Tom Hanks pays up! , Dealing with Contractors, Home
Maintenance Garden Chores, New Recipe.
Hiring
a Contractor
It's that time of the year to remodel, renovate,
and make major repairs to our homes. Simple maintenance,
such as painting can be done without the aid of
an out side contractor. If a major project is
anticipated, it may be time to call on a professional
contractor.
Before selecting that contractor, a few words
of warning. Make sure they are licensed and
insured. Ask for referrals and call them. Ask
for the names of the contractor's suppliers
and call them. Find out if they pay their bills
for materials. Ask to see a nearby job they
have completed. Pay for the work as it progresses,
and hold a retention, ( usually about 10%) until
you are satisfied the job is complete. This
will include satisfying a punch list of items
after the final walk through and all debris,
tools, and equipment are removed from your property.
Planning is a big part of any major renovation
or remodel. Work with a designer , architect,
or engineer to get a virtual look at the project.
A rendering or computer image allows you to
make changes on paper before you build. After
the structure starts going up, changes get expensive.
(See our Tom Hanks story)
Along with the normal bugs and pests we have
to deal with this time of the year, comes another
parasite that preys on us. The roving tribes
of scam artists. These are the scum of the earth,
selecting the elderly and uninformed to cheat.
The stories differ and there are many, but the
scam is the same. If it sounds too good to be
true; "we have leftover materials", "we want
to use your home as a model in the neighborhood",
step away. Do not sign anything in a hurry,
do not give a deposit until a contract is signed,
and don't sign a contract until you check them
out first. A brief visit to our website, (See
"Beware") will provide some guidelines when
hiring a contractor.
American
Contracting Exchange Inc.
Quick
Links...
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Welcome Spring !
I think everyone is ready for Spring. This
has been a brutal winter here in the East,
lot's of snow and very cold.The up side?
Good winter sport activity. Which leads
us to a topic we should concern ourselves
about. Warm up before performing strenuous
activities in the garden or around the house.
Some of these muscles have been dormant
since last year. Take a lesson from professional
atheletes they warm up before each game.
It is their living, one injury , reduced
paycheck.
Stretching, squats, and aerobic action
will prepare you for the coming season of,
digging, weeding, painting, and many other
chores. Gardening and simple household maintenance
can be enjoyed well into the senior years.
Stay in shape, rest between jobs, and drink
plenty of fluids. Enjoy your life, home
and garden for years to come.
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Tom Hanks Pays Up !
As reported in the Feburary issue of the Idaho
Mountain Express,Tom Hanks, movie actor, and
his wife, Rita Wilson, contracted with a local
builder in Ketchum, Idaho to provide construction
services to their home. Due to the many changes
intitiated by Ms. Wilson during the course
of the project, it resulted in an alleged
debt in excess of $ 1,000,000.
Arbitration was agreed on by both parties
and after ten days of hearings in Ketchum,
Idaho; "The envelope please"..."And the
winner is"... Storey Construction Company.
They were awarded $1.7 million dollars.
I am sure they would like to thank the "Academy",
Tom, Rita, and anybody else they run into.
Nice payday!
However, most contractors do not like
changes during the course of their work.
It may provide additional income, but it
interferes with the flow of the job. Time
is a big factor when it comes to changes.
It's "Back to the drawing board", then meetings
and decisions before construction resumes.
Other clients suffer, schedules are juggled,
time is wasted. All of this adds to the
cost of the project. Ask Tom Hanks, constuction
changes can be a real pain in the "Oscar".
Again, a good aid when planning a major
rehab or remodel, look at our website and
download the article, " Surviving a Home
Remodeling Project". It is based on remodeling
a kitchen but can serve as a guide for any
project.
Idaho
Mountain Express »
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Early Spring Gardening Chores
Want to do some early planting? Thinking maybe
some lettuce, spinach, or chard? Before corralling
up all the rakes , shovels, and anything with
a handle on it, it's time to get even for
this past winter. It's time to penetrate the
soil. Dig, poke, rake, or drive in a stake
to relieve that winter tension. Whoa there
pilgrim! Plan your garden on paper first which
will cut your Ben Gay bill in half. Greens
have to be planted in slightly acid soil,
in wide rows approxamiatly 10 feet long by
15 inches wide. The seed must be broadcast
rather then single row planting, more like
scattering the seeds over a wider area. This
system serves many purposes, gives you lots
of lettuce, but in crowded conditions. Not
good you say, -----wrong. Good for the lettuce,
and you, Crowded lettuce shades itself, retains
moisture and keeps itself cool. And you get
the pick of the crop. Pick just the big, healthy
heads for salads, and pinch off the puny ones
that aren't doing their share.
If you are planting tomatoes or other
warm weather crops, it is time to start
preparing the soil. A good jump on weeds
begins now. Work the soil a few weeks in
advance of planting. Turn the soil and let
the rain break up the clods. Look for a
fine growth of weed seedlings begining to
grow. Weed seeds are very small, so they
must remain close to the surface to germinate,
getting sun and moisture quickly. Disturb
this process and you keep the weeds under
control. That is until that one week you
forget and the next time you look, it's
flame thrower time.
