3-5-2015 spring real estate

F.C. Agents On the City’s Latest Real Estate Assessments

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Home Sales & More: ‘By the Numbers’

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Lightweight Wood Construction

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Real EstateS�� 2015

ALSO INSIDE:

Special Edition

Home Renovation Advice from

The Little City’s Award-Winning

Design Firm See page RE-8

How are residents taking the news of the region’s highest increase in real estate assess-ments released by the Falls Church City Hall last week? Is it good news, or bad news, and is it an accurate reflection of value here?

It depends on the infamous “eye of the beholder,” most might say. Three real estate agents interviewed by the News-Press and one prominent local devel-oper rehearsed the upsides, the downsides, and some remaining questions, in particular regarding the valuation of the commercial components of the City’s real estate.

According to Bob Young of the Young Group, Inc., a recent appointee to the City’s Economic Development Authority, despite the 2.37 percent increase in the overall assessed value of the City’s commercial properties, the City may still be ‘leaving a lot of money on the table” by way of under-assessing the true value of some commercial properties.

By law, as City Manager Wyatt Shields reminded the F.C. City Council in unveiling the assessment data last week (with individual assessments being mailed to all property owners at the same time), F.C.’s Assessor Ryan Davis is required to pro-vide assessments that are 100 percent of the market value of properties.

Still, according to Young, the City uses “mass assessment techniques” that are “generally accepted,” and while assess-

ments of residential proper-ties may be in line, there is a missing of the mark on com-mercial.

“I know what my properties are worth,” he told the News-Press, “and I know in some cases people pay considerably more than the market value for something. Still, that should be reflected in the overall assess-ments. The mass technique has got to be costing the City money.

“The City has the luxury of being small enough that almost every property could be individ-ually assessed without resort to a ‘mass assessment technique,’” he said.

“It is like the IRS, where Congress has cut its budget to impact its ability to do audits and they can’t answer the phone,” Young added, “Even though it’s been shown that for every $1 spent on examinations, $6 is raised.”

Among many popular local real estate agents, Louise Molton, Stacy Hennessey and Tori McKinney all concurred in their views about residential assess-ments in the City, saying they appear to be very accurate.

“Historically, the City has been notorious for not having a close link between the selling price and the assessment of a home,” Hennessey said, but this year may be different. “Usually, the assessors don’t catch ren-ovations and improvements to homes,” although she sensed assessments overall were “too high” last year.

Annual assessments are clear-ly a “double-edged sword,” said Molton, just back in town from

a real estate conference in Las Vegas. “If you are looking to sell, higher assessments are a good thing. If you’re staying put, they just mean you’re paying more in taxes. It’s just human nature to be disgruntled by higher taxes, but people should realize that with 5.75 percent single-year jump in assessments of town houses, for example, they’re very lucky to live in the City.”

“People don’t like change and more taxes,” she said. “But they need to look at the other side of the coin.”

She said that property values “have been on an extremely good run,” with “great schools bringing people to the City.”

She noted that it’s most com-mon for families coming to the D.C. Metro area to look online to see where the best schools are. “They want the best for their chil-dren, no matter what,” and when they see how highly rated the City of Falls Church schools are, they are drawn here.

Molton added that citizens need to be reminded that, while assessments and tax rates rise, the City’s programs of tax relief for seniors and disabled residents have become more robust. “I a lot of people still do not know about this,” she said.

McKinney agreed with the view that assessments this year are “in line with market values and accurate.”

“People don’t want taxes raised, but when values go up, so do assessments. They also have to respect the size of the community and its limited tax base.”

REAL ESTATE FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COMPAGE RE-2 | SPRING 2015

New Real Estate AssessmentsDraw Mixed Reviews in F.C.BY NICHOLAS F. BENTONFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

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Annual Residential Real Estate Value Change Since 2010

How Does The Little City Stack Up?When it comes to real estate assessments and the tax rate, here’s how the City of Falls Church compares to the neighboring jurisdicti ons of Arlington and Fairfax counti es.

Real Estate Tax Rates Since 2010

Source: City of Falls Church, Arlington County, Fairfax County

$2

$1.50

$1

$0.00

REAL ESTATE SPRING 2015 | PAGE RE-3FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM

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One of the trends in real estate construction over the last 30 years has been the use of engineered wood and other lightweight con-struction materials in the build-ing of the structures that house residences, including apartments, and businesses. The advantages to using these materials – engineered wood trusses and I-joists used to build a house’s roof and floors – are that they are environmentally-friendly and cheaper because less wood is needed to constitute these building supplies.

