FALL 2012• Window Tinting • Sun Rooms • Gutter Shelters • Roofing

• Storage Barns • Pest Control • Post Frame Buildings• Heating and Air • Landscaping • Lawn Equipment • And More!

• Window Tinting • Sun Rooms • Gutter Shelters • Roofing• Storage Barns • Pest Control • Post Frame Buildings

• Heating and Air • Landscaping • Lawn Equipment • And More!

PAGE 2 C SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012

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Stay WarmWe’re in for a cold winter, but you can keepfrosty weather outside. Usethese energysaving tips to stay warm and comfy in yourhome while keeping your heating costsdown.

Save MoneyThe average family will spend over $1,300.on utility bills this year. About half of thatwill go to heating and cooling the home.The rest is spent on water heating, refrig-eration, lighting, cooking and appliances.You can reduce your energy bills by ten tofifty percent by using a few inexpensiveenergy-saving measures.

Think ComfortComfort tip number one: Keep drafts out!A small leak around a door or window canbe the equivalent, in terms of air flow, toremoving a brick from the side of yourhouse and letting the wind blow through.Seal those gaps and keep winter winds onthe outside. Make sure all your doors andwindows shut tightly. Check for leaks, andreplace old weather stripping or caulk. Tofind out where cold air is seeping into yourhome, light a stick of incense and carry itaround the house. Hold it up to windowframes, door sills, electrical boxes, plumb-ing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fix-tures, attic hatches, and any possible airpath to the outside. Watch the smoke tosee where air leaks are occurring. This trickworks best on a windy day. Your best in-vestment of the year could be a simplecaulking gun, which costs less than tendollars. By sealing all the gaps arounddoors and windows, your foundation, andplaces where pipes pass through the walls,you can save a bundle on your heating billthis winter.

ThermostatsInstead of unbundling from all your manylayers when you come indoors, try keep-ing your house at a temperature whereyou will feel comfortable with a sweateron. Keep your thermostat set to 70 de-grees, or lower, during the day. Set yourthermostat to lower temperatures at night,or when you are not at home. 65 to 69 de-grees is comfortable for most people at

night. Try reducing the temperature to 55 or60 when you are away from the house formore than a few hours. A five degree reduc-tion in temperature setting for an eight hourtime period can save you up to twelve per-cent on your energy bill. If you have a pro-grammable thermostat, set it to reduce thetemperature while you are away at work, andto reduce it a little less while you are asleepat night. If your thermostat is not program-mable, put a little hook in the wall beside it.Hang you keys on the hook, and that willhelp you remember to turn down the tem-perature when you leave the house. You’llalso always be able to find your keys.

WindowsIf you want to make single glazed windowsfunction like new double pane glass, you canprovide and inexpensive “second pane” bycovering the inside with tight fitting plasticsheeting. Window kits are available at dis-count or hardware stores. Make sure you do

your caulking to seal any air leaks aroundthe windows first.

Window ShadesUse your window shades and drapes tomaximum benefit. Keep shades closed atnight to conserve heat. During the day,open shades on sunny windows to take ad-vantage of passive solar heating. It alsohelps to keep south facing windows asclean as possible. You can use Venetianblinds or mini blinds to block out the coldwhile still letting light in. Think of the coldair as a heavy liquid flowing down off yourwindow panes. Angle your blinds to blockthe flow by tilting the slats at a45 degree angle to the window glass.Heavy drapes or quilted roman shadesmake great winter window coverings. Ifthey cover an area larger than the windowitself, they are also adding insulation valueto your walls.

WINTER HEATING TIPSENERGYWISE HOMES

Humidify Your HomeAdd humidity. Humid air feels warmerthan dry air. Increasing the humidity ofyour home also helps you resist wintercolds and moisturizes dry skin. Operatinga room humidifier will make you feel morecomfortable. If your heating system has ahumidifier, make sure that it’s functioningproperly. You can also add humidity bykeeping house plants. Plants clean the airand add moisture to it at the same time.Putting trays of water on top of radiatorsalso helps. So does leaving the bathroomdoor open after a shower, to let that warmsteamy air circulate through the house.

