross National Product (GNP); enable a higher stream of tax collections out of that higher GNP; and provide for more overall prosperity for the populace, but hey, we’re elected politicians. We have to go with something somewhat familiar which all the special interests will find acceptable. So, how do we tinker up what we already got while calling it reform in order to squeeze a few more bucks out of it?

Here’s a few ideas of what I think might be likely to happen:

* Abolish the special rates on capital gains and dividend income. This is easy. We can trumpet the beneficial effect of an overall lowering of rates to those who actually have to pay the tax, which playing the “soak the rich” card to all those feeding at the public trough. We can buy enough votes to pass this one and reap higher overall taxes on investment income.

* Re-do the depreciation system for businesses. Get rid of all this current-year deduction stuff and force all assets to be depreciated in a few classes over a tightly-regulated period of years. Once again, we’d have to sell this to those who actually pay the tax by touting the overall reduction in rates, but beating the drum for simplification and rate reduction should be enough to get them to go along.

* How about reducing tax breaks for oil and gas companies? Nah…we may have some issues soon with some of our Middle-Eastern friends, and will need whatever oil can be squeezed out of American wells. We also need their dollars for our re-election campaigns.

* Abolish the current ability of American corporations to defer the taxation of foreign profits until the money is brought back into the U.S. Let’s make it all taxable now. We’d have to ignore the fact that we would become almost the only country in the world to tax the worldwide income of our domestic corporations, but that’s just a PR point. This provision would also have the effect of turning the USA into the world’s biggest “negative tax haven” and tend to drive out lots of businesses, but we can just make it illegal for them to leave. Depending on how it’s handled, the potential “profits” (can you call tax proceeds a profit?) are huge. Maybe we can phase it in gradually enough to make it (barely) palatable while promising lower overall rates, which we can just raise in a few years anyway. Brilliant.

* Let’s get rid of the ceiling on the wage base for Social Security taxes. Right now, we only tax about the first $106,000 of earned income for Social Security purposes, but the system is going broke. We need to be able to keep the promises we’ve made to generations of Americans, and if it means a moderate tax increase on a few rich people, it’s a small price to pay for our future economic security. Not only that, it’s potentially a lot of money and it should be easy to line up the votes.

* Let’s also abolish the tax break that owners of small business corporations get on the profits from their corporations. Right now, they only pay Social Security and Medicare tax on the income they earn from their actual work for the corporation, but not the profits of the corporation. Both Social Security and Medicare are in desperate need of funds, and we tend to think that all this chit-chat about small business being the biggest creators of jobs and economic activity in the country is overstated. Why should their profits only be subject to one level of taxation when the country is in a financial crisis? Plus, they’re not organized very well and probably don’t have the votes to stop us.

* Hmmmm………..while we’re on the subject, could we possibly subject corporate dividends to Social Security and Medicare tax? Oops. Too many negative votes here and too much bad press to overcome. Never mind.

* Penalties! This is a good one. After all, the country is in rough shape and needs us all to pitch in, and we’re going to make the tax system so simple a child could comply. So, let’s get serious with those shiftless deadbeats who aren’t paying their fair share (or paying it quickly enough) and impose penalties for each and every deviation from prescribed behavior, and make these penalties serious enough to cause nosebleeds. Of course, the fact that our eager tax collectors will use their newfound authority to impose penalties on almost anything that moves is simply a unavoidable side effect of the medication for the body-politic. I guess you could think of this as a sort of economic chemotherapy.

* Maybe we could abolish the mortgage interest deduction and replace it with a credit which would phase out for higher-income taxpayers. We’d have to be careful with this one and drop it like a hot potato if the PR doesn’t work and the middle class (or what’s left of it) starts getting upset. However, if we can get the public to buy off on it, maybe as part of a package of promises, we can always tinker with the thing later if we need more cash.

* Here’s another possibility – charitable donations. If you look at it for a minute, all those organizations are doing is the government’s work anyway, so why should we be handing out a tax break for funding them when we need the money more than they do? It’s already illegal for them to lobby or try to influence legislation, so they’re limited in what they can do to stop this, PR-wise. If we pitch this right, maybe allowing the deduction but limiting it to 10% of income or something reasonable, we can get most folks to go along. After all, who gives away more than 10% of their income except crackpots?

Well, there’s few money-raising ideas for you, and a few things to consider if you value your wealth. Let the taxpayer beware.

 

BostonBrick.com: Neighborhoods are Different

By Jo Lauricella

I have always enjoyed looking at neighborhoods and trying to figure out what makes them different from other neighborhoods.

I first discovered this game in New York City. I took the subway to an area, got off and walked to the next subway stop. I got back on the subway and got off one or two stops later. Even as I climbed the stairs to the street I could feel the difference. New neighborhood, new feel, new look. I got caught up in the differences and yet how similar each neighborhood was.