But while this form of construc-tion is completely legal, a tradeoff – highlighted by a January fire in Edgewater, N.J. that, according to The New York Times, displaced more than a 1,000 residents of an apartment complex built using engineered wood and other build-ings surrounding the complex – is that fires in structures built using engineered wood spread faster. And the structures themselves are more prone to structural collapse.

Out of the two major devel-opments in Falls Church City – Rushmark’s Harris Teeter building going up on West Broad Street and Lincoln Properties’ The Reserve at Tinner Hill – only The Reserve at Tinner Hill is using engineered wood, according to the City’s building inspector Doug Fraser. The Harris Teeter building is a concrete structure.

Another development on the edge of the City, Avalon Falls Church on S. Spring Street, also uses engineered wood, according to construction workers on the site. The property is owned and being developed by AvalonBay, the same company that owned the Avalon at Edgewater complex that was torched in the aforementioned January fire. That complex was also built with engineered wood, according to The Times’ account of the fire.

Fraser noted in an interview with the News-Press that struc-tures built with engineered wood can be more easily compromised in a fire. “If you take an I-joist and burn two inches off the I-joist you’ve lost most of the structural capacity of that I-joist,” Fraser said.

“So that worries fire guys. If you get a real big house with I-joists and you have a fire in there it doesn’t take as much fire to compromise some of the structure of a house’s floor system or a roof system.”

Falls Church City’s fire mar-shal Tom Polera said that “most fire folks hate” the use of engi-neered wood, and it has changed

how firefighters train and prepare for their job, in addition to chang-ing how they fight actual fires.

“It’s what’s being used in most construction nowadays. It became very popular in the 1980s and 1990s,” Polera said. “The problem with it is it reduces the time capa-bility of the structure being able to withstand a fire when exposed to heat and fire and more of a poten-tial for collapse.”

He went on to explain more about the difference of fighting fires in structures made with engineered wood versus dimensional lumber, a material used in older homes.

“If you take a wooden I-beam, for instance, if it’s a regular 2x12 piece of wood, there’s some meat to that but when you replace it with the I-beam type plywood that’s engineered for the original trusses, the meat of the wood is now gone away and it’s been replaced with, in best case sce-narios, 2x4s,” Polera said.

“And that creates a problem when it’s under heat and flame, where any component of that gives way you end up having structural collapse. So from a firefighter’s perspective what it’s done is pret-ty much change how firefighters respond to calls. Many years ago it was usual for fire crews to get on the roof of a house and cut a hole in the roof to ventilate it so the crews inside could put the fire out quicker. That’s when we had houses that were built of normal, full 2x8s or 2x10s being used in construction.”

According to Polera, fire crews have had to learn how to respond to fires in buildings built with engi-neered wood. “From a training and preparedness perspective, we real-ize it gives us less time, so now we have to figure out if we will actually go inside the house to extinguish a fire or do we try to put the fire out from the outside,” Polera said.

“Hopefully everyone’s out of the house and we may just extin-guish it from the outside if we’re hitting that time zone of a poten-tial collapse. So if we’re at new homes that were under construc-tion and the actual fire was occur-ring in the attic space where we know those construction members are not protected, it would be very unlikely that whoever would be in charge of that fire scene that they would have their firefighters go into that house because of the danger of collapse.”

Polera said that where older homes built with dimensional lumber may have given them a 20-minute time frame to extin-guish a fire, newer homes might only a give them a four-minute time frame depending on the

nature of the fire. According to Polera, the only real alternative to using engineered wood would be to go back to using dimensional lumber in building construction.

There are some measures that can and are taken by some devel-opers and construction compa-nies who use this material, one of which being the use of residential sprinkler systems.

According to Fraser, there were changes to the International Code Council’s building codes in 2009 that would require developers to install sprinkler systems in struc-tures built with engineered wood, but that code was not adopted into the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Polera told the News-Press that the use of sprin-kler systems can help extend the time engineered wood structures are able to withstand fires.

Other measures that can be taken to shore up structures using engineered wood and lightweight construction materials include the use of firewalls to compartmentalize potential fires, protecting engineered trusses from fires using drywall.

Despite the challenge of fighting fires in structures built with engineered wood and other lightweight construction materi-als, Polera recognized the cost-saving benefits of using those materials.

