spring_home_10
DESCRIPTION
E veryspring,home- ownersheadoutside totakestockofhow hewintertreatedtheir awn.Homeownersinareas hatexperienceheavysnow orrainfalleachwinterlike- lydonotlookforwardto thisinventory,fearfulof whatanotherharshwinter didtotheirproperty.Fallen tree branches, frozen groundandwinterwind stormscandoanumberon eventhemostwell-mani- curedlawns,turningasum- mertimelaborofloveinto anightmare. While homeowners mightnotbeabletodoany- thingabouttheweather, therearewaystorevitalize METROSERVICESTRANSCRIPT
PI_PROGINDEX/SPECIAL_SECTION/PAGES [T02] | 04/09/10 16:17 | SUPERIMPPB
METRO SERVICES
Every spring, home-
owners head outside
to take stock of how
the winter treated their
lawn. Homeowners in areas
that experience heavy snow
or rainfall each winter like-
ly do not look forward to
this inventory, fearful of
what another harsh winter
did to their property. Fallen
tree branches, frozen
ground and winter wind
storms can do a number on
even the most well-mani-
cured lawns, turning a sum-
mertime labor of love into
a nightmare.
W h i l e h o m e ow n e r s
might not be able to do any-
thing about the weather,
there are ways to revitalize
a lawn each spring. Andyou don’t have to be anaccomplished landscaper tohandle the task. The follow-ing tips can help bring yourluscious lawn back to life,helping make winter a dis-tant memory.
• Remove all debris fromyour yard. Debris includesany trash in the yard, wood,large roots, fallen branches,and even stones. The pres-ence of trash such as bro-ken glass or even fadedpaper products such as cupsor bags is not only unsafefor the environment, but itcan prove harmful to any-one who might be out in theyard once your grass grows,especially if you have chil-dren. Oftentimes, winterwinds can blow trash from
nearby garbage cans acrossthe yard, no matter howneatly homeowners put outtheir trash.
• Smooth the soil. Onceall debris been removed,examine the soil for anyabnormalities that mightneed to be smoothed out.Use a spade or rake tosmooth any areas thataren’t up to par. Next you’llwant to loosen the soil aswell, something that can bedone with a garden rake.Any unsightly areas, suchas humps or ditches, shouldeither be smoothed out orfilled in, depending onwhich is appropriate. Thiscan be done with some soiland should not prove toocostly.
• Consider seeding the
Revitalize your lawn after a long winter
METRO SERVICES
Homeowners can revitalize their lawn after a long winter in a number of ways.
lawn if need be. For lawns
that took a particularly
harsh beating over the win-
ter, consider seeding the
lawn to help revitalize it.
When seeding a lawn, be
sure you choose the right
seeds. Different regions
respond better to different
types of grass. But don’t be
intimidated if you don’t
know the correct grass to
choose. Simply ask a land-
scaper or consult a lawn
care specialist at a nearby
home improvement center
as to which type of grass is
the best fit your region and
your yard.
When you’re read to
seed, the seed can be scat-
tered by hand for smaller
yards, or with a drop
spreader for larger lawns.
When spreading with a
drop spreader, use the sug-
gested amount of seed on
the bag (even a little less
seed should do the trick)
and make sure you spread
out the rows evenly in the
same direction. Once
you’ve sowed the first part
of your lawn in one direc-
tion, you can crisscross
back over that part at a 90-
degree angle, making sure
you keep equal distance
and calibrate your spreader
at the same speed.
• Add mulch for aesthetic
and practical appeal. Moist
helps the soil, and can also
add aesthetic appeal to a
lawn. Moist helps the soil
by allowing it to retain
moisture, making it more
conducive to g rowing
healthy grass. When laying
mulch down, keep the
mulch at roughly a quarter-
inch to ensure your lawn
will grow in nicely.
T2 Sunday, April 11, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA
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BY ELANA ASHANTI
JEFFERSON
THE DENVER POST
DENVER — Joe McFar-land eats, breathes andsleeps home improvement.
One might think thatMcFarland, western divi-sion president for The HomeDepot and the guy in chargeof 440 stores and 78,800employees, would have ahome-improvement to-dolist as long as his arm. Butin fact, McFarland says, hespends most of his time inthose stores. And this year,his job also demands that hestrategize ways to lure backconsumer dollars lost dur-ing the recession.