I did not grow up in Los Angeles, and before I moved here I had the "Hollywood" impression of "LA LA Land". Nothing could be further from the truth. I have traveled all over Los Angeles County in my job as the Marketing Manager for Boston Brick & Stone. I get the opportunity to visit Real Estate Offices all over the County and have found an amazing diversity in neighborhoods. Just like New York City some of the diversity comes from ethnic differences, although more and more neighborhoods are ethnically and culturally blended. Yet there are still fascinating, though subtle differences.

Los Angeles has one difference from New York City, and that is the effect of earthquakes on different neighborhoods. Masonry construction in earthquake country has unique challenges and because Boston Brick & Stone specializes in Chimneys, I have had to learn a great deal about earthquakes and their effects.

Earthquakes shake, grind, heave and shift the ground. It is the geology of the ground affected by the quake which in turn affects the building sitting on that ground. This means that some neighborhoods are affected and others just a block away are not. There was a 4.5 quake in Chino a couple of years ago. A two or three square block area had a lot of chimney damage; the rest of the area was virtually undamaged.

If you are an Angelino, take a walk through a neighborhood and look up. Do you see chimneys with mushroom chimney caps on them? If you do that is a sure sign the chimney has been rebuilt since the Northridge Earthquake. If you are seeing a lot of these mushroom caps, chances are the neighborhood was hit hard by an earthquake. If a home in that neighborhood does not have a mushroom chimney cap there are three possibilities: first the chimney is not damaged (unlikely), or the chimney had a full reinforced masonry rebuild that allows for a variety of chimney caps, or the chimney is broken and has never been rebuilt.

I still play the neighborhood game every time I visit New York City. As I am now a true Angelino, visiting the Big Apple as I walk and look at the tall buildings, I often think, "thank goodness this Island is not seismically active!"

About Boston Brick

Boston Brick & Stone was founded in October of 1993. It has always been a family-owned business and is now run by Dave and Karen Laverdiere, son-in-law and daughter of Don Hall. Don is the original founder of Boston Brick & Stone and has been one of the most prolific and trusted names in chimney inspections amongst homeowners and real estate agents in Southern California.
Over the last twelve years Boston Brick & Stone has grown to be the most relied upon chimney inspection and repair contractor in the greater Los Angeles area. Many real estate agents would never think of referring clients to any other company because of the long-standing and close relationship they have had with the company over the years.
Boston Brick & Stone has been a featured contractor on HGTV's "Landscaper's Challenge" and on "Backyard Brigade".

 

Identifying and Correcting Draining Problems

By Shawn Kyles

A property owner can experience many different types of drainage issues, including rainwater collecting on the roof or water pooling on the ground.  Drainage problems can affect the structural foundation of your home, and should be identified and repaired immediately. 

Clogged gutters and downspouts can cause rainwater to accumulate on rooftops, which can result in moisture seeping into your house.  When any type of moisture enters a home, it can penetrate existing wall and foundation cracks, weakening the structure even further.  Standing water on a roof can also produce mold and mildew that can prompt asthma attacks, and cause allergies and pneumonia.

Whenever water pools in a yard, it is an indicator of a possible drainage problem. Water pooling can be caused by poor soil conditions or water draining into the yard from another location.  You can also have problems with pooling water due to soil erosion or a yard that isn’t graded properly.

Before any drainage problem can be corrected, the source of the problem must be located.  Rooftop water problems are often the result of rainwater that can’t drain because of clogged gutters and downspouts.  Many times the solution to this problem is to clean your gutters and downspouts, and keep them free of debris.  If necessary, you can also install additional downspouts in problem areas to ensure the water is transported off the roof and away from the house. 

Moisture-retaining soil will expand and cause a foundation to lift and crack. It will also put pressure on vertical walls, which can cause movement. Additional damage can occur when the soil contracts and the foundation settles. Expansive soil can fluctuate in volume by as much as 30% depending on the amount and type of clay in the soil.

One way to fix a standing water problem is to install a French drain, which is trench that contains a drainage pipe or gravel. French drains are used to transport excess water away from your home.  Drainage problems caused by soil conditions can be corrected with chemicals that help prevent expansion.  Other moisture control methods include erecting various types of barriers.

If you already have foundation cracks or settlement, contact a foundation repair expert to inspect your foundation and determine the cause of the problem. If drainage is an issue, you can find out how best to remedy the situation. A skilled foundation repair company can also repair your foundation to prevent slopping floors, bulging walls and windows and doors that won’t shut properly.

Julian Construction Offers 50% Off on Foundation Replacement

Company Says for Older Homes, Often Foundation Replacement is the “Permanent Solution”

Los Angeles: Julian Construction (http://www.julianconstruction.com/), a foundation construction and foundation repair company in Southern California, is offering 50% discount on foundation replacement services through the month of July 2011. The company has been repairing and constructing home foundations since 2001.