“I guess from a perspective of saving money using engineered wood, where is that money going to? If it’s going to adding decor or style to the home it doesn’t do a whole lot of good,” Polera

said. “But if we’re offsetting that and actually putting sprinklers in the home, saving money on one side to make the home safer, that would might be a benefit.”

AvalonBay did not respond to requests for an interview for this story as of press time. A rep-resentative for Lincoln Property Company, who are developing The Reserve at Tinner Hill, declined to comment for the story.

Use of Engineered Wood Poses Benefits, Dangersby Drew CostleyFalls Church News-Press

AVALONBAY’S FALLS CHURCH LOCATION, on the edge of Falls Church City, is one of several developments under construction that uses engi-neered wood and light-weight construction materi-als. Another of AvalonBay’s development’s in Edgewater, N.J., which also uses engi-neered wood, was destroyed in a January fire. (Photos: Drew Costley/News-Press)


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Meet Falls Church’s Real Estate Experts

A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial

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Capital Home Design and Construction, Inc. offers a wide variety of high quality onsite consultation and construction services for residential properties. Put us to work for you and we’ll be your “go-to” for

any questions or concerns you may have during the course of your construction project. We’ll ensure the job gets done right, the first time, every time. You’ll be glad to know

that you’ll be just as involved in the planning process as we are. We’ll work side by side with you every step of the way.

At CHDC we believe in the synergy of a three-way partnership - client, design professional and builder, working together in the spirit of true collaboration.

Residential building projects come in all shapes and sizes. From detailed renovation to large-scale construction, you want assurance that the job will run smoothly from start to finish. We pledge to each homeowner that each and every project will make both of us proud.

Proud of the process and proud of the outcome. With over 30 years of experience in the DC Metro area we have the know-how to design/build any space you can envision large or small. Chance are that we’ve helped someone like you with a similar project. Let CHDC professionals put their experience to work for you.

Capital Home Design and Construction, Inc. offers a wide variety of residential construction services to meet virtually every client need. Whether finishing your basement, remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms to additions and new construction to renovating an existing home the CHDC team will meet your goals.

Capital Home Design and Construction, Inc. 703-599-7788 • capitalhomedesigninc.com

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It’s called, “Sales.” But, what we actually do is to help people transition through the real estate changes in their lives. What a great job! We provide full ser-vice Real Estate Sales Solutions for you via our one stop shop L&F team in Residential, Commercial and International. Our business as usual is Top Service

and Results for Clients. Our mis-sion is Client Relationships for Life, and that we all Live The Good Life

through Real Estate!Mike “MC” Castorina

was born and raised in Arlington, and then Falls

Church. He is an Associate Broker and has Appraisal and Investment

Property background. He is an expert negotiator and really knows the neighbor-hoods, Property Valuation and The Contract.

Melissa “MK” Klein started out in Arlington and ended up in New York City condo and coop sales before returning to her NOVA roots. She has broad marketing and diverse housing product expertise. MK has earned the Seniors Real Estate Specialist/SRES (only 1.5% of agents, nationwide) Designation to help you as you age and your older family members make better choices in staying put or moving to more accommodating housing.

Mike Castorina & Melissa Klein, Long & Foster Real Estate6299 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22044

703-966-4839 (Mike) • 703-201-4525 (Melissa) mikecastorina.lnf.com

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While it doesn’t feel like spring, home buyers are anxiously awaiting the spring market. Falls Church City remains highly sought after and for good reason....great schools, great location, and great people. I have

lived and worked in “the City” for 24 years with my three kids starting in kindergarten at Mt Daniel and gradu-ating from George Mason, owning a business, being president of the Falls Church Chamber and much more. I can honestly say, I know Falls Church - and love it.

Whether you are selling your home or buying here, it is imperative to work with an agent that really knows the City. My background as a lawyer helps with the entire process. When you are dealing with what often is the largest and most important financial transaction in a person’s life, it is important to work with someone who knows the process, the ramifica-tions and the ins and outs of the contract.It is also important to work with an agent that you will see in the grocery store and around town and that you know put your needs first and foremost and did an excellent job. An agent whose reputation is stellar. That is me. I also only advertise the houses I am selling..not the ones I have sold. Most of my business is based on referrals and repeat customers. I answer all calls right away and I am your partner throughout the process. Give me a call if you have any questions, I am always nearby!

