(HIT) - It's a great time to think about ways to spruce up the home in the coming season. American Hardwoods are a versatile and sustainable material as well as a confident choice that can be incorporated into multiple aspects of a home, whether it is furniture, flooring, cabinetry or moulding.

The American Hardwood Information Center, the authoritative resource for consumers and professionals seeking information about American Hardwoods, offers the following 12 American Hardwoods tips.

Get a distressed look Hand-scraped American Hardwood flooring is popular now. It gives a distressed old-world look with timeless appeal, most popular in wide planks. When a homeowner is ready for a change, the hand-scraped look can be sanded away and refinished.

Keep it light Lighter shades of painted hardwood are hot right now - especially soft neutrals like pale grays, whites and nudes. This look is becoming increasingly popular on furniture such as dressers, nightstands and tables.

Consider cherry Although neutral, pale shades are trending, rich cherry hues, on the contrary, are prevalent as well. Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc.'s (AHMI) 2011 Furniture Styles and Material Use Survey, conducted at the High Point Market home furnishings show, reports that American cherry is widely seen in bedrooms, dining rooms and home offices.

Create contrast When it comes to hardwood design, think contrast. Industry experts suggest choosing American Hardwood flooring that is slightly lighter than the lightest color of the grain in the kitchen cabinets - this combination can really make a room pop.

Outdoor inspiration Outdoor-inspired interior furniture, made with hardwoods, that looks like park benches or lawn chairs is a noteworthy design element highlighted at the recent High Point Market. Homeowners can get the look by selecting interior furniture with unique curves, or pieces that highlight the natural whorls, knots and texture of the wood.

Give your fireplace a facelift A fireplace often acts as a focal point of the room, so consider hardwood mouldings to liven it up! Use decorative American Hardwood medallions and other ornamental period-style mouldings to add visual interest to a plain mantel face, or if spacing permits, add side-shelving to the mantel for displaying valuables.

Creative cabinetry Thinking of a kitchen redesign? Think about varied cabinet height to accommodate both children and adults in the family. Also consider sliding drawers, rollout shelves and Lazy Susans that make items easier to reach. For assured durability, choose cabinets made of solid American Hardwoods such as maple, cherry, oak or alder.

Go traditional or contemporary AHMI's 2011 Furniture Styles and Material Use Survey found that traditional American Hardwood looks are currently trending over contemporary styles. Whichever your preference, American Hardwoods are a versatile material, allowing homeowners to achieve either look.

Add warmth with wainscoting Wainscoting is a type of wood paneling most often used to decorate the lower three feet of a wall. It wards off damage - scratches, dings and the like - while adding character and great architectural interest to any room.

Charming chair rail Chair rail is functional as well as decorative; it helps protect areas where chair backs might damage the wall. Styles include a single piece of wood, called a moulding profile, or two or more different mouldings can be combined to create a built-up profile. They are often used alone, but are also used to top wainscoting to give it a clean edge.

Mix and match Combining different wood textures and colors in a room can really make it pop! For example, in the kitchen try a light wood island and contrast it with deeper hued cabinets.

Add flair with finishes The type of finish applied to American Hardwood floors can vary the look, so there's no need to replace your hardwood flooring, just revitalize and refresh. Dyes, toners and stains can add rich color while glazes can help even out a light or dark area of the floor. These finishes can easily complement a home's style, but should only be applied by professionals. For more design ideas and trends, and to learn more about different American hardwood species, please visit www.HardwoodInfo.com.

About the American Hardwood Information Center The American Hardwood Information Center is the authoritative resource for consumers and professionals looking for information about American Hardwoods. The Center provides information on how to select hardwood species and build with American Hardwood products and offers advice from industry experts on decorating, care and maintenance and design trends. The Center's goal is to promote the use of American Hardwoods in home and building products ranging from flooring, cabinetry and millwork to furniture and building materials. For more information on American Hardwoods, visit www.HardwoodInfo.com.

