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kokomoperspective.com/home improvement & lawn and garden

Kokomo Perspective Sept. 15, 2010

D2

• If your windows allow cold air to leak intoyour home, the most cost-effective measure is toseal the entire window with a layer of plastic forthe winter. New heat-shrinking films are airtightand easy to see through.

• Seal up the largest air leaks in your home —the ones that whistle on a windy day or feeldrafty. Check for leaks around windows, doors,and at locations where utilities enter the home(e.g., pipes, cables, telephone wires, etc.) and sealthese with caulking or foam insulation products.

• Clear away weeds and debris from outdoor air

conditioning and heat pump units. This allows airto circulate freely around your outside unit, low-ering your bills and helping reduce service calls.Planting a tree to shade the unit can help, as longas airflow is not blocked. An air conditioner op-erating in the shade uses as much as 10 percentless energy than the same unit operating in thesun.

• Duke Energy’s “Our Home Energy HouseCall” offers eligible customers a free in-home en-ergy analysis. Call to schedule an energy auditwith a professional energy specialist.

• Plant a leaf-bearing tree on the south, east andwest sides of your home to reduce heat build up inyour attic and provide shade for your windowsand walls.

cost about $5,000. Butonce at the scene, McPikesaid, a lot of times peopledon’t need to replace theirroofs, they just need toclean them.

Cleaning is not as easyas it sounds. You can’t just stand atop your roof and spray it down using agarden hose — althoughmany people attempt todo that.

“We see people whouse a hose and think thatwashing the roof is goingto kill the algae,” McPikesaid.

It takes a chemical so-lution and — the wordand is key here — water

that is at least 180 de-grees. Water sprayingfrom a garden hose isnowhere near that temper-ature.

“At McPike’s webought a special machine

to allow us to use hotwater,” he said. “That’sthe real key. The chemicalsolution and hot waterdon’t hurt shingles. It’ssimply a way to save yourroof. We can also use it toclean algae off siding,gutters and overhangs.The chemicals are safe for

humans, pets and land-scaping.”The cost? Pretty cheap

— especially compared tothe alternative of replac-ing a roof.

“It’s a couple of hun-dred bucks,” McPike said.“The average job takes acouple of hours to do.”

You get a two-year war-ranty that the algae won’tcome back, he added.

McPike workers havespecial training to removethe algae from the Ameri-can Roof Cleaning Insti-tute.

There are many bene-fits to cleaning a roof,starting with not having topay for a new roof.

“Algae will raise your

heating and coolingcosts,” McPike said. “Itmakes the heater runmore in the winter and theair conditioner run morein the summer.”

If you don’t have abuildup of algae on yourroof yet — yet is the keyword there because everyshingled roof gets it even-tually — McPike’s clean-

ing system could still be

of benefit.“We can also get grease

and oil off concrete, likein your driveway orgarage, clean wood decks,get spilled paint off,”McPike said. “There are abunch of different uses.”

For more info, callMcPike’s at 452-1123.

SAVEcontinued from page D1

What’s eating your roof? The black streaks on your roof are actu-ally evidence of a living organism known

as gloeocapsa magma. This hardy algae

feeds on the limestone filler in a roof’s

shingles and grows and darkens until

removed. These roof stains, often aremistaken as “roof mold,” take months or

even years to appear. Starting on the

north side of the roof, where conditions

are dampest and receive the leastamount of sunlight, the algae will

multiply and eventually streak across theentire roof.

Why clean your roof?

•A clean roof will enhance the curb ap-peal of your home or business.

•The removal of algae, the black streak-

ing, will help prolong the life of your roof.Most shingles are guaranteed for 25

years by the manufacturer. A roof left un-

treated could deteriorate in 15 years or

less.

•The black streaking on a roof can raise

building temperatures and, therefore,

raise cooling costs.

•An estimated 50 percent of all new res-idential roofs are installed not because

they are leaking or worn out but for aes-

thetic reasons only. The cost to have a

roof cleaned is only a fraction of the costof a new roof.

Use a little energy this fall to save a

lot on energy costs this winter

ON TOP OF IT — McPike’s Paul Townsend and GaryBrown can clean a roof in just a few hours so you getsame-day results.

Perspective photo / Steve Geiselman

ENERGY-D4




Sept. 15, 2010 Kokomo Perspective

D3

Ev e r y y e a rc o o l e rt e m p e r a -t u r e s s i g -n a l a n e w

r o u n d o f s e a s o n a lc h o r e s , l i k e s w a p -

p i n g s c r e e n s f o rs t o r m d o o r s , c l e a n -i n g a n d s t o r i n gp a t i o f u r n i t u r e ,a n d c h e c k i n g f o ra i r l e a k s a r o u n dt h e h o m e . M a n yA m e r i c a n s a l s ou s e t h i s t i m e t op r e p a r e l a w ne q u i p m e n t f o r w i n -t e r s t o r a g e , b u t e x -p e r t s a t J o h nD e e r e s a y , “ N o t s of a s t . ”

Riding lawn attach-ments have revolution-ized the way homeownersapproach fall and winteryard work so now youcan do more than justmow.