Stacy Hennessey, McEnearney Associates4720 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207

703-395-4868 • mcenarney.com

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Barbara has lived in Falls Church for over 20 years. She offers a winning combination of proven success, peer

respect, professional strengths, back-ground and experience. Barbara has a passion for building long lasting cli-ent relationships backed by unmatched enthusiasm. “It’s a great feeling to assist clients who want to live and work in an area that has so much to offer.”

Peggy brings a wealth of knowledge to the real estate transaction. In addition to living in Falls Church for 25+ years, she & her husband have been investing in & developing real estate in North Arlington for 15+ years. Peg credits her no-nonsense approach to real estate to

her Maine roots. Whether a buyer or seller her philoso-phy is that, “you can get there from here.” Her role is to help you to do so.

Barbara Jones and Peg Veroneau, RE/MAX by invitation4784 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207

703-867-6338 (Barbara) • 703-447-0634 (Peg)

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Real estate is not the same everywhere. You need someone who knows the area, someone who has up-to-date information, someone you can trust. As an expert in the NOVA area, I bring a wealth of knowledge and

expertise about buying and selling real estate here.

My Accounting/Business MBA grad-uate degree, plus extensive work expe-rience in different sectors give me an edge in understanding the residential real estate process, from contracts to

market conditions and from first-time homebuyers needs to seasoned investors. Along with being a member of the Greater Merrifield Business Association, I actively sup-port the PTA for my neighborhood schools and participate in sponsoring families at the “Our Daily Bread” organiza-tion. My company, Keller Williams Realty, is the largest real estate franchise in the world, and Training Magazine has named Keller Williams the #1 training organization across all industries.

Here are some of the things I can do for you:Find Your Next Home- You need someone who

knows this area inside and out! I can work with you to find the right home at the right price for you, including all the neighborhood amenities that matter - not to men-tion the essential criteria you have for your ideal home.

Sell a Home- When it’s time to move, you need Mike Castorina code

Melissa Klein code

Mike Castorina code

Melissa Klein code


someone who will advertise your home, show it to pro-spective buyers, negotiate the purchase contract, arrange financing, oversee the inspections, handle all necessary paperwork and supervise the closing. I can take care of everything you need, from start to close.

Consult on Home Selling Tactics- Often times, buy-ers don’t visualize living in your home the way you do. I can make your home attractive to its ideal audience - which can help you get top dollar. Things like staging the home, making repairs or minor improvements, or even simply painting the walls can be the difference between a home resting on the market and one that’s sold fast.”

Monica Kumar, Keller Williams Realty6820 Elm Street, McLean, VA 22101571-317-1750 • mozaichomes.com

RE/MAX ��

RE/MAX by invitation is committed to providing the highest quality real estate services to buyers and sellers in Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland. Our exceptional customer service sets us apart from other real estate

companies. Our team-based approach

ensures that every client gets detailed attention and understands each and every step of the real

estate transaction. RE/MAX by invitation agents pay attention to the details, and manage each home sale or purchase from start to finish and beyond! Agents receive the most current training to stay abreast of the ever-changing real estate laws and expertly advise our clients on any real estate needs.

Simple, effective, honest communication is the cor-nerstone of every home purchase or sale at RE/MAX by invitation..

RE/MAX by invitation4784 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22207

703-677-8730

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There are a number of GREAT choices when it comes to realtors in Falls Church. Well, now there is another one!

Colin Storm and his family now call the City of Falls Church home, and with four small chil-dren, they plan to be here for decades to come!

If you are looking to buy or sell a home (or both) you will want to hear about Colin’s approach and marketing plan. There is a right realtor for every-one, and there is a good chance Colin is

the right one for you! Let him buy you a cup of coffee and find out if you and he are a fit.

Since 2007 Colin has specialized in residential real estate inside the beltway of Virginia and Northwest D.C.

Colin is also EcoBroker Certified, and believes there is a bright future for “Green” homes in the D.C. area, and particularly in Falls Church.

With eight previous years of management experience in four- and five-star hotels and resort camping proper-ties, Colin brings top-tier customer care to his client relationships. Colin also brings to bear cutting edge expertise in today’s online real estate landscape, merg-ing great photography, video, storytelling, and targeted social reach. He is an active member of D.C.’s social media community and is proud of the national recogni-tion his blogs have garnered. You can view Colin’s blog at FallsChurchLiving.com.

