On the Wire - Winter Pet Care
As the temperature outside starts to dip, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reminds you to think about your pet's safety and recommends the following guidelines to protect your companion animals:
- Keep your cats inside. Outdoor cats can freeze to death. They may sleep under the hoods of cars where it is warmer. Before starting your car, bang on the hood and wait a few seconds to give the cat a chance to escape.
- Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm. Dogs frequently lose their scent in snow and ice and can easily become lost.
- Thoroughly wipe off your dog's legs, paws and stomach when they come in out of the sleet, snow or ice. Salt can irritate paws and antifreeze or other chemicals could be toxic if ingested.
- If you have a shorthaired breed, consider providing a coat or sweater. Look for one that covers the dog from the base of the tail on top to the belly underneath. While this may seem like a luxury, it is a necessity for many.
- Never leave your dog or cat alone in a car during the cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold.
- If your dog spends a lot of time engaged in outdoor activities, increase their supply of food, particularly protein, to keep their fur thick and healthy.
- Make sure your pet has a warm place to sleep far away from drafts and off the floor. You should consider a dog or cat bed or basket with a warm blanket or pillow in it.
Visit www.ASPCA.orgfor more information.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Washer Washout
“We have a new house. A company installed new washing machine but didn't attach pipe. As a result, the washing machine flooded the hardwood floor in my kitchen. When it dried, the hardwood cupped significantly. The company wants to sand it but I want the damaged wood to be replaced to make it exactly like it was. Am I correct in wanting new wood? The damage is bad as the wood was soaked for several days while I was on Christmas vacation.”
Wow, talk about the Grinch that stole Christmas! You are absolutely correct in wanting the entire floor replaced. Wet wood will swell and warp. Sanding away the high spots doesn’t fix the problem. Not only does the extra sanding cut years off the life of the floor, the wood may shrink over the winter heating season and leave gaps. Our recommendation is that the damaged floor be removed and replaced with new floor. If it intersects other areas of floor, you should also make sure that any newly refinished floor matches the original floor. By the way, if the floor was pre-finished, than that is yet another reason it can not be repaired. Factory finishes, (most of which are aluminum oxide based) are far more durable than those that are applied on site.
Although I don’t know what your relationship is with the company who’s negligence led to this, be sure to start a diary of all phone calls and other conversations about this claim, and do as much as you can in writing. Find out f they have a liability insurance company that may provide coverage. This can be an expensive repair and if the claim becomes acrimonious, having that documentation of what was said to whom and when helps tremendously if it goes to small claims court. Also, you may want to contact your homeowners’ insurance company as you probably have coverage for this too. If that is the case, the homeowners’ insurance company may pay for repairs and then try and collect from the contractor.
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
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On the Air - iPod, uPod, We all Pod!
iPod? uPod? We can all Pod together! Important Announcement for Podcast listeners: As you may know, The Money Pit is available for download to your iPod or other mp3 player. If you are already a Podcast subscriber, you will need to re-subscribe to the feed to receive current shows. To do so, simply go to www.moneypit.com and follow the instructions.
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Dot Common Sense - Tossing the Tree
Visit the website of the Tree Care Industry Association to learn how to best dispose of your Chirstmas tree. A traditional part of the post-Christmas cleanup has been leaving the old Christmas tree on the curbside for the local garbage collector to pick up and tote to the landfill. More and more often these days, however landfills are off-limits to Christmas trees and most other foliage or yard waste. If your local landfill refuses to take your Christmas tree, then you might want to consider calling your nearest arborist to see if Christmas tree recycling is among the services. Not only do recycled Christmas trees save on landfill space, they also provide much-needed and good-quality mulch for the professional and amateur gardener. The Tree Care Industry Association will be able to help you locate arborists in your area.
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Fun Fact - On the Map
Believe it or not, January is the peak month for residential fires. If your home was on fire - or you needed help, could rescue crews find your house? If you want to make sure emergency workers can find your home quickly, place large, easy to read numbers on your home or mailbox. If you have a long driveway or obscure entranceway, be sure your address is in plain view from the main road and well lit.
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Short Cuts - Fantastic Flooring
If you are thinking of putting in a new floor today, there is a wide array of floor choices with inspiring looks that range from genuine materials such as hardwood and ceramic to the great pretenders like laminate and vinyl. Never underestimate the power of a floor — it helps set the tone for the character of your entire room.
If you’ve decided on a hardwood floor, you’re among millions of Americans who are going with this look that is as popular as ever. Hardwoods are a natural, long-lasting, cost effective choice for your home, whether your style is classic or contemporary. Today’s pre-finished hardwood floors have it all over site-finished. Why? Pre-finished floors, stains and high performance aluminum oxide urethane coatings are applied and dried in a controlled factory environment using specialized equipment not available for site finishing. The result is a much more durable finish, a uniform stain application—and a cleaner environment.
If you want the look of hardwood but not the cost, there is an inexpensive option: laminate floors. Laminate floors can look just like real hardwood, real stone or even real ceramic, but they’re not. This high tech material is actually constructed by taking a photograph of the real thing, and then laminating that on to fiberboard and sealed in with an incredibly durable protective coating. The result is flooring that LOOKS like the real thing – but in some ways is even better. For example, research done by the folks at Consumer Reports showed that certain laminate floors that look like hardwoods were sometimes even tougher than the real hardwoods themselves. A very good place to learn more about laminate flooring is the Complete Guide to Flooring at www.Armstrong.com.
Laminate flooring has come very far in the colors and the patterns and the options, it’s really indistinguishable from the real thing. But, If you want to mimic the look and texture of natural materials such as hardwood, stone or ceramic, or if you prefer a visual that's only possible with modern print technology, vinyl flooring offers you the widest array of designs and colors in any one flooring category. Armstrong’s award-winning Natural Fusion luxury vinyl not only tricks the experts with its realistic look and textures, but brings affordable luxury into the home. Vinyl requires minimal maintenance—much less than any other flooring category and it is water resistant. Vinyl sheet doesn't absorb liquids, so it's suitable for any room of the house, especially bathrooms and kitchens. It also has fewer seams than vinyl tile, for less places water or dirt can accumulate. Vinyl can also be installed anywhere, including below grade areas like a basement. And, it can be seamless. Most vinyl products come in 6' or 12' feet wide, and create a very uniform-looking installation.
For more information on all your flooring choices, check out the Complete Guide to Flooring at www.Armstrong.com.
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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