Step by Step (March 2016)

Publication of the

March 2016 • Vol. 19, No. 3 Editor: Jennie Korth

Chairperson’s Message

by Megan Dreyer

March is here and many of you can sigh a bit of relief that the hard work of another year’s Home Show is behind you. The Show seemed to be well attended and I heard much positive feedback that those out for the Show were serious shoppers. I hope all your phones are ringing with potential new clients. This was the 14th year for the Remodelers Council Food Bank House and 3,941 pounds of food were collected which will provide 3,284 meals for those in need!

I’m looking forward to meeting with you all again soon for our March meeting. This month’s meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on March 2 at the HBAL office for an introduction to QPR training.

QPR stands for Question, Persuade, Refer and is a suicide prevention training. We have experienced a spike in youth suicides in our community the last few years and as concerned citizens, we should be aware and know the warning signs to help in combating this.

Just a reminder that the deadline for the Tour of Remodeled Homes is fast approaching on March 11. The tour will be held April 23 and 24. As a remodeler, I feel the Tour is the most beneficial form of advertising for you and your company. There is no better way to sell a client than to let them “live” in a space you’ve created!

Tour of Remodeled Homes April 23-24, 2016 Entry Deadline: March 11 Contracts are available here:

www.hbal.org/events/tour-of-remodeled-homes/

March Meeting

March 2, 2016 • 11:30 a.m.

QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer Rose Hood Buss, Region V Systems

Rose will provide an introduction to QPR Training which teaches people to recognize warning signs of suicide and know where to send someone for help.

HBAL Office 6100 S. 58th Street, Ste. C Cost: $10 per person for lunch from LaPaz Please send your RSVP to info@hbal.org or call 402-423-4225 by February 29.

402.483.7575 3133 S. 7th Street • Suite D Fax (402) 483-7577 info@pioneerprintinginc.com

www.pioneerprintinginc.com Multi Color Printing

Digital Color Copies

Graphic Design

Digital Black & White

Ad Specialties

Engineering Copies

Bindery Services

Personalized Service

How Many of These Bad Homeowner Habits are YOU Guilty Of? After reading a list of bad homeowner habits listed on www.ThisOldHouse.com, I was disappointed to find I was guilty of more than one offence. Check out the complete list here: http://bit.ly/1WSyBgY. How many are YOU guilty of?

Maxing out Closet Rods

Closing Vents

INSTEAD: Only use steel rods and metal supports. The pole’s length should be just ¼ inch less than the span between the rod supports for maximum contact. Install additional brackets every 48 inches to stabilize a long rod. Screwing into wall studs is best, but if that’s not possible, secure hardware to a length of 1×4 that spans studs on both sides of the closet.

INSTEAD: Have an HVAC contractor install branch dampers in the main runs of your ductwork. Use them seasonally to force cooler air to the second floor in summer and warmer air to the ground floor in winter.

Hanging too many duds on that pole can not only cause it to bend or break—risking a pileup on the floor—it may also strain mounting hardware installed with undersize anchors, making Swiss cheese of your drywall.

Walking on the Roof

It’s true that keeping gutters clear and spotting roof damage early precludes pricey repairs, but stepping onto the shingles is risky for any DIYer. It can not only damage roofing but will also void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Shutting the louvers on grills to force conditioned air to go where you want it might help control the temp in a room, but it causes a pressure imbalance in the ducts that can make the furnace work harder or the cooling coil freeze over.

Not Grounding a ‘Cheater’ Plug

Those orange or gray three-prong/two-prong adapters are handy when only two-slot outlets are available, but using them lazily by bending or breaking off the grounding tab results in an ungrounded connection and raises the danger of shocks or fire.

INSTEAD: Clean gutters from a ladder with a stabilizer bar to protect the troughs’ thin-gauge metal. Check for worn or missing shingles using binoculars while standing safely on the ground.

INSTEAD: Make sure that your two-prong outlet is a grounded one. A three/two adapter’s wire or metal tab should be connected to the screw in the outlet’s cover plate to ground the plug. Long- term, consider installing three-prong outlets housewide, if wiring allows.

Flushing all those ‘flushable’ wipes

Hanging Dry Cleaning on a Doorknob

The rise in popularity of premoistened, so-called flushable bathroom wipes is the root cause of many a home (and municipal) plumbing problem. Once down the drain, the nonwoven fabric congeals with grease and other materials, causing icky, stubborn clogs that aren’t easily dislodged.

INSTEAD: Place a covered trash bin in the bathroom for safer disposal or just stick to good ol’ paper TP, which biodegrades like lightning by comparison.

Storing Stuff in an Over-the-Showerhead Caddy Your morning refuge may need more perching places for shampoo and body-wash bottles, but a showerhead storage unit loaded with containers will stress the threaded connection behind the tiled wall, potentially causing leaks.

INSTEAD: Store jumbo bottles on the shower floor or tub surround. For lighter stuff, try shelves that attach with suction cups. Got a whole family’s worth of bottles and soaps? Stick them on an over-the-shower-door caddy, which can hold about 10 pounds.

Four pairs of pants and eight shirts might weigh 8½ pounds.

Hooking that load of dry cleaning on a door handle every week can strain the knob and even the hinges, pulling the door out of alignment.

