October 2000 Newsletter
- About Us & September's $300 winner!
- October's $$ Saving Tip - Eaves trough repair
- Winterizing Your Yard- How to really clean up
- Glass Blocks- an alternative to that mildewy
bathroom window
- Our Sponsors
- The monthly funny! :)
1. About Us & Septembers $300
winner!
Do you need help with preparing your home and yard for
winter? Perhaps you have renovations that you would like done before Christmas. Now is a
great time to get quotes for these projects. Contractors are getting busy in this growing
city, so book them now for a convenient time for both of you. Just register your project
on our web page, or contact our office, and we will have contractors contact you.
Congratulations to September's winner of $300 towards his renovation project! The winner
is Dan Brewer! If you receive this email, you are registered for each monthly draw. Best
of luck!
It was nice to see so many of our customers down at the Home & Interior Design Show
Sept. 21-24th. Thanks to those of you who offered your before and after photos to us for
our display!
2. October's $$ Saving Tip - Eaves
trough repair
You can save money by not having to hire a professional to
repair your eaves troughs as they begin to fall into disrepair. Here is some advice on how
to repair the gutters yourself.
Over time, the joints between lengths of gutter can fail. And even seamless gutters
aren't immune to drips. They have seams where the gutters connect to preformed corners and
to downspout outlets. Whether it's a corner or straight joint, the repair is pretty much
the same.
Begin by cleaning the area around the seam with a wire brush. Use a wet/dry vac to suck up
all loose debris and any puddled water. Next, scrape out the old sealant with a
screwdriver or stiff-blade putty knife. Pay particular attention to the overlapping
surfaces of the joint. If the overlap is raised even slightly, pry it up and dig out the
sealant from underneath. Firmly press the joint closed, then coat the entire area with a
self-leveling butyl-rubber sealant.
3. Winterizing Your Yard- How to
really clean up
Last year I left all of the fall cleanup until spring,
which left me cleaning out my flower beds while dodging growing plants. I vowed this year
I would make sure to do the clean up in the fall. Well, I started Sunday but am no where
near finished! With snow threatening Calgary within the next few days, I am hoping we will
get another chance to finish up! Fall cleanup does more than make the yard look tidy. It
also promotes healthy soil and thriving plants come spring. Here are some guidelines to
follow:
· Rake fallen leaves from the lawn. Leftover leaves can smother grass as they become wet
and mat down, encouraging disease problems in spring.
· Use those fallen leaves by tilling them into garden soil now so they at least partially
break down by the time spring arrives. To speed decomposition, sprinkle a little
fertilizer over the leaves before you start to till.
· Mulch bare ground with leaves to reduce erosion.
· Continue mowing the lawn into fall until top growth stops. The lawn should be on the
short side as winter approaches so grass won't mat down.
· Remove all plant debris, including mulch, from under plants that were besieged by
insects during the growing season. You'll help eliminate over-wintering insect eggs and
plant-disease organisms. Toss the debris from plants that are healthy onto the compost
pile if you have one.
· Have soil tested for pH and fertilizer needs if you haven't done so in the last three
to five years. If the results dictate adding sulfur or lime to adjust pH, do it this fall.
That's it! Your yard and plants are ready for winter, and
you've also saved yourself work next spring. The City of Calgary Garbage collection will
pick up your garden debris as long as it is no longer than 4 feet and it is either bundled
or placed in a bag. Think green and bundle!
4. Glass Blocks- an alternative to
that mildewy bathroom window
Glass block has intrigued architects, builders and
homeowners since it first appeared back in the early 1920s. While its popularity has grown
and waned several times, glass block is experiencing a renaissance as new methods make
installation quicker and easier than ever.
Glass blocks are durable, energy-efficient, easy-to-clean and versatile enough for both
exterior and interior walls. They also come in a variety of styles for just the right
amount of light transmission and visibility. Clear glass blocks are designed for optimum
visibility and light gain, translucent frosted blocks for maximum privacy. Other patterns
offer varying degrees of light and privacy. Along with the 8x8 versions, glass blocks
typically come in 6x6 and 12x12inch sizes. Standard units are 4 in. thick, although 3inch
thick blocks are available too.
Glass block windows have become a frequent request by our customers. Among other things,
they can offer an alternative to a regular window in a shower. Many older windows in
showers become rotted and mildewy. The glass blocks offer durability and privacy. One of
our customers, living in a newer area, was tired of having neighbors looking right into
her dining room. She opted for glass block to replace her window. This allowed her the
same amount of light and a feeling of openness, while offering much more privacy.
For more information on glass blocks, visit
http://todayshomeowner.com
5. Our Sponsors
Once again, kudos to our sponsors who support and promote
our service. Please learn more about them by clicking on the Sponsor button on the
left hand side of the page.
Pillar to Post Home Inspection, Remax House of Real Estate,
AmeriSpec Home Inspection Services, Informative Home Inspections, Phantom Screens, High
Security Lock Co., Realty World Tempo, Keaco Services.
6. The Monthly Funny :-)
There was once a tradesman, a painter, named Jack, who was
very interested in making a pound where he could. So he often would thin down his paint to
make it go a wee bit further. As it happened, he got away with this for some time.
Eventually a local Church decided to do a big exterior restoration job. Jack put in a
painting bid and because his price was so competitive, he got the job. And so he set to,
with a right good will, erecting the trestles and putting up the planks, and buying the
paint and...yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down with the turpentine.
Jack was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly done, when suddenly there
was a horrendous clap of thunder. The sky opened and the rain poured down, washing the
thin paint from all over the church and knocking Jack fair off the scaffold to land on the
lawn.
Now, Jack was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he fell on his
knees and cried, "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?"
And from the thunder, a mighty Voice spoke, "Repaint! Repaint! And thin no
more!"