Heat ZonesIf you’re not using a room, don’t heat it.Close off vents to rooms that are infre-quently used, and shut the door. When youdo need to use the room, just open thevent for the time you are in there and keepyour sweater on. [Note: Don’t try shutting

SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012 SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM PAGE 3 C

vents if you use aheat pump as thiscould harm yourheat pump.]

Ventilating FansDon’t overusekitchen or bath-room ventilatingfans. Turn them offas soon as theyhave done their job,or put them on tim-ers to limit their op-eration to fifteenminutes at a time. Afan can draw out anentire houseful ofheated air in aboutan hour.

Heating SystemKeep your furnaceair filter clean, clean,clean. A dirty orclogged filter canmake your furnaceand fan workharder, which costsyou more. You’ll bewarmer for lessmoney, and breatheeasier, if you cleanor replace your fur-nace filter often.Check the filter atleast once a month,and more often ifyou have a lot ofdust. Make sure itgets cleaned or re-placed at least twicethis winter. Keepregisters or radia-tors dust and clutterfree. Make sure thatthey are notblocked by furni-ture, drapes or car-peting. If your homehas radiators, makea trip from room toroom bleedingtrapped air fromeach radiator as yougo. You can also in-crease the amountof heat that goesinto a room by plac-ing a heatresistantradiator reflectorbehind the radiator,between the radia-tor and the exteriorwall. Check air ductsin your attic or base-ment. Make surethat there are noleaks, and that theducts are well insu-lated. You can sealleaks with ducttape, but make surethat it is UL (Under-writers Laboratory)approved. You maywant to seek profes-sional help for mak-ing major repairs toducts or installinginsulation. Keep inmind that heatingand cooling sys-tems in the UnitedStates emit abouthalf a billion tons ofcarbon dioxide intothe atmosphereeach year. By follow-ing these energysaving tips, you arehelping to reducethe effects of globalclimate changeHot WaterWarm water feelswonderful, but itcan be costing youmore than youthink. A typicalhousehold spends14 percent of theirenergy bill, or about$200 a year on hotwater. About half ofthis is used to washyour body (showersand baths), andabout a fourth isused to wash yourclothes. You can re-

duce your waterheating costs by us-ing less hot water.Do this by installinglow flowshowerheads andfixing leaky faucets.When doing laun-dry, try using warmor cold ratherthan hot water, andtry to wash onelarge load ratherthan several smallones. If you use adishwasher, you canreduce the amountof hot water usedby scraping, insteadof rinsing dishes be-fore you load theminto the dishwasher.Make sure you dish-washer is full, butnot overloaded, andavoid using the

“rinse hold” option.When shopping fora new washing ma-chine or dish-washer, look for theEnergy Star label.Energy Star prod-ucts are certified bythe U.S. Environ-mental ProtectionAgency to use lessenergy than otherproducts, cost lessto operate and helpprotect the environ-ment. You an alsosave energy by re-ducing the tem-perature in yourwater heater.If the water comingout of your tap canburn you, it is far toohot for safety andfor most householdneeds. Try setting

the thermostat onyour water heaterto 115 degrees. Youcan save money bymaking sure thatyour water heaterand pipes are wellinsulated. Readymade kits are avail-able at hardwarestores and buildingsupply stores. Becareful not to coverthe thermostat. Ifyou have a gas or oilwater heater, becareful not to coverthe water heater’stop, bottom, ther-mostat, or burnercompartment. Con-sider heating yourwater with solar en-ergy. Solar waterheaters can begreat investments,

even in our coldclimate.