Earlier this week, McFar-land took time out to talkabout who shops the big-boxhome-improvement storesthese days, and what they’rebuying.
QUESTION: The commonwisdom has been that therecent decline in home saleswould translate into a boostfor home improvementstores, because homeownersare fixing up rather thanmoving. Did that happen forThe Home Depot?
ANSWER: Home improve-ment (retailing) has seen avery steady decline over the
past few years. A lot of ithas been from our profes-sional customer, the small tomoderate builder doing thehome addition or the majorremodel. We’ve seen a bigshift in what those individu-als are working on and thetypes of products they’rebuying.
In the past, we’d see thembuying things like dimen-sional lumber and drywall— new-construction prod-ucts. Today, those same indi-viduals are really focusedon renovation products,things like flooring, waterheaters, assembled kitchencabinets and paint.
Q: How has that buyingshift impacted the kinds ofproducts stocked at TheHome Depot?
A: That trend — (toward)the renovation and not thebig addition — is going tocontinue for a while. Wecontinue to see homes goinginto foreclosure. We contin-ue to see excessive supply ofexisting homes on the mar-ket. As home prices begin tocome back, I think you’ll seepeople invest more andupgrade things. ... But thatcould be 18 months fromnow. So we continue to donew lower prices and offerconsumers better value for
their money.We’ve done a really good
job of bringing in new prod-ucts, new water heaters, dif-ferent paint and floor (prod-ucts), different types of cabi-nets and vanities and toiletsto really cover the needs ofthe value-minded consumer.
Q: Going forward intospring and summer, howhas the company adjustedits outdoor living selection?
A: A big trend shift thisspring, and it started lastyear, is the decline in thenumber of homeownersthat have a professionallandscape service. Thoseconsumers have shifted tocutting the grass and doingthe planting themselves,and a lot of them are buyingtheir first lawn mower orweed whacker or edger. Sowe have exclusives withToro and Honda, and ourown brand of Ryobi cordlessproducts with lithium ionbatteries.
We’ve also seen a bigjump in (green gardeningproducts like) natural fertil-izers. Just four years ago, anestimated 5 million house-holds used environmentallyfriendly lawn and gardenproducts. This year, thatestimate is 12 million house-holds.
Home Depot chief says consumerstackling smaller projects
CAMILLA MCLAUGHLIN
FOR THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
When times are
tough, women
who can’t afford a
new dress often purchase a
new accessory or lipstick to
recharge their wardrobes.
Known as the “lipstick
effect,” the tendency applies
to homeowners too.
Barry Culkin, CEO of
Questech Corp., a tile man-
ufacturer in Rutland, Vt.,
noticed sales of his $5 cast
stone and marble switch
plate covers rose whenever
the economy faltered. Last
year, sales of their covers at
major retailers were up 15
to 20 percent.
As homeowners rein in
spending, more opt for
small indulgences and post-
pone major renovations.
Whether the goal is a new
look for a worn kitchen or
simply an injection of color
in a room, here’s a list of
some of the best ways to
give a space a quick uplift.
Many cost much less than a
designer lipstick and a few
don’t require any financial
outlay.
“I am seeing quite a bit
of Yankee ingenuity in my
customers. They are getting
pretty smart about using
and repurposing items to
add some zip to their living
spaces,” says Shirley Walsh,
owner of Kalembar Dune, a
vintage home decor shop in
Boston.
Simply moving furniture
and accessories around and
borrowing from other areas
of the home can give a
room a whole new look. If
you want to splurge, con-
sider hiring a designer who
specializes in redesign.
The instant gratification
of having it all accom-
plished in a day is hard to
resist but “it’s also low
stress because it uses famil-
iar furnishings,” observes
Pam Faulkner, owner of
Faulkner House Redesign
in Oak Hill, Va. The cost to
have Faulkner make over a
room ranges from $400 and
$700 depending on the
10 low-cost thingshomeowners cando to spruce up
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The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA Sunday, April 11, 2010 T3
PI_PROGINDEX/SPECIAL_SECTION/PAGES [T04] | 04/09/10 16:20 | SUPERIMPPB
STATEPOINT
The warmer temper-atures make it agreat time to tackle
m u c h n e e d e d h o m eimprovement projects.And contrary to popularbelief, these adjustmentsdon’t need to be expen-sive or exhausting.
