May 2001 Newsletter
1. About Us & April's $300 winner!
2. May's $ Saving Tip- Cutting Costs Not Electricity
3. Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal
4. Extend The Life Of Your Deck
5. Our Sponsors & Affiliate Program
6. The Monthly Funny! :)
-----=(*)=-----
_________________________________________________
1. About Us & April's $300 winner!
_________________________________________________
Home-Work is a free contractor referral service.
We provide you with information on the screening process that we have
put our contractors
through. Interested company's will contact you to set up
a free estimate. We've done your homework for you in saving you
time and potential hassle.
Shauna Gardiner is leaving for a short while to
go on maternity leave and I will be replacing her here. Please
do not hesitate to call me regarding any of your questions and/or
home renovation needs.
Congratulations to May's winner of $300 towards
his renovation project! The winner is John Jensen! If you
receive this e-mail, you are registered for each monthly draw. Best of
luck!
________________________________________________
2. Cut The Cost of Your Electrical Bill
_________________________________________________
Energy saving tips:
I was reading through the pamphlet Enmax sent
out and realized that a lot of the tips they have in here are the
things I am continually telling my husband when he is in the
kitchen!
1. Make sure your pot size is consistent with
the burner size.
2. Don't open the oven door to sneak a peek when
it is on. Opening the door can reduce the amount of heat in your
oven by as much as 24 degrees Celsius. More energy will be
required to reheat your oven! Turn on the light and look
in.
Another good thing to know is that dirty
condenser coils found on the back or bottom of your refrigerator should
be checked and cleaned at least twice a year. Dirty coils lead
to higher operating costs.(Enmax)
_________________________________________________
3. Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal
_________________________________________________
Curb appeal is the impression your home's
exterior conveys. Adding curb appeal to your home will help you
beat the competition and pad your bottom line when it's time to sell,
or just to improve your life.
Most importantly, curb appeal makes you want to
go inside, says Kit Davey, a Redwood City, Calif.-based interior
designer, who works on model homes.
To give your home curb appeal and make it stand
out on the block pay attention to the details.
Here are some things you can do to improve your
home:
New paint : There's nothing like a fresh coat of
paint to give your home that "newly built" look. Don't
rush the job, and choose a color scheme that sets your home apart from others on
the block (but doesn't clash with the neighborhood).
Remove old built-up layers of paint before
applying a new one. If you don't need to remove existing paint, you do
need to prepare the surface.
New landscaping:
Well-manicured landscaping helps frame curb
appeal. You want tidy, simple, healthy landscaping installed in
proportion with your home. It's important to know how your
landscaping will appear once its matured. From a practical sense, the
plants and trees provide shade and passive cooling as they
control erosion and pollution.
Trees also provide privacy, especially if you
are in a single-level house surrounded by two story homes.
"Houses with mature trees fetch more money," says Pinto.
New roof : Asphalt shingle roofs, available in
multidimensional textures and decorator colors, are the most economical. For a
unique look without the cost of slate, one of the most
expensive roofing products, consider simulated slate shingles.
New paving : New sidewalks, driveways and other
non-landscaped
surfaces help pave the way to curb appeal. If you are about to
sell your home, Pinto suggests affordable concrete stamped with
the impressions of cobblestones for a European look.
New doors, windows :
Portals should make visitors feel welcome. New
double doors, energy-efficient windows framed with shutters
and garage doors with half moon windows all add the final touches
to curb appeal. What's the thing people see first? The garage
door. If you have to replace it, replace it with a a sectional garage
door with some interesting windows.
(Broderick Perkins - Home Store.com)
________________________________________________
4. Treat Your Deck Like Your Kitchen Floor
_________________________________________________
Whether your deck is already old or was just
installed, these pointers will help extend its life:
Treat your deck like your kitchen floor. Pat
Coughlin, manager of brand development for Flood Co., a manufacturer
of stain products, says people often think of a deck as
self-cleaning, when in reality it needs to be cleaned as much as your kitchen
floor. Coughlin recommends major spring and fall deck cleanings.
At these times you should inspect for damage, clean off debris
with a hose, sand splinters, and use a stain remover to lift any
grill or dirt stains. Throughout the year, keep an eye on your deck.
Brush off fallen leaves for better air circulation and so leaves
won't rot and leave mildew. If your deck surface is near the ground
and air circulation is limited, cover the soil with a polyethylene
barrier topped with decorative rock to prevent moisture damage
underneath. Clean between decking board cracks and use pot feet to
keep potted plants elevated.
(Better Homes and Gardens)
_________________________________________________
5. Affiliate Program & Our Sponsor
_________________________________________________
We are currently implementing a program called
"Refer A Friend". It's a way for you or your company to receive a
gift certificate as a thank you for referring our service. We will be
implementing this program next month so watch our website for more
details. It's easy- just tell friends and family who are
needing work done about our service! They get free information and
contractors interested in quoting on their job!
We currently also have sponsoring companies that
help promote our service. Please find our more about them at:
http://www.homeworkcanada.com/sponsors.htm
Pillar to Post Home Inspection, Remax House of
Real Estate, AmeriSpec Home Inspection Services, Informative
Home Inspections, Keaco Services, Chesney's Home
Hardware, Gunther's Building Supply.
________________________________________________
6. The Monthly Funny! :)
________________________________________________
A little boy wanted $100 very badly; his mother
told him to pray to God for it. He prayed for two weeks but nothing
turned up. Then he decided perhaps he should write God a letter
requesting the $100. When the post office received the letter
addressed to God, they opened it and decided to send it to the Prime
Minister. The Prime Minister was so impressed, touched and amused
that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy
$5. He thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little
boy. The little boy was delighted with the $5 and sat down to write a
thank-you letter, which read as follows;
Dear God, Thank you very much for sending me the money. I
noticed that you had to send it through Ottawa. As usual, those
thieves deducted $95.
* If you enjoy this newsletter please forward it
to friends! They can then e-mail us to receive it each month and be
entered for the draw. Thanks! _________________________________________________