Attic InsulationMuch of the heatescaping homes islost through theattic. Be sure toclose off any atticvents or fans dur-ing the winter andcheck on how wellthe attic is insu-lated. You shouldhave at least nineinches of fiberglassbattingto achieve theminimum recom-mended R-30value for our area.A local study foundthat increasing thelevel of insulationfrom 2-3 inches(R5) to 8 - 14 inches

(R30) can save 95 to145 dollars per yearfor every 1,200square feet of ceil-ing area. Lay battsor blankets be-tween joists ortrusses with the va-por barrier facingyour living space.You can add addi-tional insulationwithouta vapor barrier overexisting insulation,if needed.

FireplacesMake sure yourheat isn’t going outthe chimney. If youhave a fireplace, re-member to closethe damper tightlywhen it’s not in use.Having the damper

open is just likehaving a full sizedwindow wide openall winter long. Shutoutside vents too. Ifyou never use yourfireplace, plug andseal the chimneyflue. When you areusing a fireplace,keep in mind thatwhile it seems cozyand warm, it is notan efficient sourceof heat for yourhouse. The heat inyour home goesright up the chim-ney with the smoke.To minimize this,close thedoors to the roomwith the fireplace,and lower the ther-mostat or turn offheaters. If your fire-

place has dampersin the bottom ofthe firebox, makesure that they areopen, so that thefire will use outsideair rather that thewarm air from yourhome. If you don’thave an outside airsource for the fire,open the nearestwindow about aninch while the fire isburning. You cangreatly improve theefficiency of yourfireplace by install-ing tempered glassdoors and a heat-airexchange systemthat blows warmedair back into theroom.

PAGE 4 C SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012

Here's How To Cut YourHome Energy Bills

(NAPSI)-Think of the electric bills those poor souls living in much of theEast Coast must have run up recently. Even if you didn't sweat throughthose record-breaking, 100-plus-degree days yourself, it should've been areminder of the one thing every homeowner needs to know: If you reallywant to cut down on your own costs--and who doesn't in this economy?--look skyward.

To your roof, that is.During the home-buying frenzy, one of the more popular statistics

thrown around was how aroof represents about 40percent or more of a home's"curb appeal" to potentialbuyers. That's still true. Lessdiscussed, though, was howthe components of the entireroofing system--particularlythe shingles and proper atticventilation--can actually saveyou big bucks year-round onboth your cooling and

heating bills."In the summer, I've seen some attics get so hot the shingles actually

fry," says JoAnne Liebeler, former co-host of PBS's "Home-Time."

How hot might that be? Withoutthe right intake and exhaust ventsin your roof, shingles can reachtemperatures hotter than 160degrees.

"Moisture can seriously reducethe effectiveness of your insulation,"says Liebeler. "That means higherenergy bills--and who needs that?"

Okay, so now that you know whyyours may be among the nine outof 10 homes in North America thathave been needlessly feeding theutility companies' profits, here'swhat you need to do to fix it:

Check the insulation levels inyour attic. Find out the currentbuilding codes in your area andmake sure that your attic containsat least the minimumrecommended levels. Updatingwould immediately help maintaincomfortable temperatures.

Embrace the new world ofshingles. Liebeler is high on theTimberline Cool Series line ofshingles from GAF MaterialsCorporation (www.gaf.com), NorthAmerica's largest roofingmanufacturer, which can shaveanother 7 to 15 percent, on average,off your air-conditioning coststhanks to its new reflectivetechnology. Plus, since both thewhite and color shingles are EnergyStar qualified--traditionally, onlywhite got that nod--you could beeligible for a tax credit to boot.

• Think ridge vents. They may notsound sexy, but they can helpremove excess heat and moisturewhen installed on a roof's peak. Thesame applies to solar-powered,roof-mounted attic fans, which havea higher "sexy" factor. Andremember that intake venting isrequired for your ridge vents towork properly.

In the meantime, you just have toget by the old-fashioned way: Closeyour shutters and blinds when thesun streams in.