“Generally, a lot of customers will do a lot of aerating, coring aerationand spiker aeration, thistime of year,” said BartLefler, sales manager atMcGavic Outdoor Power.

“Coring pulls a plug of

grass out and the spikerust cut slits in the

ground,” he explained.“Some form of aeration isvery good to do on theyard in the fall. Samething goes with thatchinga yard.”

Thatching“Thatch is a tightly in-

termingled organic layerof dead and living shoots,stems, and roots that ac-cumulate just above thesoil surface,” accordingto Purdue Extension’s“Mowing, Dethatching,Aerifying and RollingTurf Thatch Control.”

“Thatch accumulationis due to either over-fer-tilization, overwatering,and/or soil compaction. Asmall amount of thatch isdesirable because it mod-erates soil temperaturefluctuations and providesa cushion on the soil sur-face. Too much thatch in-terferes with water andair movement, reducesfertilizer and pesticide re-sponse, and increases dis-ease and insect activity.Eventually, roots maystart growing in thethatch, and since thatchdoes not hold much

water, the turf then be-comes very susceptible tocold, heat and droughtstresses.”

There are walk-behindthatchers and pull-behindthathcers, Lefler said.

“They have hooks onthem that pull up a lot of the dead grass and debristhat’s in your yard. Afterthey do that, then cus-tomers will either have abagger on the mower orrake it off their lawn todispose of it.”

Always follow the ruleof thumb on grass height— except now.

“One of the thing that’salso good for the yard inthe fall is kind of an oddthing,” Lefler said. “Wepreach all year long notto cut your grass tooshort, but at the end of the mowing season it’sgood to cut it shorter thannormal because there canbe a lot of fungi andmolds that can get inyour lawn in the fall andwinter months.”

FertilizingLate fall is one of the

best times to fertilize alawn. One final dose of fertilizer before the coldweather strikes is goodfor strengthening roots

and increasing the nitro-gen stored for an earlierspring green; while thetop growth of the grassstops, all energy is re-served for t he followingseason. The specific timeof day you fertilize de-pends on the currentweather conditions, andfertilizer should not beapplied if rain is in theimmediate 24-hour fore-cast.

Instead of pacing the

yard with a cart or hand-held bucket, John Deeresuggests attaching a towbehind spreader to a lawnmower or garden tractorto quickly spread fertil-izer, seed and even icemelting products whenthe snowfall arrives.

AeratingAerating is ideal in

cooler months for remov-ing plugs of soil andthatch from a lawn. It en-courages deep rooting,improves water and nutri-ent penetration, helpsbreak down thatch andpromotes growth of ben-eficial soil microorgan-isms.

In place of spikedshoes or spray-on liquids,

options includes plugaerators, spike aeratorsand thatcherators thateasily attach behind atractor and removes plugsof soil from two to three-inches deep.

MulchingIf you prefer not to

rake or bag grass or

leaves, mulching is anideal alternative. Be sureto mulch leaves onlywhen they are dry sincemulching wet or dampleaves can cause build upor make your enginework harder and usemore fuel. Rememberthat grass needs sunlightin the fall to help storefood for winter, so becareful when mulchingthis time of year. A thinlayer of mulched leaveswill do and helps add nu-trients to the soil, reduc-ing the need for fertilizer.

CompostingCreating a compost

pile allows you to takeadvantage of decom-posed organic material tocreate a rich soil. The fallseason is a good time tocreate a compost pilewith decaying matterthroughout the yard, likevegetables, grass clip-

pings and leaves, whichcontain the nutrients nec-essary to add nitrogen thesoil needs for plantingcome spring. Be sure toalternate layers of “brown material,” or highcarbon materials, withyour grass clippings.

Using a rear baggerwith your lawn mower ortractor will help makecollecting grass clippingsa breeze. You can alsocollect materials with a

blade or shovel to easilyand efficiently createyour compost pile. Whenwinter strikes, you canuse these attachments toplow, pick up and trans-port snow.

“We run a lot of servicespecials to reward cus-tomer to take a mower into be serviced in the off-season,” Lefler said.

Servicing includesscraping the deck so de-bris isn’t gummed up and

promoting rust, sharpen-ing the blades, changingthe oil, changing the fuelfilter, changing the oil fil-ter, and changing spark plugs so they’re ready togo for the spring, Leflersaid.

Get the most out of your mower as you prepare your lawn for winter

Put your mower to work fer tilizing,aerating, thatching, mulching, composting

by Lisa Fippsmanaging editor

[email protected]





D4

• If your home is situated in a large open area,use evergreens on the north and west sides of yourhome to create effective windbreaks.

•Heating and cooling account for the greatest

portion of energy costs for the average home. In-sulation is your most effective means of reducingenergy usage to keep your home comfortable bothin winter and summer.

• Install the proper amount of insulation in ex-terior walls, roofs or ceilings, and floors abovecold spaces. If you currently have no insulationin one of these areas, installing insulation will cutyour energy bills dramatically.

• Do not compress insulation on the attic floorby adding a layer of wood, storing boxes on it orwalking across it frequently. Crushed insulationis not a good insulator.