INSTEAD: Walk directly to closet upon entering. Open door and hang dry cleaning on properly mounted closet rod (see No. 1).

Repeat. Every week.

Mixing Paint Too Vigorously

Taking a can of paint back to the store for a spin on the shaker is fine. Stirring paint with a drill attachment, or even extensively by hand? Not recommended. “You’ll create air bubbles that stay in the paint and leave thin spots in the finish,” says John Calderaio of the Paint Quality Institute. “Overmixing also creates grit,” he adds, “by making paint molecules clump together.”

INSTEAD: Stir slowly and gently with a regular old wood paintstirring stick. You’ll know you’re done when there are no solids at the bottom of the can and an even, uniform stream of paint dribbles off the stirrer.

Tossing Bleach Tablets in the Toilet Tank

Letting Receptacles Rock

INSTEAD: Go old-school with a toilet brush and an occasional dose of cleaner, or use a flush-by-flush product that puts the cleaner in the bowl, not the tank.

INSTEAD: Turn off the power to any loose outlet at the electrical panel. Unscrew and remove the outlet cover, tighten loose wires, and use plastic shims to stabilize the receptacle’s “ears” before putting the plate back on.

Those handy blue toilet-tank blocks will keep the water fresh and the bowl clean —and cause premature brittleness or breakage to the flapper valve and other rubber and plastic parts.

Electrical outlets can loosen over time, especially heavily used ones, like those on a kitchen backsplash or where you usually plug in the vacuum. That wiggle can cause the wires to pull out, increasing the chances of arcing—and fire.

Remodelers Spotlight Name: Pam Magner Position: General Manager, Designer Company: Reynolds Design & Remodeling Phone: (402) 475-9663 Email: pam@ReynoldsDesignRemodel.com Company Information: ReynoldsDesignRemodel.com Favorite Books: Anything by Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer.

Favorite Movie: 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice.

Favorite TV shows: Fixer Upper, Keeping Up Appearances, Top Chef.

Find rewarding: Helping people create the spaces they’ve always wanted but didn’t know it (and parenting).

Biggest challenge in life: Containing my road rage. ;-) What inspires you: Stories of people who, even through adversity, face life with faith, optimism and courage.

What did you want to be when you grew up? A doctor.

Pet Peeve: People who don’t follow the pick-up/drop-off rules at school.

Bad Habit: Binge reading books (ignoring everything around me for hours).

First thing I do in the morning: Spend an hour waking up with my coffee and news articles.

Favorite vacation spot: Any place my extended family meets for the 4th of July.

Greatest Hero: My mother.

Childhood fear: That my brothers would be kidnapped while delivering the newspaper.

Spare time: Watching a lot of soccer, reading, spending time with my kids.

Family: Husband Kip; daughter Logan (college freshman); daughter Aubrey (LSE freshman); son Garrett (Pound 6th grader).

Greatest accomplishment: Besides raising my kids, probably getting my Masters degree or CKD/CBD.

Do YOU want to be in the spotlight?

Contact Jennie Korth at jennie@hbal.org for the questionnaire.

Food Bank

House

3,941 lbs. of food and $145 was collected this year for the Food Bank of Lincoln!

This will provide over 3,284 meals for local families in need.

Thank you to our Food Bank House Volunteers!

Tom Barrett

Devon Hirschman

Karen Barrett

Melissa Kepler

Jeff Bielenberg

Abby Kleinschmit

Mary Kay Bielenberg

Ashtyn Kleinschmit

Jim Christo

Pam Magner

Vicki Christo

Tyler Reynolds

Kristin Donnelly

Myah Samek

Kate Gutschenritter

Jenny Samek

AnDee Harris

Tate Samek

Jay Hirschman

Terry Schwimmer

Delrae Hirschman

Brady Yoder

Michaela Hirschman

Special Thanks to Willet Construction, Inc. and Bielenberg Builders, Inc. for setting up and tearing down the house frame.

Calendar of Events Mar. 2

Remodelers Council Meeting QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer | Rose Hood Buss HBAL Office • 6100 S. 58th Street, Ste. C 11:30 a.m. • Cost: $10 per person

Mar. 10

HOMEPAC & Board of Directors Meeting HBAL Office • 6100 S. 58th Street, Ste. C 9:45 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Mar. 11

Tour of Remodeled Homes Deadline

Mar. 14

Seventh Annual Chili Cook-off Sesostris Shrine Center • 1050 Saltillo Road 6:00 p.m.

Cost: $15 per person (kids 12 years & under FREE)

Remodelers Council Golf Tournament August 26, 2016 Holmes Lake Golf Course

Remodelers Council of Lincoln 6100 S. 58th Street, Suite C Lincoln, NE 68516 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

©2016 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc. 0216 101175

WORKS STYLE THAT

Lincoln 5001 S 19th St (402) 328-8589

FERGUSON.COM

Our product experts provide product and budget planning expertise, and even find the value-added opportunities your business needs. So you can take pride in your work on every level.

For product knowledge, selection and a logistics partner that keeps your building or remodeling project on track, count on Ferguson. In our showrooms, your clients touch, see and compare top-selling bath, kitchen and lighting products.