HINTS FOR HOMEOWNERS Shower power: Making a shower more versatile and enjoyable (NAPSI)-There’s good news for those who think of their daily shower as one of life’s simple pleasures. Adding a handheld shower to your existing conventional showerhead arrangement can be done without drilling or screwing into the walls to hold or mount the hand […]

DECORATOR’S NOTEBOOK Splash your home with color this fall (NAPSI)-With the change of the seasons comes an excellent time to give your home a fresh, new look simply by adding a splash of color. Autumn’s vivid outdoor shades of red, orange and yellow can help inspire a color makeover for any room inside your home. […]

Efficient water heaters save money, water (NewsUSA) – Among showers, laundry and dishwasher loads, the average American home consumes a lot of hot water. After heating and cooling costs, water heating has proven to be the largest part of most families’ utility bills. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, water heaters consume as much […]

Hardwood floors: Enrich your home and environment (NewsUSA) – More Americans might be driving hybrid cars and recycling, but their hardwood kitchen and living room floors can be just as critical to climate change. No one knows exactly how much illegal hardwood enters the United States, but estimates range from $250 million to $375 million […]

Evict that home energy hog for good (NewsUSA) – In 1980, kitchen appliances accounted for nearly 44 percent of an average annual home’s energy consumption. With innovations in cooking, cleaning and preservation appliances, that figure is just above 10 percent today — and still dropping — much to the delight of consumers seeking green options […]

Don’t wait until the big freeze to take an energy inventory Whether we’d like to admit it or not, the harsh, cold days of winter are just around the corner. So before you hunker down anxiously watching your oil tank levels fall, check your home’s energy efficiency. Not only will a professional home energy audit […]

Homeowners are unaware and not taking advantage of tax credit for energy efficient home improvements Half way through 2009, ConstructionDeal.com surveyed approximately 5,000 project owners, primarily homeowners and discovered that nearly 40% were not planning on taking advantage of the $1,500 Tax Credit for energy efficient home improvements. 25% were completely unaware of this tax […]

Local help: Learn lead levels in your home Why is lead poisoning a problem in Maine? ? Homes built before 1978 are likely to contain lead paint. This means that over 60% of Maine homes may contain lead paint. ? Homes built before the mid-1950s may have paint that is mostly lead. ? Home renovations […]

For gorgeous grass next season, start with soil, end with seed Summer is winding down and soon it will be time to drain the gas from the lawn mower and safely store the string trimmer. You may feel like summer yard work is done for another year. But don’t turn your back on your lawn […]

Revived: Limestone floor By Tresa Erickson Love your old limestone floor, but thinking it might be time to replace it? Is it starting to look old, dull and flat from years of use? Well, before you rip it out, why not try to restore its luster. In order to restore your limestone floor, you will […]