Older homes present a problem in that many constructed before 1940 do not meet current standards of foundation construction. Those built up to 1970, while many are bolted properly to the foundation, may have suffered damage over the years needing attention. Julian Construction sees the need to ensure that living in an older home feels safe in the event of an earthquake. That’s why they are offering a 50% discount on foundation replacement.

Julian De La Torre, founder of the company, stated: “Even if a home foundation was built with only stone or brick, or if poor quality concrete was used in the construction, foundation replacement will effectively handle it. Older homes are more likely to have suffered foundation structural damage, even if the original structure was built soundly. In some cases it is possible for a resident to continue living in their home while we reinforce, repair and replace a home’s foundation. Structural damage due to the many earthquakes in Southern California is a real problem. Older homes have been though a lot of that and their foundations are the most at risk. Our team is confident they can give your foundation new strength so you won’t have to worry about that.”

Julian De La Torre has been doing foundation repair and retrofitting buildings since the early 1990s and has personally worked on over 6,600 homes in Southern California. He formed Julian Construction in 2001 with the goal of making safer homes, apartments and commercial properties throughout the region. Julian’s partner Shawn Kyles has inspected over 15,000 structures, working with both engineering firms and local departments of building and safety, and is an expert in foundation repair and house bolting.

Julian Construction owns its own company and is built on a “no middlemen” model – no salesmen, no subcontractors. When you work with Julian Construction you get the principals of the company and workers of Julian Construction under your home.  The result is the highest quality work at affordable prices. They can be contacted by phone at 323 733-3377, by fax at 323 733-4477 or via their website, www.julianconstruction.com. You can see tips and advice about home foundations on their blog, at http://julianconstruction.typepad.com.

Editor Susan Malone Does It Again – Three Books in One Year

Developmental Editor Has Three Client Books Published This Past Year To Rave Reviews

Dallas, TX: Developmental Editor Susan Mary Malone (http://www.maloneeditorial.com/) edited three client manuscripts that have been published in the past 12 months by major publishers. The books have received rave reviews and are achieving major success in the market.

Ms. Malone has edited over 40 books to date that have all sold to traditional publishers. She does what she calls “developmental editing,” not just surface editing such as correcting spelling and grammar, but digging deep into the development of the characters and story.

“Kenkarta: Battle Of The Onoxmon” is the new ‘Tween Fantasy novel by Alison Kartevold. Filled with imagination, and drawing on the experiences and fantasies between her and her daughters, the book has gotten off to a howling start, and Ms. Kartevold has already been crisscrossing the country, from New York to LA, for book signings since its launch in May.

“Swiss Chocolate” is James M. Weil’s latest novel, a coming-of-age story set in the beauty of the Swiss alps. Just two of the reviews it has gotten so far from readers:

“Swiss Chocolate is the type of American novel that is difficult to put down. Once you start, you are in for a deeply moving adventure of love and coming of age. James Weil is a master of character development and human relations.”

“Swiss Chocolate’ is a great book…..among the best I’ve read in awhile. Honest, straight-forward, exciting and tragic. The author has a simple, yet elegant style. He is very open about Drew’s life in a dysfunctional family and his love of Alexandra, which spans decades. He has a gift for expressing intricate details of the beautiful places he travels. You feel like you’re right there with him on his journey. I highly recommend it.”

“Peter’s Last Sermon: Identity And Discipleship In The Gospel Of Mark” is an in-depth look at Mark’s gospel, as it was originally heard by its first audience. The author, James M. Dawsey, commented on the editing process with Susan Malone: “I loved working with Susan Malone. Working with her was like taking a graduate writing course. As would any superb teacher, Susan pointed out the flaws, made sure I understood, suggested approaches, provided unlimited follow-up as I revised, and her optimistic, bountiful encouragement made it all a fun experience!”

Susan Malone stated, “It’s so rewarding to see these authors succeeding with their creative works. The market for new books is horrible right now. And yet, my authors keep selling. They are genuinely gifted and creative people and a real joy to work with. I give them more than just a bread-and-butter copy-editing job, because almost all books need a much deeper developmental edit and a thorough and encouraging critique from the editor’s perspective IS the primary difference that makes a book ready for publication.”

Susan Mary Malone has worked as a freelance editor since 1993, with a BS in Political Science and minors in English and Journalism. Her client list includes NY Times Bestsellers, Essence Bestsellers and books featured in Publishers Weekly. She is also an award winning author of fiction and non-fiction herself, including “Five Keys for Understanding Men: A Woman’s Guide” by Gary L. Malone, MD and (sister) Susan Mary Malone, which recently hit the Amazon Best-Seller’s List. Susan Mary Malone participates as a speaker in literary conferences such as the Harriett Austin Writer's Conference (at the University of Georgia), the Blue Ridge Writer's Conference, the Southwest Writer's Conference, and the Golden Triangle Writer's Conference, among others. Her full biography and featured list of published authors can be viewed at http://www.maloneeditorial.com/