There are many cost-ef fective, eco-friendlydesign and renovationprojects you can under-take that will spruce upyour home and positivelyimpact the environment.
“Simply put, environ-mentally-friendly homerenovation projects cre-ate a healthy home andsave energy and money,”s ay s Tove A n d e r s o n ,principal of Tove Ander-son Architecture and thepast chair of The Ameri-can Institute of Archi-tects Committee on theEnvironment DC Chapter.“Whether it is reusingwhat is in your home orincorporating new mate-rials, there are a varietyo f e nv i r o n m e n t a l l y -friendly design optionsthat can fit anyone’s tasteand budget.”
To start, consider thefollowing practices:
FIND HIDDEN GEMS
Before shopping forcostly new pieces of fur-niture, take a second lookat unused pieces in yourb a s e m e n t , g a r a g e o rguest rooms. In manycases, long-ignored decorcan be refurbished with anew coat of paint, reup-holstering or another cre-ative makeover. If youcan’t fight the urge tosplurge, shop locally firstor visit a high-end, sec-
o n d - h a n d s t o re. T h i seliminates manufactur-ing and transportationcosts and is a more sus-tainable approach to fur-nishing your home. Youmight also browse onlinestores for environmental-ly - friendly fur niture,paint or artwork.
USE WHAT YOU HAVE
Enlist an architect tohelp you reconfigureexisting space in yourhome, rather than makecostly structural modifi-cations or additions onyour own. These profes-s ionals can help youassess how you can cre-ate the home of yourdreams by working withalready existing space.
For example, if you’vealways wanted more sun-light or an open floor
plan, an architect canhelp you make the neededadjustments -- such asnew window treatments,adding windows and sky-lights, or knocking downwalls. To find an archi-tect in your area, visitarchitectfinder.aia.org.
SAY IT WITH COLOR
A new coat of paint cando wonders in changing aroom’s look. Make sure tochoose low-VOC (volatileorganic chemicals) paint,which uses water insteadof oil, thereby reducingtoxins and limiting theimpact on your home andthe environment.
Be Energy EfficientInsulation leaks and
cracks can exist in bothnew and old homes, lead-ing to energy waste andinflated bills. A free home
energy audit can provideways to save money andenergy. Your local energyprovider usual ly canassist in setting up anappointment. Reseal win-dows, walls, ceilings andattic to start making asizable, positive impact.
Additionally, if you arelooking to purchase anew appliance, considerEnerg y-Star qualifiedappliances, which use 25-40 percent less energythan conventional optionsand can result in savingsof up to $100 (or more) ayear on energy bills.
If your water heater ismore than 10 years old, it
might be time to pur-
chase a new one. If that’s
not possible, cover your
old one with a water heat-
er jacket, which can elim-
inate heat loss by 25-40
percent.
And remember to shut
off and unplug electrical
devices when not in use.
“By making the decision
to adopt sustainable reno-
vation practices that are
eco-friendly, homeowners
will help the environ-
ment and be rewarded
with extra money sav-
ings, in the short and
long term,” says Ander-
son.
Save money on homeimprovements this season
DiscoverYour Home
Sweet HomeNEW
Real Estate ListingsEveryday
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To subscribe, call:804-732-1133To advertise, call:804-732-3456
T4 Sunday, April 11, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA
PI_PROGINDEX/SPECIAL_SECTION/PAGES [T05] | 04/09/10 16:34 | SUPERIMPPB
MAE ANDERSON
AP RETAIL WRITER
NEW YORK — As thehousing market keeps sput-tering and it becomes clearyou may need to stay in thesame home for a long timeto recover your equity, it isincreasingly important tomaintain it properly — atminimum cost.
Many homeowners haveput off home improvementsduring the recession, butthat’s not always wise. Hereare six free or inexpensiveprojects that could save youhundreds of dollars or morein the long run.
1. ANNUAL CHECKS:Every home’s appliances,electrical panel and ventila-tion systems should bechecked each year to makesure they’re functioningproperly. Also replace orclean each system’s filterand vents at least as often asthe manufacturer recom-mends.
