Wallowa County Chieftain
wallowa.com
June 24, 2015
B3
GROW
Clean ‘Character poles’ beautify interiors
By Katherine Stickroth
For the Chieftain
in your
home
As the American popu-
lation has been made more
aware of the dangers of green-
house gases, one area that
doesn’t get as much attention
is poor indoor air quality.
The quality of air can be
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ed than the worst outside air.
This is because of the many
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around our homes from sourc-
es such as gas, oil, kerosene,
building materials and chem-
ical products.
Plants to the Rescue
In the 1980s, NASA and
the Associated Landscape
Contractors of America car-
ried out an in-depth study on
which house plans were the
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organic compounds that can
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and well-being.
Here are three of the most
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cleaning your air:
Aloe: The study found that
aloe helps clear both formal-
dehyde and benzene, which
are generally byproducts of
chemical-based cleaners.
Spider Plants: Also safe for
the pets in your home, spider
plants are quick to battle ben-
zene, formaldehyde and car-
bon monoxide. Their unique
stringy foliage makes them
perfect for hanging baskets.
Azaleas: These budding
beauties are best grown in
cooler temperatures, making
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an indoor area such as a base-
ment.
Dirty Sock
Syndrome
Nestled in mountain mead-
ows, or within the dramatic
canyons, or at The Village at
the head of Wallowa Lake,
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natural world of Wallowa
County. Bronson Log Homes,
owned by Dean Himes, is the
builder of many of these log
and frame structures. They
also participate with other
building contractors on such
projects as upgrading the Pon-
derosa Motel in Enterprise
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for siding and railings.
Though capable of taking
a structural idea from design
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effort in interior design. The
unique concepts that incor-
porate material found in the
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Katherine Stickroth photo
lend one-of-a-kind styles
which would please any BLH Manager Chuck Short, right, discusses a project with Jeff Staidle, center, and Justin Hernandez.
homeowner, city or rural.
Chuck Short, project man- shed in Enterprise, where any lifestyle,” Chuck says.
are assembled as panels for
ager for BLH, has spent years names of past employees are
The wood, either Lodge- railings. Table tops are at-
hiking in the national forests emblazoned on the walls with pole and Ponderosa Pine, is
searching for what he calls dates such as 1916 or 1928. then power-washed or hand-
“character poles.” With a For- Occasionally, a lump of coal peeled. The latter process is
HVW6HUYLFHSHUPLWLQKDQGKH will appear, as well as person- accomplished with the use of
locates logs downed
al items of former workers.
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Once dried, the ing back to the 15th century,
the mountains, then
m a - has been used throughout the
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t e r i a l world to make roof shakes,
the nearest road.
from the buckets, spindles, wheels —
Weathered by
f o r e s t anything necessary for the
subsequent wind
is stored needs of that time.
and rain, fallen
in
bins
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Mildred, Irene & Kathy
trees with in-
until
its eral years ago, Chuck came
• Trees & Shr bs
teresting knots,
use is de- DFURVVDUHSOLFDRIDVKDYLQJ
• Annuals
burls and scars
t e r m i n e d . KRUVHDQGUHDOL]HGLWVDGYDQ
& Perennials
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When
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• Baskets &
by Chuck as
c u s t o m e r He took measurements and
Planters
potential ob-
expresses a came home to build one. It
• Garden Star s
jects of art
design idea KDV SURYHG LQYDOXDEOH WR
• Rock & Sand
to be in-
— whether it peel bark off their logs.
• Bark
Nursery: 541-426-8733
corporated
be for an entire
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• Giſt Cer ificates
LCB#7818
in stairs,
house, an ac- the assembly room, where
118 Fish Hatchery Lane • Enterprise • Open 7 days a week
Across from Wallowa County Grain Growers
r a i l i n g s , “Ch
cent, or for fur- GRYHWDLOHGGUDZHUVDUHFUHDW
Kathe
rin
Eastern Oregon Nursery in Island City • 541-962-0641
furniture to be aracter” po e Stickroth photo niture — Chuck ed for cabinetry. Dead limbs
le
and oth- creatio used for an s waiting UHYLHZV KLV LQ
other
n.
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er home
furnishings.
gether they deter-
“I look for interesting
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bends and curls, or wood dis- char- acter of the wood
eased by cancer and fungus,” LQWRWKH¿QDOSURGXFW
says Chuck.
“We can help clients turn
The BLH shop is the for- a simple idea into a reality of
mer Snyder lumber and coal beauty that would enhance
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ing name, dirty sock syn-
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your home. The problem most
commonly occurs when bac-
teria that has built up from the
moisture in your air ducts and
system during cooling season
are dried up and killed when
you begin using heat.
This can result in a “dirty
sock” smell being emitted
from your ducts that is both
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Call your local heating and
cooling professional, who
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by spraying an antibacterial
solution on your unit’s coils.
Hopefully you’ll be back to
odorless air in no time.

tached to log platforms for a
dining table or coffee table.
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to make a bunk bed.
Quantities of epoxy are
determined by the utility
of the project. A light coat
is administered for indoor
furniture. Outdoor accents
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Counter tops for kitchen and
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many layers to ensure pro-
tection from water damage.
BLH has repeat custom-
ers as far away as Seattle,
but its work is also ad-
mired by customers closer
to home, by people such as
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who declared: “The beau-
ty and the quality of their
workmanship are excellent.
Their work was perfect.
When our friends come by
and see the accent logs, they
say, ‘Wow!’”
BLH can be found on the
Web at bronsonloghomes.
com. The firm’s phone num-
ber is 541-426-6072.
Blooming With Color!
SPECTACULAR SUCCULENTS!
15 S. Main Street Joseph, OR • 541.432.1001
www.ccmerc.com