OK, we got a plan now, it's time to attack,
let's start poking holes in the ground.
It's the very best cure for "cabin fever".Get
out there and do some damage.
Think about the hottest day in August.
You on the patio or deck, enjoying that
fresh, crisp salad drizzled with a fine
vinaigrette. A few chunks of cold shrimp,
red tomato wedges, thin slices of red onion,
quartered hard boiled egg and a few capers
tossed over the lot. Lettuce grown in an
organic climate. No fertilizers or soil
additives and no residual poisions between
the leaves. And as a bonus other than some
sweat equity and a few cents for seed the
lettuce is free. Of course you will need
the extra money for the shrimp. Enjoy this
Spring, it is a beautiful time of the year.
Take your kids for a walk through the woods
along a stream. Stop for a rest and let
the kids talk. Just listen, you may learn
something. Until this Summer, when it will
be barbeque season, Yea ! George "Waldo"
Waldhauser
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Preventive Maintenance Punch List
Take a walk around the outside of your house.
Let's see what havoc old Jack Frost has whipped
upon us. Up to the roof with a slow scan down
to the lawn, don't miss anything. Think of
yourself as a submarine commamder looking
for the enemy, or the provision ship. Perhaps
they have the new movie! Make a list of all
discrepancies. Now, have a cup of coffee and
submit the list to the priority committee.
Arrange in order of priorty and as you complete
each task, mark it off the list. This will
display to all that you are a man of accomplishments.
If you do not complete the entire list this
season, at least you can say , " I did the
most important jobs, the ones that required
my immediate attention". In order for this
to work, at the very minimum, one task must
be completed this season. Keep this in mind
as you arrange the priorty list.
Here is a list of things to look for:
Loose brick or mortar on chimney Damaged
shingles Gutters and down spouts Tree branches,
don't forget the root system Any sidewalk
movement, any cracks? Siding missing? Check
around windows, need recaulking? Paint in
good condition, how many more years? Windows
and screens, no holes or cracks?
If you have not already checked your battery
in the smoke detector, do it now. Also a
good time to check out fire extinguishers;
one in the kitchen, garage, and basement.
Run the fire drill again with the kids.
Everybody should know what to do and where
to meet outside the house. Do a routine
check of extension cords you may use this
spring. Any frayed ends, loose connections,
or damaged plugs? If you store gas for a
mower or edger be sure it is contained in
the proper vessel and in a safe place. Any
motorheads out there? Check for oily rags.
Open containers of flammable materials could
light up your life and your house.
Here are a few pro tips: When cutting
plywood or a veneered door, place a piece
of masking tape over the area to be cut.
Next clamp a straight edge along the cut
line, score several times with a razor knife.
Clamp a straight 1x4 to line up the table
of your circular saw so as to cut about
a 32nd of an inch on the waste side. Sand
the cut edge and remove the tape. Your good
to go. Another tip when repairing a crack
in concrete or masonry. Moisten all surfaces
that will recieve the bonding material first.
This keeps them from sucking up the water
in the mortar.
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Spring Recipe for 2004
We all have our favorites for winter such
as a hot steaming pot of soup or stew. And
in the summer those wonderful cool salads,
fruit cups, and sandwiches with iced tea.
Are there any spring recipes? What's good
in a season that doesn't provide any fruits
or veggies for harvest yet. There is one thing
that is ready to burst forth from its winter
hideaway. Asparagus!
Fresh asparagus will be available most
anywhere in the good old U S of A. Of course,
just steamed with a dab of butter is a good
side dish, but a big bowl of cream of asparagus
soup is hard to beat. Served with crackers
or a hunk of Itialian bread, it becomes
a complete meal. Here is a recipe for an
excellent meal using one of Spring's bounties,
fresh asparagus.
1 lb. of fresh asparagus 4 cups of chicken
stock 1 small onion chopped (fine) 2 tablespoons
of butter 1 1/2 tablespoons flour salt and
pepper to taste You will also need: 2 egg
yolks 6 tablespoons of heavy cream
Trim all of the white part of the stalk,
then rinse in cold water. Use a potato peeler
to remove the tough skin from the lower
part of the stalks. Now cut into 1 inch
pieces and put into a pan with the stock
and onion. Cover the pan, bring to a boil,
then simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until the
asparagus is tender. Reserve a few of the
best tips for garnish and the liquid. Place
the rest in a food processor or blender
and puree. Melt the butter in a large pan
and stir in the flour. Constantly stir until
it reaches a straw color. Remove from the
heat and add the asparagus puree, season
and bring the soup to a boil. Keep stirring
and then simmer for a few minutes. In a
separate container mix the egg yolks and
cream together and add a little of the hot
soup. Add this to the soup and reduce heat,
stir until thoroughly mixed. Do not bring
this to a boil again. Season to taste, top
off with the saved tips and enjoy this seasonal
treat. Until summer, our wish to you is
to enjoy the gift of spring. George Waldhauser
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