Colin Storm, Keller Williams Realty105 W. Broad Street, Suite 200, Falls Church, VA 22046

703-638-9144 • fallschurchliving.com

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Recently recognized in the top 1% of Fairfax Realty’s 400+ agents, Kathy Szymanski stands ready to help you make a move in 2015. With Kathy’s 25 years’ experience and keen knowledge of the local market, you can join

these satisfied clients:“Thank you again, and again. I

just can’t say enough about what an excellent adviser you have been. It will be a real pleasure to recommend you to anyone seeking to buy, sell or rent. Working with Kathy was the smartest move we’ve made in a long

time.”“Your expertise, professionalism, patience and

understanding of this market fit my needs perfectly! I appreciate your response to every detail whether it was curiosity or a serious financial decision. Your integrity, honesty and character make you stand out in this market.”

“Thank you for your patience. As first time home buyers, we needed our hand held. You seemed to know when to hold it and when to let go so that we made the decision on our own, but with valuable input and background gained from all the houses we looked at! “

“Kathy is an exceptional Realtor. We’ve worked with her three times, buying and selling. She’s an expert. She works superbly in a time crunch, which is helpful to those - like us - moving overseas, or just returning from overseas.”

“I used Kathy when I was looking for an invest-ment condo in Arlington...Kathy provided me with more due diligence than I’d even hoped for. I love her way of presenting information and asking questions to lead me into making the right decision for me. It was a joy working with Kathy and I’ll call her again in a heartbeat.“

Give Kathy a call. You too will be glad you did.

Kathy Szymanski, Fairfax Realty7611 Little River Turnpike, Suite 101 W., Annandale, VA 22003

703-534-4630 • kathysellsvirginiahomes.com

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Looking to buy or sell a home in the Northern Virginia area? I can help!

Living and working in the Northern Virginia area, I’ve developed a keen sense of the area’s unique and complex

real estate market. I pride myself on carefully listening to the needs and goals of my clients to help them navigate the market quickly, easily, and in ways that exceed their expectations.

Selling a home? With access to the Internet Marketing Program I am able to generate broad online exposure

through America’s leading real estate internet sites and portals – selling homes quickly and for the highest price.

Buying a home? I use my contacts and market exper-tise to help you identify your dream home before you ever thought possible.

My own home is located in McLean where I live with my wife, two children, dog and ever-changing number of fish. I am highly active in the McLean community, helping out with a number of local charitable organizations as well as volunteering at my children’s school as often as possible.

I realize that a home is not just a house but a place to grow your family, engage in your community and create a beauti-ful life. I am committed to facilitating your real estate needs in a way that is as comfortable, professional, and stress-free; and fulfills the dreams you envision for your family.

Contact me today; I look forward to working with you!

Eric Tone, Redwood Realty1711 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209

703-528-8195 • erictonerealestate.com

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As a Falls Church City resident and proud parent of three children in our wonderful City schools, I am immensely proud to locally represent TTR Sotheby’s International Realty. Having been through many of my

own, I appreciate the importance of every one of my clients’ real estate transactions and I treat each with the greatest of care. I have a passion for impeccably presented properties and a gift for finding homes that harmonize a client’s lifestyle with sage council for a wise investment.

Clients of mine benefit from TTR Sotheby’s International Realty’s global reach, powerful marketing and superior professional service- regardless of price. In addition to our record sales, our firm sold $900 million worth of properties under $1 million in 2014. With approximately $2 billion in 2014 sales, we are the area’s leading luxury real estate firm. TTR Sotheby’s International Realty and I offer million dol-lar service in every price range.

Theresa Sullivan Twiford, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty400 S. Washington St., Alexandria, VA 22314

307-413-2872 • sothebysrealty.com

A Falls Church News-Press Advertorial


703.447.0634 Realtor [email protected]

703-677-8730 4784 Lee Highway

Arlington, VA 22207

703.867.6338 Associate Broker [email protected]

Working together to better serve you!

Falls Church’s Foxcraft Design Group may soon have to remodel its trophy case to accommodate all its recent awards.

It has received a national first-place award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for a residential bath-room project costing more than $60,000, two national magazine awards, and regional and districts awards, too.

What did Foxcraft do, and what’s trending now in remodel-ing?

Foxcraft’s Jim Lynch who designed and modeled the bath-room project in Great Falls, said the company’s winning design emphasized light and natural ele-ments.