“It’s always less expensiveto maintain than it is torepair,” said Bob Mehl, amaintenance and repairexpert and handyman onSears’ ServiceLive market-place. “Practicing goodhome maintenance manage-ment will save people mon-ey in the long run. Thatmight cost me business, butI still try to educate people.”
A check by an expert canalso reveal if your furnaceor air conditioner is leakinggas, gathering condensationor getting clogged, all ofwhich can interfere with itseffectiveness, Mehl said.
— BONUS: By washingappliance filters and vacu-uming the spaces wherethey sit, you will lower yourenergy costs and help yourappliances last longer.
2. FOLLOW THE WATER:Similarly, it’s important toinspect your plumbing regu-larly for leaks. Look undercabinets to make sure con-nections aren’t dripping,and turn all valves off andon to ensure the system isoperating properly. Repairor replace dripping faucetsright away because address-ing leaks and other plumb-ing problems when theystart is much cheaper thanrepairing the damage leakscan cause over time.
— BONUS: Major savingson your water bill. A singlefaucet dripping six times aminute can waste 29 gallonsof water per month, accord-ing to the U.S. GeologicalSurvey.
3. TURN DOWN THEHEAT: One of the simplestways homeowners can savemoney is to improve ahome’s efficiency by install-ing a programmable ther-mostat, according to RonJarvis, vice president ofenvironmental innovationat Home Depot Inc. A pro-grammable thermostat canalso prolong the life of yourheating and ventilation sys-tem by letting it work onlywhen needed. They costaround $50 but can save you$180 a year by more closelyregulating home tempera-ture during different partsof the day.
— BONUS: You can setthe system to warm up the
house in winter (or cool itdown in summer) just intime for your return in theevening.
4. CLEAN OUT THE GUT-TERS: Regularly scoopingaccumulated leaves and oth-er material from gutters isthe best way to avoid waterand weather damage to yourhome’s roof and walls. Italso makes the gutters lastlonger. And by doing it your-self, you can save the $200 orso you would spend hiring aservice. Just make sure youhave a tall enough ladderand tools to clean the gutterssafely, such as gloves, a gar-den trowel or plumberssnake and a hose.
— BONUS: No unpredict-able downpours from thespots where overflowinggutters are leaking.
5. BRIGHT IDEA: Installdimmers in the rooms youuse most, suggests Lowe’sspokeswoman Abby Buford.Beyond the dining room,each dimmer in a bedroom,kitchen or living room cansave a customer about $30per year compared with astandard switch. That’sbecause dimming lights 25percent cuts electricity costsabout 20 percent.
— BONUS: The option ofsetting a calming (or roman-tic) mood in almost anyroom.
6. GET INSULATED: Addinsulation to your attic andwalls, and recaulk doors andwindows this spring whenyou want to have them openfor a while anyway. In addi-tion to saving most home
Home-improvementprojects that pay forthemselves
Please see PROJECTS, page 7
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We provide applications for Residential and Commercialmulch beds, slopes, public gardens, playgrounds, parks,rooftops and mall interior scapes, using standard bulk mulch,wood chips, compost, and soil amendments. We prideourselves on precise placement of bulk materials.
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The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA Sunday, April 11, 2010 T5
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Continued from page 3
space.
A little elbow grease also
can go a long way. Sparkling
windows bring in light and
make the entire house shine.
Often, all carpets and rugs
need is a thorough cleaning
and they will feel almost new.
The same holds true for wood
floors and trim.
Nothing is a better quick-
change artist than paint. But
you don’t have to go all out.
Rather than entire room,
paint an accent wall, trim or
piece of furniture. “Never
underestimate the power of
paint and pillows, always the
best lipstick for your home in
any shade,” advises Marcia
Richards, a Phoenix, Ariz.,
interior designer.
Give a living room or bed-
room a facelift by shifting the
color scheme. Pillows add
instant color, but to complete
the look, mix in color keyed
accessories, such as a throw
and new lamp or lampshade.
If your budget allows, go a
step further and add a rug
and/or slipcovers.
Orders for fabric by the
yard are up, says David Peters-
en owner of Maine Cottage
Furniture in Yarmouth,
Maine. He notes that more
consumers are re-covering
rather than replacing worn
furnishings.