•The R-value is the standardized measure torate the relative effectiveness of insulation mate-

rials. Different materials will have varying R-val-ues per inch. R-values of R-38 for attic insulationand R-19 for walls are considered cost effectivefor homes in the Midwest.

Source: Duke Energy

Energy-saving ideas fromKokomo Gas & Fuel

Using energy wisely can reduce consumptionand save money on utility bills, according to theAmerican Gas Association (AGA) and KokomoGas. We offer these suggestions for homeownerslooking for simple ways to conserve energy:

ENERGY continued from page D2

ENERGY-2 -D8

Fall’s a great time to prepare

a new garden

for next year

Soil preparation is the most important step ingrowing a successful garden, yet the springplanting frenzy can tempt us to cut corners tohurry and get everything in the ground. That'sone reason why fall is a good time to prepare

a new garden spot. Also, fall is a good time to addamendments to adjust the pH of your soil because theytake some time to do the job. Perhaps the best reason tostart a new garden in fall is that you can do it with a lot

less effort if you are converting any lawn to a garden.Follow these steps to get a head start on spring planting.

Choose the spotVegetable gardens and most flowerbeds require at

least 6 hours of full sun each day. Choose a level spot– either natural or terraced – that has well-drained soil,if possible. Thick grass or vigorous weed growth usu-ally indicate soil drainage and nutrient levels that willsupport healthy garden plants.

Rejuvenate tired soilIf your garden spot is not new and just needs some

revitalization, begin this fall. First, send a soil sample

to a private or Cooperative Extension soil-testing labfor nutrient and pH analysis. Call the lab or a local gar-den center for a collection kit and instructions on howto collect the sample. Test results will tell you whichminerals and pH amendments your soil needs to growhealthy vegetables and flowers.

Add amendmentsAdjust the soil pH – its measure of acidity or alka-

linity – by adding ground limestone or sulfur as rec-ommended by the soil test results. Improve the soilfertility, clay soil drainage, and sandy soil water-hold-ing capacity by adding organic material, such as com-post, well-rotted livestock manure, or composted firbark. Apply a 1- to 2-inch layer of organic material

over the garden.

Turn the soil

Work the amendments into the top 6 to 12 inches of soil with a rototiller or garden fork. Break up largeclods and remove rocks and roots. Work the soil onlywhen it is dry enough to crumble easily after squeez-ing — never when it is saturated with water.

Convert lawn the easy way If your future garden spot is currently covered with

grass, you can remove it by slicing under the sod witha spade and cutting it into manageable pieces. Or youcan utilize the nitrogen and organic matter in the grass

by simply smothering it. First, mow the grass short.Then spread several thicknesses of newspaper over thegrass and moisten it with a hose. Finally, spread severalinches of compost or composted manure on top. Overthe winter the grass will decompose underneath, andby spring you'll have a nice planting bed.

For more tips and garden information visitwww.garden.org.

A former floral designer and interior plantscaper, Kathy Bond-Borie has spent 20 years as a gardenwriter/editor, including her current role as Horticul- tural Editor for the National Gardening Association.She loves designing with plants, and spends more time playing in the garden – planting and trying new

combinations – than sitting and appreciating it.Source: Photo courtesy of Fotolia, content courtesy of Family Features

by Kathy Bond-Borie

guest [email protected]



A

nyone who’s driven by EasternHigh School lately has surely no-ticed a big change. It’s right therein black and white. Well, actually,it’s in green and gold, Eastern’s

school colors. It’s window film. Budget Blindsinstalled it.

“We’d had some blinds that had been there anumber of years that were in really poorshape,” said Dr. Tracy Caddell, superintendentof Eastern Howard School Corp.

It’s the area above the swimming pool on theeast side of the building. There were com-plaints from guests andswimmers that the lightpouring through and re-flecting off the watermade it difficult to see attimes, too.

“Patrons asked ‘Is

there anything you coulddo?’ Budget Blinds andothers gave us options,”Caddell said.

“One option wasshades, but they wouldhave had more maintenance issues,” said Ruth Fansler, co-owner. “We thoughttheir best bet would be window film. Because of the cholorine from the pool,the film was applied on the exterior, not the interior.

“It’s basically maintenance-free,” she said.After considering the needs and the budget, the school chose film over the

other window treatments.“It does promote school colors and the school system,” Caddell said. “It

is pretty striking.”“It’s so bold, but that was the idea, to draw attention,” Ruth Fansler said.

In addition to getting noticed, Eastern thinks it will realize another ben-efit from it. “We do anticipate an energy savings, too,” Caddell said.

When it comes to residential use, it’s unlikely anyone would chose such abold window film, said Ruth Fansler. But on acommercial level, it is a great way to draw at-tention to a building. She noted that Eastern hadthe option of adding graphics to the windowfilm. It could have chosen to include a cometsince Eastern is home to the Comets.

“It’s amazing the amount of options you havewith window film,” Ruth Fansler said.