Before improvements, the bathroom was “all cut up in lit-tle categories,” with two walk-in closets, two small vanities, a toilet in a compartment, and “an enor-mous whirlpool which nobody ever used” but which received all the natural lighting.

Foxcraft increased the shower

size, combined the closets and installed shoji screens which hide the toilet and permit natural light to flow in the closet, giving the bathroom an Asian feel.

Dan Dalrymple, Foxcraft’s project manager, said a popular bathroom trend is heated floors which may be found in all rooms in some houses.

But the chief trend in remodel-ing these days is “the open con-cept” combining the kitchen, den, and living room, Lynch said.

“In the past gentlemen sat in the living room while ladies cooked in the kitchen” which he compared to sterling silver and linens which “no one uses now.”

New designs open everything up with a small room reserved for “quiet” or study. “We all have become less formal,” Lynch said.

People are staying in their homes longer now, too, and master bedroom suites on the first floor are in demand.

Another trend is bringing “the outside in. Now people like to walk right outside to decks or screened-in porches.”

Lynch noted that today’s bed-rooms often serve multiple pur-

poses and may contain exercise equipment and a computer, desk, and files to make a small office, in addition to the furniture intended for the room.

The “real trend is to make closets and the bedroom more efficient.”

By reducing the size of the bedroom to accommodate only a queen-sized bed, a chair, and a desk, and converting the closet into a dressing room, the bedroom meets its intended use.

“If you can define a space for what’s it supposed to be, it becomes a lot more comfortable,” Lynch said.

Rather than remodeling to increase a home’s value, many are remodeling to enjoy the space themselves.

“The more they [homeowners] look at it as less an investment in cash, the happier they are when they invest more in their lives, and they are the happiest when they renovate.”

Remodeling a child’s bedroom is tough since over ten years, a per-son changes a lot from age four to 14. “The room needs to grow with them [the children] as they grow.”

Award-Winning F.C. Design Firm Talks RemodelingBY PATRICIA LESLIEFALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS

FOXCRAFT’S MICHAEL S. BLOOD (left) and Jim Lynch show off shelves in the bathroom of a house Foxcraft is renovating in Arlington. (P��: P�� L��/N��-P��)

Remodeling changes are found in garages, too, which “have almost become extensions of the home,” Lynch said. Garage pulley systems enable kayakers, for example, to lower and lift a kayak right on top

of the car. And garage pulleys are useful for storing garden tools, too.

Renewable resources in home remodeling “have not taken off as much as we would have expected,” Dalrymple said, however, “tremen-

dous energy savings” are found in LED lighting which costs more but has an “expanded life span.” Also, foam insulation “is more costly on the front end,” but it saves money long-term, Dalrymple said.

Another trend are on-demand water heaters, although they are “a little bit costly on the front end,” and may not be suitable for

large homes since the water has to be “pushed” long distances, he said. Gas and propane are the most efficient.

Modern security changes such as keyless entry and battery-oper-ated key pads are popular trends, including “the ability to monitor whether the garage door is open,” which is “very easily done over

your smartphone,” Dalrymple said.

Remodeling is “driven by how long you plan to stay in your home,” Dalrymple said. Are you making changes for yourself or someone else?

“When you come home to something inviting, it makes life a lot more pleasant,” said Lynch.


Each office is independently owned and operated.

THE GREAT FALLS BATHROOM that won Foxcraft Design a renovation award from National Association of the Remodeling Industry after the company’s renovations. (Photo: Courtesy of Foxcraft Design Group)

THE GREAT FALLS BATHROOM that won Foxcraft Design a renovation award, before the renovations. (Photo: Courtesy of Foxcraft Design Group)


Q. I’m hoping you can help me with a problem I’m having in my attic. My condo is only two years old, but there is quite a bit of con-densation on the roof boards (they are damp/wet almost all the time). I had an insulation person look at it. He said the baffles that are supposed to direct the air up from the soffit vents were not installed properly, so there is not sufficient air flow. He said it’s hard to take them out and reinstall them cor-rectly, however, as the drywall for the ceiling is already in place.

Any advice as to how to rem-edy this? We do have a furnace/air-conditioning unit in the attic for the second floor as well as two bathrooms that have venting running up through the attic to the outside (west side). The south wall is our neighbor’s, so there is no ventilation possible on that side.