Info Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center. Photo courtesy of Mullican Flooring and the American Hardwood Information Center.

(HIT) - We often hear how certain exterior building materials are maintenance-free. Once installed on your home, you can forget about them forever, the ads say. Vinyl siding, composite decking, fiberglass trim, and factory-finished aluminum are just some of the materials that fit the description.

But what if you want to paint them -- to change the color, freshen the appearance, or simply provide an extra layer of protection against the elements? Can you paint something that does't require painting?

"Most of the time, you can paint these materials," says Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. "But it's important that you follow the right procedures when doing so."

As with other exterior paint jobs, it's important that you first make any repairs that are necessary, then thoroughly clean and rinse the surface before applying any type of coating, says Zimmer. If mildew is present, it must also be removed, using a 3:1 water/bleach solution, followed by a thorough rinsing.

Another thing: It's always wise to apply a coat of top quality acrylic latex primer when painting maintenance-free materials. A primer will help the paint get a better grip on the surface, and give the finished paint job more uniform color and sheen.

When it comes to the paint itself, it?'s important that you use the right product. Zimmer says that high quality 100% acrylic latex paint is a great choice for almost any type of exterior painting, but it's essential when painting surfaces that are designed to be maintenance-free, which often are very smooth and slick.

"Top quality 100% acrylic latex paint provides the best adhesion to virtually any material, it produces a very durable paint film, and it has very consistent color and gloss," says Zimmer. "By applying this type of paint, the surface will look great, and it will stay that way for years to come."

As is true with all painting, it's a good idea to apply the primer and paint with quality brushes and rollers. They'll help you put down thicker, more protective layers of the coatings, and enable you to get the best possible appearance with your new paint job.

A final tip: Apply the primer and paint on a moderate day - one that's not too hot, too cold, or too windy. Each of these weather extremes can have an adverse effect on any coating as it dries and cures, possibly compromising the integrity of the finished paint job. You can usually find specific temperature guidelines on the label of the paint can.

So, the next time you're wondering whether a material that is touted as maintenance-free can be painted, wonder no more: The answer is almost always 'yes'. To make sure, visit the Paint Quality Institute website at www.paintquality.com, where you'll also find detailed, step-by-step instructions on painting virtually any type of exterior or interior surface.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

Some applicants may receive insurance proceeds and their bank or mortgage holder may require the total mortgage be paid in full. This is known as a forced payoff, possibly leaving the applicant with an unmet need or unable to repair their home.

In the event of being forced to pay off a mortgage, the applicant may become eligible for FEMA home repair assistance. The applicant would need to submit a letter from either the lender or insurer advising that the payoff was required and not optional. FEMA would require the applicant to submit a copy of the insurance settlement.

A mortgage payoff is when the applicant chooses to pay their entire mortgage with insurance proceeds. Under this circumstance, the applicant will not be eligible for FEMA home repair/replacement assistance to avoid duplication of benefits.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) can refinance all or part of prior mortgages that are evidenced by a recorded lien, when the applicant (1) does not have credit available elsewhere, (2) has suffered substantial uncompensated disaster damage (forty percent or more of the value of the property), and (3) intends to repair the damage.

Homes - Homeowners may be eligible for the refinancing of existing liens or mortgages on homes, in some cases up to the amount of the loan for real estate repair or replacement. Businesses - Business owners may be eligible for the refinancing of existing mortgages or liens on real estate, machinery and equipment, in some cases up to the amount of the loan for the repair or replacement of real estate, machinery, and equipment.

The first step on the road to recovery is registering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Registration may be completed online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by smartphone through m.FEMA.gov, or by calling FEMA?s toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 1-800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. Multi-language assistance is available. Telephone registration is available daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., until further notice.

FEMA mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Those with a speech disability or hearing loss who use a TTY call 1-800-462-7585; or use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) to call 1-800-621-3362.