Usually when people choose window film fora residence, they choose a film that is barely no-



D5

Let there be light — or not

G R E E N A N D G O L D

BOLD — Window tint wasapplied at Eastern HighSchool in Greentown.

Perspective photo / Lisa Fipps

Whether seeking privacyor energy savings, chose

from a variety of windowtreatment options —andsome could put $1,500

back in your pocket


[email protected]

LIGHT-D6

It’s amazing theamount of options

you have withwindow film.

“

”





D6

When you want tomake a change,one of the

fastest and least expensiveways is to paint, saidCathy Newton, a consult-

ant at Kokomo Glass &Paint.“Paint is going to be

your cheapest fix to dosomething with,” she said.

Reds, berries, greensand gold — a lot of vividcolors — are popularchoices right now, Newtonsaid.

“Lots of people tend tohave neutral walls, butonce you talk somebodyinto making a change,once they break that cycle— and I’ve even done itmyself — you wake upand you’re in a bettermood. Color puts you in agood mood.”

But once the paint rolleror brush hits the wall, peo-

ple panic.“What I tell them is if

you’re having someonepaint for you, leave andcome back and see it,”Newton said, noting it canbe a little nerve-racking tosee a bright red or deeppurple go on a once-whitewall. “Once you get the

whole thing painted, it’sbeautiful.”

If you’re tempted, butnot quite ready to committo the idea of going with abold color, try virtualpainting.

Several companies, suchas Porter Paints, have Websites where you can seewhat different colors willlook like on the wall. Go toporter.voiceofcolor.com/en /myproject/vision.asp.

Paint companies aren’t

the only ones providingconsumer-friendly Websites that allow customersto give test samples.

On Hunter Douglas’sWeb site, consumers can

find out more informationabout blinds, for example.

But a trend right now inwindow coverings is drap-ery. Yes, drapes are back.

Just like with clothing,decor goes in cycles.

“We’re starting to do alot of fabric treatementsagain,” Newton said.

“People are lookig fordraperies and top treat-ments whereas before wemostly went to just doingtop treatments for people.I am selling a lot of draperies and custom bed-spreads to coordinate withthem. I think it’s a niceway to accessorize.”

Draperies add color butalso warmth to a room,Newton said.

For those with a closeeye on the decorating

budget, panels are a goodoption when it comes towindow treatments. Youcan buy a panel or two togive the room warmth andcolor and draw attention tothe window without pay-ing for enough drapery tocover the entire window,she said.

Adding trim is also pop-ular, Newton said, such asbeaded trims, tassels,fringe. “There’s just tonsand tons of things you can

choose from. I would sayelegance is coming back.For a while there, itseemed like simple wasthe theme.”

LIGHT continued from page D5

ticeable, said John Fansler,co-owner of BudgetBlinds.

“The main purpose is toprotect furnishings,” he

said, adding, “99 percentof the UV rays are blocked— regardless of how muchtint there is. Even a lighttint, where you can barelytell it’s on the window,blocks 99 percent of theUV rays.”

Window film also re-duces heat.

“It can help reflect awaythe sun’s energy,” JohnFansler said. “But it doesnot hold heat in, in thewinter.”

So most of the energysavings from film comesduring the summermonths.

Save money on taxesHere’s another advan-

rage of window film. In-stalling it makes youeligible for a tax credit of up to $1,500.

Under section 25C of the Internal RevenueCode (I.R.C.), homeown-ers can receive a 30 per-cent credit on the costs of

“qualified energy effi-ciency improvements,”including solar controlwindow film, made to aprimary residence fromJan.1, 2009, through Dec.31, 2010. Only windowfilms that meet the geo-graphic and solar per-formance criteria will beeligible for the credit, soif the tax credit is a majormotivator for you deci-sion to go with film, besure to let Budget Blinds

know that so they can tellyou which film qualifies.If you want to save

even more money, youmight consider installinghoneycomb shades in ad-dition to the window film.

“Honeycomb and filmis the perfect combina-tion,” John Fansler said.“Honeycomb is one of the optimal insulatingsystems to keep the heatout in summer and theheat in the winter.”

Honeycomb shadescome in a variety of fab-rics and colors, includingblackout fabric.

“That’s great for bed-

rooms if you’re sleepingduring the day becauseyou work odd hours,”John Fansler said. “I callthem ‘third-shift’ shades.What’s great about themis that you have a top-down option. You canbring the top down toallow natural light in but

keep some privacy inyour windows.”Here are some more

tips to create a bedroomto improve sleep no mat-ter what your work hours.

There is no disputingthat humans need sleep orhow much sleep is rec-ommended for optimalresults. But in the last 40years, the amount of sleep we get has de-creased to the pointwhere our health andwell-being has been im-paired. The conse-quences of our poor sleephabits range from poormoods, decreased pro-ductivity, drowsy drivingand heart conditions. Thepeople at Budget Blindssuggest that makingchanges to your bedroommay help you get the Z’syou need.

“Your bedroom shouldbe a place where you canrest and relax so you canget the sleep you need to

be your very best. Manypeople would benefitfrom spending a littletime to create an environ-ment that is conducive tosleep – cool, calm anddark,” said Tracy Christ-man, vendor alliance di-rector for Budget Blinds,the leading custom win-dow coverings franchise.

