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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1994)
P age A4 D ecember 28, 1994 • T he P or i land O bserver Wlje ^ n rtla n b bseruer Home Improvement Grants And| Neo f f " z , e s ^ n8S Subsidized Loans Available Most hom eow ners are un aw are that regardless o f their income there are F ederal, state and local program s that will help them repair and rem odel their homes. G overnm ent at all levels recognizes that neighborhoods are the basis o f life in our coun try. When a neighborhood dete riorates, many things happen both physically and socially. When the homes look shabby, a neighborhood seems m ore at tractive to crim e and crim inals. An area in decline is like a sp read in g cancer. As hom es becom e shabby looking and in need o f m aintenance, the resi dents lose their desire to keep up the neighborhood. Streets be com e re c e p ta c le s fo r trash , schools low er their standards and very quickly the selling price o f hom es in the area drops sharply. This accelerates the cycle o f degeneration. In order to keep and m ain tain the n a tio n ’s housing and neighborhoods, government at all levels have program s to give hom eowners money (that does not have to be repaid) for repairs or to lend them money at below m arket levels or at no interest. In many areas utility com panies will eith er do energy conservation work free or at low cost and in o th e r p la c e s w ill lend hom eow ners money at no inter est to pay the contractor o f their choice for the necessary work. In addition there are tax incentives to prom ote efficient energy use. These programs are not restrict ed to low-income people, slum areas or urban neighborhoods. Owners of single or multi-family dwellings are eligible. While the grants do not have to repaid, most of the loans offer low or no-interest, long terms and low payments. Some o f the other home im provem ents covered under these __ (NU) - Area rugs are a favorite decorating device of interior de signers. Frequently featured in shel ter m agazines, they make a high- fashion statement by providing an attractive surface accent to any room in the house. program s are: attic and wall in Grants and Subsidized Loans Versatile and economical, these sulation, new windows, outerwall ($16.95 plus $3 p&h from CERC popular floor coverings offer a quick siding, security doors, and locks, Grants, 350 Scotland Road, Ore home furnishing fix and are an easy window guards, sidew alks and way to spruce up your surroundings. gon, NJ 07050 or 800-872-0121) m asonry work, bathroom s and Neutral but textured styles adapt which lists over 7,000 sources of to the widest variety of settings and kitchens, electrical and plum b loan and grant programs offered by are available in m aterials ranging ing, new roofs, gutters and dow n federal, state and local govern from sea grass to synthetics. But the spouts. ment, utility companies and others; newest rug fiber on the market is one Robert L. Berko, executive which most people are used to wear typical programs offered and the director o f Consum er Education ing, not walking on — cotton. how to qualify. Form letters of Though demands for comfort R esearch C enter which is a n a inquiries to these loan and grant have made cotton the single most tional non-profit consum er group sources are included as well as de popular fiber bought at retail stores, form ed in 1969, tells us, “ Some tailed instructions on determining until recently, floor coverings made program s have no incom e ceiling from the natural fiber were consid your debt-to-income ratio for eligi and others allow income o f as ered commercially unfeasible. Ear bility. lier attempts at manufacturing cot much as $50,000 per year or Since it is important that the ton carpets resulted in products that more. There are even program s work be done properly, the book were prohibitively expensive or dif for which tenants are eligible and includes a section describing the ficult to care for. Today, advances many allow loans to poor credit in textile technology have made it rough cost o f many jobs as well as risks. In many areas, people with possible to produce an affordable, advice on picking a contractor, ne all-cotton rug with improved per d isabilities can receive grants to gotiating a contract, and insuring formance characteristics. pay for needed repairs such as that the work is done properly and Cotton Classics, a competitively access ramps and w idening o f for a fair price. And to help you priced line of fashion area rugs in doorw ays.” troduced by Lees Carpets, boast su communicate with your contrac perior resiliency, and won't pill, fade The CERC has just published tor, lawyer and lender, the book or fuzz. Cleaning is simple: A mild the 208 large-page, 1994 edition of includes a dictionary o f terms used liquid detergent and rinsing well Consumers Guide to Home Repair by these professionals. with hot water takes care of most stains. ‘After years of research and Give Your Home A Winter Tune-Up This Weekend Can you spare $50 and one or two weekend afternoons to save five to 10 percent on heating bills all winter long9 That’s all it takes to make the most effective energy effi ciency improvements in many Ore gon Homes, according to Suzanne Dillard, residential program coordi