– Carl

A. You’re describing a com-mon problem that leads to mold and sometimes rot. The primary cause of your attic moisture prob-

lems results from warm air escap-ing from the heated portion of your home into the unheated attic space. Heat escapes around pen-etrations in the wall and ceilings made for items such as light fix-tures, wires, vent pipes, and fans. This warm air condenses on the cold roof sheathing, causing frost and moisture issues.

The first step is to control moisture in the house by ensuring that the dryer and all baths vent to the exterior. Ventilation plays some role in keeping attics dry, but controlling indoor humidity is more important.

Dryer exhaust pipes running through unheated spaces should

be installed inside an insulated sleeve, and ALL bathroom fans should be on timers to ensure that the fan runs a least 15 minutes after someone takes a shower. I have written a lot on proper bath venting and attic sealing on my website, AConcordCarpenter.com.

Let’s go back to the ventila-tion question. Increasing the attic ventilation is not always the right solution because it would allow more air to escape, pulling in addi-tional warm, moist air from the living areas. The real solution is to seal off your attic access points, install adequate levels of insula-tion, and plug ALL air leaks.

It’s possible your ventilation

could be improved, but you should really be looking to eliminate the warm air leaking into your attic. This can be done by locating and sealing all open penetrations with expanding foam, high-temp insula-tion, (Roxul, Rockwool, or ceram-ic) and sheet metal, if necessary. Sheet metal and high-temp insula-tion are commonly used to cover the two-inch framing gaps around masonry chimneys. These gaps are a major source of air leaks.

Focus on chimneys and recessed lighting. Chimneys should be air-sealed to stop a home’s moisture from getting into the attic. If you have a metal chimney, check the manufacturer

recommendations.After air sealing, you can

insulate around masonry chim-neys with high-temp insulation or fiberglass batts – do not put foam or cellulose directly against the chimney. On metal chimney flues, you will need to use sheet metal and high-temp caulking around the flue. You can’t insulate against any metal chimneys that I know of, and that is why the sheet-metal shield is required. It stops air leak-age but maintains the two-inch open space required by code.

TIP Remember: Insulation does not stop air leaks; it simply insulates. Air will get through, so look for blackened insulation.

How to Handle a Moisture Problem in the Attic

For more information contac t John W. Purvis Sr THE PURVIS TEAMRemax Xecutex703-937-0341

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Real Estate

Top Falls Church Home Sales

Address BR FB HB List Price Sale Price Zip Date Sold#1 102 Dulany Pl. 7 6 1 $1,500,000 $1,450,000 22046 1/5/15#2 209 Midvale St. 4 3 1 $1,430,000 $1,430,000 22046 12/15/14#3 229 Midvale St. 5 4 1 $1,425,000 $1,425,000 22046 1/20/15#4 6607 Placid St. 5 5 4 1 $1,449,000 $1,420,000 22043 1/20/15#5 211 W. Cameron Rd. 6 7 0 $1,389,900 $1,375,000 22046 2/27/15

Source: MRIS, Inc.; Photos: Falls Church News-Press

Top 5 F.C. Home Sales December 1, 2014 - February 28, 2015

#2 $1,430,000

#3 $1,425,000

#5 $1,375,000

#1 $1,450,000

December-February

#4 $1,420,000


Home Sales Vs. 1 Year AgoChange in # of Homes Sold: 4Q ‘14 vs 4Q ‘13

+13.33% Change in Falls Church City (22046)

-15.63% Change in Bailey’s X-roads (22041)

+10.71% Change in Sleepy Hollow (22042)

+1.33% Change in Pimmit Hills (22043)

-3.13% Change in Lake Barcroft (22044)

Home Prices Vs. 1 Year AgoChange in Average Home Price: 4Q ‘14 vs 4Q ‘13

+2.11% Change in Falls Church City (22046)

-4.73% Change in Bailey’s X-roads (22041)

+4.39% Change in Sleepy Hollow (22042)

-5.70% Change in Pimmit Hills (22043)

+9.05% Change in Lake Barcroft (22044)

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. Copyright © 2015 Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.

Falls Church Area Housing Market —4th Quarter 2014 Report

Zip Code Area Average Price Number of Homes Sold Average Days on Market

22046 Falls Church City $708,888 51 52

22041 Bailey’s Crossroads $358,379 54 65

22042 Sleepy Hollow $467,405 93 54

22043 Pimmit Hills $558,401 76 49

22044 Lake Barcroft $479,087 31 61


3-5-2015 spring real estate

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