Keep your coolThe best sleep environ-

ments are cool. Use win-

dow treatments to controlthe temperature in yourrooms. Some treatmentsprovide more insulationthan other window treat-ments. Cellular shadesare excellent insulatorsand can double the insu-lating ability of a doublepaned window. They canalso help cut your energycosts by reducing howoften your heater or airconditioning needs to op-erate to maintain indoortemperatures. Homeown-ers who choose program-mable motorization fortheir window treatmentscan choose when to lower

and lift the window treat-ments to block sun duringthe day to maintain theroom temperature.

Stay calmThe bedroom should be

used for rest and relax-ation – a sanctuary. Elim-inating things that disturbyour calm can summonthe sandman. Start byeliminating clutter fromyour room and puttingthings in their place. Vac-uum and clean regularlyto remove dust and otherallergens so you canbreathe deeply. Choose acalming color palettesuch as blues, greens andpurples for your room.Add plants like spiderplant and peace lily toclean air naturally. Usedrapery panels to soften

harsh visual edges anddampen sound. Area rugscan be used to absorbsound as well.

Go dark Light disrupts sleep.

Some light sources areeasy for you to control,like lamps, clocks andtelevisions. Other lightsources, such as streetlamps and bright moon-light, require a differentapproach. Use windowcoverings to block lightso you can get the sleepyou need.

Adding room-darken-ing privacy liners to yournew window treatmentswill stop the most light.These are very helpful toshift workers. If light isseeping in through thegaps between your win-dow treatment and thewindow frame, you maybenefit from adding dec-orative touches that willcover the gaps like drap-

ery panels or corniceboxes. If you’re in themarket for new blinds,routless louvers eliminatethe tiny holes traditionalblinds have. Another op-tion is to cover the routholes with cloth tapes,which also allow accentcolors to be carried to thewall.

Programmable motor-ization can be used toopen the window cover-ings in the morning al-

lowing the sunlight toassist in the wakingprocess. Simply programthe window coverings toopen about 15-30 minutesbefore your alarm clock rings, and you’ll wakenmore naturally andcalmly than with theaudio alarm alone.

Color your world with paint;warm up a room with draperies


[email protected]





D7

If you don’t want to

be left out in thecold this winter, youneed to have yourhome’s furnace

serviced this fall. And withthe way temperatures havedropped lately, the soonerthe better.

Rick Newton, a sales-man at King's Heating &Plumbing Inc., describedwhat is typically includedwhen a professional iscalled to make sure a fur-nace is in working order.

“Getting your furnaceserviced basically that’schanging the filters tostart with,” Newton said.

Probably the No. 1 mis-take homeowners make isnot changing furnace fil-ters regularly.

“A lot of people let thatgo,” he said. “They forgetor they say ‘we’ll get to itlater’ and later nevercomes.”

So how often should afurnace filter be changed?

“A filter should bechanged once a month oronce a year, depending onwhat your furnace uses,”Newton said. “There areall different kinds andsizes now, and we carryabout everything you canthink of.”

Filters are very inex-pensive — especially con-sidering the cost youcould incur if you don’tchange.

“Your heat exchanger

could crack if you don’tchange your filters,” New-ton said. “Or your blowermotor could go out,

meaning the furnace isheating up but not blow-ing the heated air out.”

Many homeownershave installed high-effi-ciency furnaces. If youhave one, it’s important to“make sure the drain linesare cleaned out becausethey will cause problems.Flues need inspected. Mo-tors might need oiled;some do and some don’t— it depends on themodel you have. Somehave condensationpumps. They also need tobe cleaned. Flame sensors— they’re like the oldthermocouple, it’s takenthe place of it — thoseneed cleaned. A lot of thermostats take batteries.They need replaced. Withthe furnaces that have hu-midifers, you need tochange your humidifier

pad before any heatingseason. We find that somecustomers have never

changed their humidifierpad. It won’t work if youdon’t change it and it de-feats the purpose of hav-ing it.”

Many furnace filters areeasy to change. Manypeople can and do changefurnace filters. But therest you should let an ex-pert take care of.

“I highly recommeneda trained service techcome out and service theequipment,” Newton said.

A trained service techknows exactly what eachmodel of furnace needs tobe in good working order.

You will pay a smallbill in maintenance, butthat little bit can preventbig problems.

“Eighty percent of problems can be pre-vented if you have yourequipment serviced,”

Newton said.It’s a good idea to have

the service tech check out

the waterheater while onthe job.

“It’s important to makesure the flue of the waterheater is opened up andnot stopped up,” he said.“We make sure there’s noleaks on it.”

Here’s a little some-thing that Newton sharedthat most people don’tknow.

Indoor air quality is abig concern these days.

If you want to have

good air quality, here’swhat you need to do.

Run your blower all thetime. In other words, in-stead of leaving the set-ting on “auto,” put it on“on.”