5 Organization Tips forWalk-In Closets

Walk in closets allow you plenty of room for your personalbelongings. They also add appeal when trying to sell your home. Acluttered closet, however, is not of value in either case. Here are 5organization tips to be sure you get the best use of your closet.1. Add Dividers

The top shelf is rarely used because everything falls togetherwhen you try to pull something down. By adding dividers, your itemswill stay together and not tumble over every time you reach for anitem.2. Stackable Baskets

Use stackable baskets to place belts, socks, and other small itemstogether so you can easily find them. This will reduce the closet too.3. Arrange Your Clothes

Place all of your clothes in order. Put all of your shirts together,skirts, slacks, etc. This not only looks neater, it makes it easier to seewhat you have when getting dressed.4. Organize Your Shoes

Shoes strewn across the bottom of your closet is messy, and theyget all mixed up. Buy a shoe tree that can be placed across thebottom for easy access, or get a hanging shoe holder.5. Clothes Hamper

Last, but certainly most important, place a clothes hamper in yourwalk-in closet. This will make it easy to place your dirty clothes inwhen changing, and keep things off the floor.

SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012 SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM PAGE 5 D

(NAPSI)-Designer-inspired looks, rich embellishments and technologicaladvances are changing the way people look at flooring.

Floors have become more than a surface to walk on. Today's residentialflooring makes a statement not only of fashion, but also of homeownerphilosophy that transcends taste and space.

For example, floors today feature recycled leathers and suedes, woodsthat are not merely "exotic" but also "green," self-cleaning ceramics, andcarpets made from corn sugars.Wood Flooring

For wood flooring, tropical looks that are also environmentally friendlyare the rage as manufacturers show an understanding of newly establishedenvironmental standards. Hardwoods from sustainable forests undergonatural staining and aging treatments that leave them looking much liketheir highly sought but endangered rainforest cousins. Unfinished vintagelooks and high-gloss, piano-finish contemporary wood planks are alsogrowing in popularity. Coconut palm floors resembling zebrawood are anew trend--and they are eco-friendly, durable and affordable.Carpets and Area Rugs

The ever-popular plush carpet appears in a wide variety of alternativeand sustainable materials and styles, including a new, luxurious hemp weavethat looks and feels like silk and a cozy "fisherman-style" wool weave rugthat's like a sumptuous sweater for your floor.

Neutrals will also hold their place in plush flooring but the color dujour in carpet and rugs is turquoise, bringing a clean, fresh representationof water and sky into the home.

To add a bit of sparkle to your plush floors, a number of manufacturershave woven shiny tinsel into new carpets and rugs.Laminates

Giving American homes an international look for less, laminated floors

are made to look like exotic woods inspired by tropical varieties from Hawaii,Honduras and Africa. One new line of wood-look laminates offers abeautiful alternative to timbers that can no longer be harvested withoutharming the environment--and breaking the law. Homeowners can enjoyan exotic look underfoot without having to fear for the rainforests becauseof it.Porcelain and Ceramic

Tiles are now available in every color, texture, shape and size imaginable.In fact, a rapidly developing trend in the category is to design your own.Many companies are now offering completely customizable tiles in a wideassortment of materials and a rainbow array of colors. Many will evencreate custom dyes for consumers who send in swatches of fabric or paintto be matched.

Then there's this feat for your feet: A new tile line infused withantimicrobial protection that won't wash off or wear away provides a layerof defense from stain- and odor-causing bacteria.Realistic Resilients

The resilient category--which includes vinyl, cork and linoleum, amongother surfaces--offers new looks that closely resemble travertine, limestone,concrete and slate but leave out the high price and high maintenance. Newlines of rich-looking leather and suede tiles are made from recycled carseats and jackets.Find Help

To help you find flooring to suit your sense of style, the World FloorCovering Association website, www.WFCA.org, has answers to floor-covering questions. It also offers a product catalog and practical tips onmanufacturing details, varieties and styles available, things to consider beforeyou buy and how to prepare for installation, plus a database of retailers tohelp you find a store nearby.

DECORATING TRENDS— Flooring Is Not Just A Fashion Statement

• Window Tinting • Sun Rooms • Gutter Shelters • Roofing• Storage Barns • Pest Control • Post Frame Buildings

• Heating and Air • Landscaping • Lawn Equipment • And More!