Small luxuries can have a
big impact on our moods and
our homes. Flowers and new
plants inject new life and color
to any space. Try replacing
regular lightbulbs with full
spectrum bulbs which are
more like sunlight. Sometimes
all it takes to spark up an
entire room is a unique acces-
sory or piece of individual
art.
New hardware is tradition-
ally a quick fix for dated kitch-
en cabinets. But elsewhere,
exchanging old doorknobs for
polished bronze or nickel can
give an entire house an up-to-
date look. Using levered han-
dles also increases a home’s
universal design quotient.
And maybe you can’t afford
to change the tub or the tiles,
but a dated bath can get a
quick uplift simply by altering
a few elements. Instead of
remodeling, Michelle Samuels
spent about $150 to give a bath
in her Mill Valley, Calif., home
an update. She replaced her
antique gold towel racks and
faucets with updated brushed
silver versions. She painted
the frame around the mirror a
soft silver with craft paint and
completed the effect with new
door handles.
Removing old fluorescent
lights and replacing them with
pendants or a more contempo-
rary fixture also has a big
impact.
Don’t wait until you can
renovate to give your kitchen a
new look. Sometimes chang-
ing only one facet can refocus
the entire space. New hard-
ware and light fixtures are
quick and inexpensive. Don’t
forget refacing or painting
cabinets if new is beyond your
budget. If the countertops are
in good shape, consider tiling
the backsplash. Reorganize
cabinets so the space works
better. Add new accessories or
update countertop appliances
so they coordinate.
Increasing curb appeal is
traditional advice for anyone
selling their home. But noth-
ing is more akin to applying
lipstick than revamping the
entry. Replace a worn front
door if the budget permits.
Otherwise give the old door a
new look with paint. Seasonal
plants, new house numbers, a
new doormat and trimmed
walkway will make you feel
like you are coming to a new
house.
Shop thrift and consign-
ment stores for some unique
finds; then polish and paint.
Also think about creating your
own artwork in colors that will
make a room pop. You will save
a bundle and possibly discover
an inner artist you didn’t
know existed.
Low-cost: Shop thrift orconsignment stores METRO SERVICES
Billed as low-maintenance and attrac-
tive solutions for the yard, vinyl or
composite decks have become the
materials of choice for more homeowners in
recent years. They’re supposed to last longer
and require less maintenance than wood
counterparts -- perfect for homeowners who
would rather enjoy their outdoor spaces,
rather than spend hours each season main-
taining them.
But how do composite materials really
stack up against wood? Before you choose
your decking material, consider the pros and
cons of any available options.
ResistanceNo decking product is completely inde-
structible. Both composite and wood decks
can warp, fade or be scratched and dinged.
Wood decks may have the advantage over
composite materials in this arena simply
because of their ability to be refinished.
Therefore, if an area is damaged or faded it
can be repaired. The same options are not
available with composite materials.
DurabilityComposite decks, those made of vinyl,
plastic, polypropylene, polyethylene, or a
combination of plastic and wood pulp would
seem to be more durable than wood decks.
It’s true that composite products resist
weather-relatedContinued from page 6
damage better. However, a relatively high
rate of expansion and contraction can cause
composite decks to warp and hardware to
loosen. Composite decks also are not as
easy to repair as wood decks -- they must be
replaced. Therefore their longevity could
be compromised by this fact.
MaintenanceComposite decks will require consider-
ably less seasonal maintenance than wood
decks. Manufacturers recommend certain
cleaning and tightening of joint spacing to
avoid sagging. However, certain building
codes require composite decks be built
upon wood structural supports, so a com-
posite deck could have some wood material
after all.
Wood decks require routine staining,
cleaning, sanding, etc. This can be time-
Choosing the right decking material
METRO SERVICES
Wood or composite? The
choice of decking material
is really up to the home-
owner and how much
maintenance he or she
can handle.Please see WOOD, page 7
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T6 Sunday, April 11, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA
PI_PROGINDEX/SPECIAL_SECTION/PAGES [T07] | 04/09/10 17:15 | SUPERIMPPB
Continued from page 5
owners big money on
energy, insulation also
can reduce wear on heat-
ing and cooling systems
b e c a u s e i t ke e p s t h e
home at a more constant
temperature.