“That will keep the aircleaner,” Newton said.“And it keeps the wholehouse more evenly heatedor cooled, depending on

the season.”Here are some tips pro-

vided by Brandt’s Heating

& Cooling.A basic furnace system

includes: a burner, a heatexchanger, Ductwork (which transfers heatthrough the house), and avent pipe. It is importantto determine whether allof these components arein working order and areall doing the operationsthey should be inside and

outside the house.A lot of people forget

about the outside.

Your heat exchanger

could crack if youdon’t change yourfilter. Or your blowermotor could go out,

meaning the furnaceis heating up but notblowing the heated

air out.

As it gets colder, it’s time to have furnace servicedby Syra Sharif and

Lisa Fippsstaff writer &

managing [email protected]

CHECK IT OUT — Chad McFarland of King’s Heating and Plumbing checks out a fu-rance filter.

Perspective photo / Steve Geiselman

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D8

If you have walked out on your lawn recentlyyou may have noticed hundreds of small, buff colored, moths flittering here or there as you ap-proach. These may be alarming for both farmersas well as turfgrass managers because they;

(1) look like a common corn pest (EuropeanCorn Borer)

(2) act like a common turfgrass pest (SodWebworm)

Rest easy, though. These are neither corn bor-

ers nor sod webworms, but rather a close cousinto both. The moths are called Celery Leaf-tiersand normally are very minor pests of a widerange of plants, flowers and weeds (includingcelery).

These moths have the same general triangu-lar appearance and coloration of European cornborers, albeit they are slightly smaller (seephoto).

On lawns, these moths behave much like sodwebworms. They normally rest during the day-time but become more active at dusk. Disturbingthem causes them to fly just above the surface of the grass until they settle again, a few feet away.

The reason for their high numbers in lawns is

unknown and is probably not a real attraction.Rather, these moths are simply everywhere, weust notice them more on our lawns because that

is where we walk and what we see most. They

are in no short supply in vacant lots, or un-

maintained grassy areas. Walking there and in

agricultural fields will flush the same numbers

of moths. In fact, driving down nearly any coun-

try road at dusk right now will yield a wind-

shield full of splats. Celery moths do seem to be

everywhere.

The good news is that these are not expected

to become more than a curiosity or nuisance

pest on our lawns and in our yards and they donot threaten neighboring corn crops.

The bigger question is, why are they so preva-

lent all at once? Rest assured that you are not

the only one witnessing this phenomenon.

Neighboring states are reporting the same thing.

Why they are occurring in such huge numbers

right now is just a guess. We know that popula-

tion explosions occur from time to time among

many different species of insects. Often the

cause has to do with environmental conditions,

especially weather. If our prolonged wet

weather conditions favor the development of

this insect or the plants that it feeds on, or is un-

favorable to the naturally occurring controls thatnormally keep it in check, such an outbreak may

occur.

Source: Purdue University Extension

Celery moths

(bottom) are

similar in

color and

shape to the

larger (top)

European

Corn Borer

moths.

Photo: John

Obermeyer

• Seal leaks around doors, windows and other openings,such as pipes or ducts -- with caulk or weatherstripping.

• Set thermostats between 65-70°F in the winter, at leastfive degrees lower when you're sleeping, and at 58°Fwhen you're away from home for more than a few hours.(Warmer temperatures are recommended for homes withill or elderly persons or infants.)

• Set water heater temperatures at 120°F and installwater-flow restrictors in showerheads and faucets.

• Change filters or clean the filters in heating and cool-ing units twice a year. Close vents and doors in unusedrooms. If pipes or ducts run through unheated areas, in-sulate them.

• Use drapes, shutters, awnings, shade trees, glass withreflective film or solar screens to keep sunlight out in thesummer and let it in during the winter.

• Check to see if attic and basement (or crawl space)have the recommended level of insulation.

• If you have a woodburning fireplace, consider in-

stalling a natural gas fireplace insert, which can save onenergy costs compared with wood. A gas fireplace alsowill dramatically reduce the air pollution created fromburning wood.

• Consider storm or thermal windows and doors or dou-ble-paned glass. A less-expensive alternative is plasticsheeting, which can be temporarily fastened over doorsand windows to retain heat or air conditioning.

• Be sure that dishwashers, washing machines andclothes dryers are fully loaded before using them.

• When buying new appliances, compare energy-effi-ciency ratings and annual operating costs. A slightlyhigher initial cost for high-efficiency appliances could berecovered in a very short time through energy savings andlower utility bills.

ENERGY-2continued from page D4

Celery Leaf-tiers areabundant this year in

fields, lawns





D9

Wh e t h e ry o u ’ r e

p l a n -ning anaddition

for a growing family orsimply getting new stormwindows, finding a compe-tent and reliable contractoris the first step to a suc-cessful and satisfyinghome improvement proj-ect.

Your home may be yourmost valuable financialasset. That's why it's im-portant to be cautiouswhen you hire someone towork on it. Home im-provement and repair andmaintenance contractorsoften advertise in newspa-pers, the Yellow Pages, andon the radio and TV. How-ever, don't consider an adan indication of the qualityof a contractor's work.Your best bet is a realitycheck from those in theknow: friends, neighbors,or co-workers who havehad improvement work done. Get written esti-

mates from several firms.Ask for explanations forprice variations. Don't au-tomatically choose thelowest bidder.