• Window Tinting • Sun Rooms • Gutter Shelters • Roofing• Storage Barns • Pest Control • Post Frame Buildings

• Heating and Air • Landscaping • Lawn Equipment • And More!

FALL 2012FALL 2012

PAGE 6 D SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012

Indeed, you can usually get a far clearer picture in summer, when it’s all activelyin front of you, of what changesand improvements are desir-able. That’s where the vital gar-den notebook comes in, cap-turing the brilliant thoughtthat has come into your headand setting it down forthwith,before it is lost. The notebookshould be small enough to becarried around or slipped intoa pocket and it should havewaterproof covers.

Always keep yourself on therails by noting the date of any entry. It doesn’t matter how grubby and batteredthe book becomes. Read over what you have written within the next day and whenyou’ve come indoors. That way you can be sure to read your own writing and alsoto fix the place and occasion in your mind (it may be in your own garden or it maybe in someone else’s).

Many improvements are just a question of minor adjustments, rather than out-and-out planning. In fact, I’m not keen on plans, as the site always looks different

WINTER PLANNING

once you’re on it. In a few weeks, you’llbe enjoying the appearance of one ofthe earliest daffodils, the little yellowtrumpet, ‘Tete-a-Tete’. It is so small thatthere are many spots where it can sim-ply be left to get on with its life, whetheractive or dormant, and will not be in theway.

Under a deciduous shrub, for in-stance. Look around you and thinkwhere else it might be nice to see someof it. Stock soon increases, so it won’t belong before you have enough to spreadaround. Then think, what would it benice to see with this little fellow thatwould make a good companion at thesame time?

My own answer, here, is primroses -the unimproved wild primrose. Youdon’t have to (must not, in fact) dig itup from the wild. A plant is easilybought or grown from seed and willsoon be large enough to be divided. Theprimrose is pale yellow; the narcissus,deep yellow and they are well con-trasted in shape.

Anyone else to join the party? Well,what about some bulbs of the little Irisreticulata? Purple is wonderfully high-lighted by yellow and again we have adifferent shape but a flowering seasonthat coincides. And this iris can easilymultiply if left undisturbed in the gar-den, as it never would were you grow-ing it in a pot. To own whole clumps ofit, thick with blossom, will be a sourceof great pride.

For a site, I am still invoking the pro-tection of some deciduous shrub - itmight be a weigela or a deutzia - whichis itself doing nothing at this season,so that there is plenty of light beneathit.

Another good spot is around somehardy perennial, which takes up a lotof space in summer but retires to vir-tually nothing in winter. A number ofhardy cranesbills come to mind. Gera-nium ‘Ann Folkard’ would be ideal.There is always a great deal of spacearound a single plant of this, in winter,and that space will remain vacant un-til well into May, by which time thebulbs will naturally be dying down andthe primrose can put up with anyamount of summer shade anyway.

You should surely be growing moresnowdrops and there’s currently somuch ground doing nothing wherethey’d be happy. For an accompani-ment I always think that the marbledfoliage of hardy Cyclamenhederifolium looks ideal as a back-ground to them.

All this is just a start to the year butcan go on in every week through theseasons. Plan now on paper for thesummer by all means, and make listsof the plants you yearn to have, but beprepared for some major rethinkingwhen that time actually comes along.

What are we gardeners doing or thinking about in winter? To an extent, we areworrying about the present, though it might be wiser to dig those drains whenthe ground has dried out a bit.

If you have to be out there, make sure you are as comfortable as is possible inthe circumstances. Put on plenty of layers of clothing; make yourself watertight;

have several changes of dry gloves. If youmust plant, be light in your touch and don’tcompress the soil. Above all, don’t tread onand compact it, making it lose structure andair spaces.

Planning for the next year is, one mightsay, a good excuse for being inside andwarm. You can get inspiration from brows-ing through catalogues and well illustratedgardening books. But to confine your plan-ning to the winter is sheer escapism; itshould be a part of the whole year’s think-ing.

SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012 SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM PAGE 7 D

(NAPSI)-Wallpaper has emerged as oneof this season's hottest decorating trends.And it's easier to hang than you think!

The key to successful wallpapering ispreparation. Just follow these simple stepsfor an easy, beautiful wallpaper job:

Select your wallpaper. Wallpaper isavailable in a wide variety of styles andcolors-from elegant to whimsical. Yourpaint and decorating store or home centerhas a wide selection of patterns fromwhich to choose. Or check out wallpapermanufacturer Web sites for the lateststyles and trends.

Clear the room. Move furniture awayfrom walls and set up a large table to workon. Be sure to protect the carpet andfurniture from adhesive splatters and spillsby laying down drop cloths.

Clean the walls. Remove dirt, grime,grease, old wallpaper adhesive and anyother contaminants that may interferewith adhesion with a simple ammonia-and-water or soap-and-water solution.Rinse clean and allow to dry. If there isexisting wallpaper, remove it by scoringthe wall with a PaperTiger® Scoring tooland applying a wallpaper stripper likeDIF® Wallpaper Stripper. Available inconcentrate and ready-to-use gel and fast-

acting liquid formulas, DIF penetrates withspecial enzymes and wetting agents thatloosen any type of wallpaper and dissolveold glue regardless of the surface it is on.

Prepare the surface. Wallpaper needs asmooth, sealed surface to look its best, sobefore you hang your wallpaper, apply acoat of wallcovering primer, like SHIELDZ®Universal Wallcovering Primer.

SHIELDZ seals the surface and hidesprevious colors in one coat, creating theperfect surface for hanging wallpaper.Priming also makes wallpaper easier toposition, improves its adhesion, and makesit easier to remove at redecorating time.Plus, SHIELDZ protects against the growthof mold and mildew under the wallpaper,so it is great for bathrooms, kitchens,laundry rooms and other high-humidityareas of the home.

You're ready to hang! Simply follow thewallpaper manufacturer's hanginginstructions and before you know it, you'llhave a beautiful room that reflects yourpersonality and style.

For more tips on making wallpaperhanging easy-or advice on other homeimprovemen projects-visitwww.zinsser.com or call 732-469-8100.

Great Wallpaper Projects Start With Prep(NAPSI)-There are few do-it-your-

self projects that make a statementquite like adding shutters. With a fewhours of effort, it's possible to mountbeautiful, expertly crafted shuttersthat add character and can help de-fine a home's look.

Since the nation's founding, shut-ters have been an essential architec-tural element, protecting windowsfrom storm damage, providing venti-lation and offering charm and privacy.

"Louvered shutters on the upperstories could be angled downward toprovide a view of activities below andprovide a barrier against the rain,"said Christopher Peeples, an expert inshutter history and owner of VixenHill, which manufactures quality ce-dar shutters.

Today, shutters are primarily adecorative fixture, supplying a finish-ing touch that enhances the architec-tural style of a home and adds thatmuch-sought-after curb appeal.

Peeples offers several tips for

choosing shutters:• Even though you might choose

wood shutters for their superior looksalone, they also tend to be strongerand more durable. Wood shutters takestain and paint applications easierand can withstand highly humid cli-mates or climate changes.

• In hurricane climate areas, shutterscan afford instant protection andeliminate the ongoing effort and ex-pense of having to replace brokenwindows.

• When choosing wood shutters,look for quality rot-and-insect-resis-tant wood. The preferred choice is old-growth western red cedar (air-dried,not kiln-dried). Vixen Hill mills its ownwood to ensure the highest quality.

• Louver thickness is a key indica-tor of shutter quality. The best lou-vered shutters have 3/8- to 1/2-inchlouvers.

For more information, visitwww.vixenhill.com.

Shutters: A Facelift For Your Home

PAGE 8 D SERVING THE EVANSVILLE & TRI-STATE AREA • EVANSVILLETHRIFTYNICKEL.COM SEPT. 27-OCT. 3, 2012