— BONUS: Constant
temperatures throughout
the house — no drafts.
7. BUY ENERGY SAV-
ERS: Whenever you need
to replace an appliance,
make sure to choose from
the most energy-efficient
options. For instance, in
a large household, a high-
efficiency clothes washer
can pay for itself in a
year or two.
And replacing a single
toilet installed in the
1 9 8 0 s o r e a rl i e r w i t h
high-efficiency low-flow
m o d e l ( $ 3 0 0 a n d u p,
including labor) can cut
your water bill by hun-
dreds of dollars over sev-
eral years. (In new con-
struction, they’ve been
mandatory nationwide
since 1995.)
— BONUS: Federally
funded rebates on many
energy-efficient house-
hold appliances are part
of the economic stimulus
pro g ram. For detai ls,
check http://www.ener-
g y s a v e r s . g o v / f i n a n -
cial/70020.html.
“It’s a good year look
into appliances and fur-
naces,” because of the
rebates, Mehl said. “If
your fur nace is more
than 15 years old, it is a
good time to inspect it
and take advantage of a
new higher-ef f iciency
one.”
For tips on performing
an energy audit of your
home to figure out which
improvements would pay
off first, check the feder-
al Department of Energy
Web site at http://www.
energysavers.gov/your_
h o m e / e n e r g y _ a u d i t s /
i n d e x . c f m /
mytopic(equalsign)11160.
Projects: Could save you hundreds of dollars or more
AP PHOTO
In this June 9, 2009 file photo, Tim Longua shines a flashlight on a thermal coupler he recently replaced on the
furnace at his home in Chicago. As the housing market keeps sputtering and it becomes clear you may need
to stay in the same home for a long time, it is increasingly important to maintain it properly _ at minimum
cost.
Continued from page 6
consuming, which is whymany homeowners seekoptions in composite deck-ing.
‘Green’ Factor
There are supporters anddetractors to both wood andcomposite decks in terms ofenvironmental impact.Wood decks seemingly areharmful to the environmentbecause of the harvesting ofwood and depletion of for-ests, but forests can bereplanted. Composite decksare made from plastics,which do not decomposeeasily when disposed of.
Both wood and compositedecks require many chemi-cals for cleaning and othermaintenance, which canseep into the ground and
leach into water supplies.Heat Factor
Homeowners placing adeck around a swimmingpool or in a sunny locationmay be concerned with howhot the building materialwill be underfoot.
Wood tends to reflect thesunlight more readily thancomposite materials, partic-ularly if the wood is light incolor. Therefore it could bemore comfortable to walkupon.
Appearance
Many composite materi-als come close to lookinglike wood, but they may stillappear plastic. It’s hard toimprove upon the timelessand cozy appearance ofwood environmental land-scaping items.
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AFFORDABLE GUTTER PROTECTION
Poyant’s PlumbingCommercial • Residential
New Construction • RemodelsRepairs • Well Pumps • Gas Logs • Boilers &
Water Heaters • Backhoe ServicesPaul Poyant
Mobile (804) 580-0004 • Phone (804) 435-0101*Bring this ad for a $25 discount
PLUMBINGLicensed & InsuredOver 25 Years Exp.Quality Service
Class B ContractorMaster Gas fitterMaster Plumber
The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA Sunday, April 11, 2010 T7
PI_PROGINDEX/ADVERTISING/AD_PAGES [T08] | 04/09/10 17:38 | SUPERIMPPB
Southern Comforts11023 Boydton Plank Rd. Dinwiddie, VA
804-469-3476
3 1/2 miles South of VirginiaMotorsports Park
Up to $300.00 valueFor a limited time
FREETHERMOPEX INSULATED PIPING
Wood PelletsOR
BUY NOW AND GET
CentralBoiler.com
For a limited time, save up to $2,000 off the MSRP of select in-stock Central Boiler outdoor furnacemodels and ThermoPEX insulated piping at participating dealers only. Instant rebate applied towards thepurchase with the dealer’s participation. Savings shown is on a CL 7260 model. See dealer for details.
Eliminating High Heating Bills!
$2,000Outdoor Wood and
Wood Pellet FurnaceSAVE UP TO
Spring Sale Instant Rebate
T8 Sunday, April 11, 2010 The Progress-Index, Petersburg, VA