Home improvement

professionals

Depending on the sizeand complexity of yourproject, you may choose towork with a number of dif-ferent professionals:

•General contractorsmanage all aspects of yourproject, including hiringand supervising subcon-tractors, getting buildingpermits, and scheduling in-spections. They also work with architects and design-ers.

•Speciality contractorsinstall particular products,such as cabinets and bath-room fixtures.

•Architects designhomes, additions, andmajor renovations. If yourproject includes structuralchanges, you may want tohire an architect who spe-cializes in home remodel-ing.

•Designers have expert-ise in specific areas of thehome, such as kitchens andbaths.

•Design/Build Contrac-tors provide onestop serv-

ice. They see your projectthrough from start to fin-

ish. Some firms have ar-chitects on staff; others usecertified designers.

Don't get nailedNot all contractors oper-

ate within the law. Here aresome tip-offs to potentialrip-offs. A less than rep-utable contractor:

•solicits door-to-door;•offers you discounts for

finding other customers;•just happens to have

materials left over from aprevious job;

•only accepts cash pay-ments;

•asks you to get the re-quired building permits;

•does not list a businessnumber in the local tele-phone directory;

•tells you your job willbe a “demonstration”;

•pressures you for animmediate decision;

•offers exceptionallylong guarantees;

•asks you to pay for theentire job upfront;

•suggests that you bor-row money from a lenderthe contractor knows. If you're not careful, youcould lose your homethrough a home improve-ment loan scam.

Hiring a contractor

Interview each contrac-tor you're considering.Here are some questions toask.

•How long have youbeen in business? Look fora well-established com-pany and check it out withconsumer protection offi-cials. They can tell you if there are unresolved con-

sumer complaints on file.One caveat: No record of complaints against a par-ticular contractor doesn'tnecessarily mean no previ-ous consumer problems. Itmay be that problemsexist, but have not yet beenreported, or that the con-tractor is doing businessunder several differentnames.

•Are you licensed andregistered with the state?While most states license

electrical and plumbingcontractors, only 36 stateshave some type of licens-

ing and registrationstatutes affecting contrac-

tors, remodelers, and/orspecialty contractors. Thelicensing can range fromsimple registration to a de-tailed qualificationprocess. Also, the licensingrequirements in one local-ity may be different fromthe requirements in the restof the state. Check withyour local building depart-ment or consumer protec-tion agency to find outabout licensing require-ments in your area. If your

state has licensing laws,ask to see the contractor'slicense. Make sure it's cur-rent.

•How many projects likemine have you completedin the last year? Ask for alist. This will help you de-termine how familiar thecontractor is with yourtype of project.

•Will my project requirea permit? Most states andlocalities require permitsfor building projects, even

for simple jobs like decks.A competent contractorwill get all the necessarypermits before startingwork on your project. Besuspicious if the contractorasks you to get the per-mit(s). It could mean thatthe contractor is not li-censed or registered, as re-quired by your state orlocality.

•May I have a list of ref-erences? The contractorshould be able to give youthe names, addresses, andphone numbers of at leastthree clients who haveprojects similar to yours.Ask each how long ago theproject was completed andif you can see it. Also, tellthe contractor that you'dlike to visit jobs inprogress.

•Will you be using sub-contractors on this project?If yes, ask to meet them,and make sure they havecurrent insurance coverageand licenses, if required.

Also ask them if they werepaid on time by this con-

tractor. A "mechanic'slien" could be placed on

your home if your contrac-tor fails to pay the subcon-tractors and suppliers onyour project. That meansthe subcontractors andsuppliers could go to courtto force you to sell yourhome to satisfy their un-paid bills from your proj-ect. Protect yourself byasking the contractor, andevery subcontractor andsupplier, for a lien releaseor lien waiver.

•What types of insur-

ance do you carry? Con-tractors should havepersonal liability, worker'scompensation, and prop-erty damage coverage.Ask for copies of insur-ance certificates, and makesure they're current. Avoiddoing business with con-tractors who don't carrythe appropriate insurance.Otherwise, you'll be heldliable for any injuries anddamages that occur duringthe project.

Checking referencesTalk with some of the

remodeler's former cus-tomers. They can help you

decide if a particular con-tractor is right for you. You

may want to ask:•Can I visit your hometo see the completed job?

•Were you satisfied withthe project? Was it com-pleted on time?

•Did the contractor keepyou informed about thestatus of the project, andany problems along theway?

•Were there unexpectedcosts? If so, what werethey?

•Did workers show upon time? Did they clean upafter finishing the job?

•Would you recommendthe contractor?

•Would you use the con-tractor again?

Understandingpayment options

You have several pay-ment options for mosthome improvement andmaintenance and repairprojects. For example, youcan get your own loan orask the contractor toarrange financing forlarger projects. For smallerprojects, you may want topay by check or creditcard. Avoid paying cash.Whatever option youchoose, be sure you have areasonable payment sched-

ule and a fair interest rate.Here are some additionaltips:

•Try to limit your downpayment. Some state lawslimit the amount of money

Don’t get hammered by contractors; tips for choosing a good one

BEWARE–D10





D10

a contractor can request asa down payment. Contactyour state or local con-sumer agency to find outwhat the law is in yourarea.

•Try to make paymentsduring the project contin-gent upon completion of adefined amount of work.This way, if the work is notproceeding according toschedule, the paymentsalso are delayed.

•Don't make the finalpayment or sign an affi-davit of final release untilyou are satisfied with thework and know that thesubcontractors and suppli-ers have been paid. Lien

laws in your state mayallow subcontractorsand/or suppliers to file amechanic's lien againstyour home to satisfy theirunpaid bills. Contact yourlocal consumer agency foran explanation of lien lawswhere you live.

•Some state or locallaws limit the amount bywhich the final bill can ex-ceed the estimate, unlessyou have approved the in-crease. Check with yourlocal consumer agency.

•If you have a problemwith merchandise or serv-ices that you charged to acredit card, and you havemade a good faith effort towork out the problem withthe seller, you have theright to withhold from thecard issuer payment for themerchandise or services.You can withhold paymentup to the amount of creditoutstanding for the pur-chase, plus any finance orrelated charges.

Keeping recordsKeep all paperwork re-

lated to your project in one

place. This includes copiesof the contract, change or-ders and correspondencewith your home improve-ment professionals. Keep alog or journal of all phonecalls, conversations andactivities. You also mightwant to take photographsas the job progresses.These records are espe-cially important if you

have problems with yourproject - during or afterconstruction.

Completing the job:

a checklistBefore you sign off and

make the final payment,use this checklist to makesure the job is complete.

Check that:•All work meets the

standards spelled out in thecontract.

•You have written war-

ranties for materials andworkmanship.•You have proof that all

subcontractors and suppli-ers have been paid.

•The job site has beencleaned up and cleared of excess materials, tools andequipment.

•You have inspected andapproved the completedwork.

Where to complainIf you have a problem

with your home improve-

ment project, first try to re-solve it with the contractor.Many disputes can be re-

solved at this level. Followany phone conversationswith a letter you send bycertified mail. Request areturn receipt. That's yourproof that the company re-ceived your letter. Keep acopy for your files.

If you can't get satisfac-tion, consider contacting

the following organiza-tions for further informa-tion and help:

•State and local con-sumer protection offices.

•Your state or localBuilders Associationand/or Remodelors Coun-cil.

•Your local Better Busi-ness Bureau.

•Action line and con-sumer reporters. Check with your local newspaper,TV, and radio stations forcontacts.

•Local dispute resolu-tion programs.

For more info•Federal Trade Commis-

sion: www.ftc. govThe FTC works for the

consumer to prevent fraud-ulent, deceptive and unfairbusiness practices in themarketplace and to provideinformation to help con-sumers spot, stop andavoid them. To file a com-plaint, or to get free infor-

mation on any of 150consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use thecomplaint form atwww.ftc.gov. The FTC en-ters Internet, telemarket-ing, identity theft and otherfraud-related complaintsinto Consumer Sentinel, asecure, online databaseavailable to hundreds of civil and criminal law en-forcement agencies in theU.S. and abroad.

Source: “Home Sweet Home Improvement,” Federal Trade Commis- sion

When itc o m e sto im-provingoutdoor

living spaces, decks are apopular choice. If you’rethinking about adding anew deck, or even replac-ing or resurfacing an olddeck, there are a lot of things to consider beforeyou get started. These tipswill help you design theright deck for your needs.

Determine deck useThink through all the

ways you’ll be using yourdeck.

• Will you entertain fre-quently? If so, how manypeople will you needspace for?

• What kind of seatingwill you need – patio fur-niture or built-inbenches?

• Will you need light-

ing to entertain at night?

Choose locationFor most people, the size

and orientation of yourhouse and property limitpossible deck locations toone or two areas. Withinthose areas, think aboutthings like:

•Climate – If your area

gets hot, humid summers,putting a deck in a south-ern or western locationmight make it a hot spotyou’ll end up avoiding. Isit windy where you live?Then think about puttingthe deck where it will getsome protection from thehouse or a screen of trees.

•Privacy – Carefulplacement of your deck can eliminate unwantedviews, minimize trafficnoise and give you addi-

tional privacy.Select materialsHere are some ques-

tions to consider when

choosing deck materials:

•What’s your budget?

When calculating costs,

decide the amenities and

features you want such as

an arbor, fire pit, multiple

deck levels, and type of

railing.

•How much mainte-

nance are you willing to

do? Treated lumber is acommon choice for

decks. While wood has its

advantages, maintenance

can become a chore that

adds up in terms of time

and money. Composite

decking is a lower main-

tenance option that more

and more homeowners

are choosing.

A can increase outdoor

living space and value to

your home. Just ask the

right questions beforeyou start.

Source: Family Fea-

tures

Things to considerbefore adding on a deck

BEWAREcontinued from page D9

fall home improvement section

Documents