nator for the Oregon Department of Energy. “ Whether you rent or own, there are things you can do to make your home more comfortable this winter,” says Dillard "Just plugging obvious holes and cracks in your house and adding plastic storms to single-pane windows will warm up surfaces, re duce drafts and cut heat loss." If you own your home, adding insulation and improving heating system effi ciency also may be smart invest ments, Dillard points out. » • «’ ’s*. - • z • S' ‘ . .... Stop Air Leaks ‘ ’ . ‘i Begin your winter tune-up by sealing air leaks. Ifyou want to tackle just one project this weekend, plug . • ■ -c holes below kitchen and bathroom sinks. Check for gaps around pipes through walls and floors. Slide plas tic or metal trim rings away from the wall or floor. They may be covering up huge gaps. Fill them with acry lic latex caulk, expanding foam, or rags stuffed in a plastic bag. j Ifyou're ready to do more, head forthe attic. Seal holes where plumb ing vent stacks, ducts and wiring enter rooms below. Use plywood or wallboard for large holes —over drop ceilings, for example. Caulk and ex panding foam work well for cracks and gaps. Don't seal around chim neys and flues unless you use special high-temperature sealants. Insulate and weatherstrip the attic access hatch or panel for a tight fit. Next stop is the basement or crawl space. Cold air entering here cools off the entire house. Seal holes around pipes and wiring where they enter the floor above. Seal holes where pipes and wiring enter the basement. Fill large holes around pipes with a plastic bag stuffed with rags. Caulk basement window and door frames. Now you’re ready to tighten up the living space. This is a good time to solve any mold or mildew prob lems. Weatherizing your home can make them more obvious. Patch holes in plaster and gyp sum board on interior walls. Seal gaps along the top and bottom edges o f baseboards. Caulk around win dow and door frames from the inside. Weatherstrip loose-fitting win dows and doors. Adjust latches for tight closure. If you have a fireplace with a poor-Fittmg damper, make a cover for the face of the fireplace out of plywood or cardboard. Or invest about $20 in an inflatable chimney pillow or draft stopper. Warm Up Windows Single-pane windows can make you feel chilly even when your ther mostat is set above 70 F. That’s be- cause your body radiates heat to cold er surfaces the way a lighted fire place radiates heat to you. Installing interior plastic storm windows over single-pane windows in the rooms you sit in the most is an excellent investment. They warm up window surfaces, cut heat loss in half, and seal around loose-fitting windows. Tune Up Your Heating System M aking sure heating eq uip ment is operating properly is an im portant part o f y o u r w inter tune-up. Oil furnaces and boilers should be tuned up every year. Fake advantage o f rebates and loans available through the State H om e O il W e a th e riz a tio n (SHOW ) program for h igh-effi ciency flame retention burners. Call for details: 1-800-452-8660 (to ll-free) or 659-3204 (in Port land). Gas furnaces need a tune-up and safety test at least every five years. Tune-ups for all com bus- tion h eaters should include a com bustion efficiency test. Ifyou have a heat pump, have its p er form ance and refrigerant charge tested every year. In many homes as much as one- third ofheat from the furnace is wast ed before it gets to living spaces. Leaky ducts are the culprit. Seal any obvious holes and reattach discon nected ducts. Insulate ducts in garag es, attics and crawl spaces. Clogged furnace filters reduce system efficiency. Vacuum or wash tilter(s) monthly. Replace clogged filters. Remove electric baseboard cov ers and vacuum dust and dirt on the fins. Move furniture and tie up drapes that block baseboard heat. Insulation Projects Start With An Audit Insulating ceilings, walls and floors warms them up and reduces heat loss. What insulation values are cost-effective for your home? The Home Depot Volunteers To Finish Housing Project •T ! . f it < T : •• . f ï t *•* »4» :¿ • • • • ■ M 7* ’ In the holiday tradition o f sharing and goodwill toward man, a local com pany's employ ees will spend two days helping to com p lete a n o n -p ro fit a ffo rd a b le home ownership project in N orth east Portland M ore than twenty em ployees from the Tigard Home Depot store will volunteer their time and talent to help put the finish ing touches on the seven Dawson Park Rowhouses, according to Howard Nolt, Executive D irec tor o f HOST D evelopm ent, Inc., an inner-city developm ent co r poration. From 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on D ecem ber 28 and 29, the Home Depot staff will supply and in stall the electrical and plum bing fixtures needed to finish the d e velopm ent, located on the corner o f N. W illiam s Ave. and N.E. M orris Street. The hungry v o l unteers will dine on food d o n at ed by Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell. “ The o p p o rtu n ity to give back to the com m unity that sup ports us — and at the same time offer a hands-on learning ex p e ri ence for our m anagers and new er em ployees -- is at the core o f the Home Depot philosophy,” said Joe B onaventura, Tigard Home Depot M anager. Dawson Park is the result o f a jo in t venture betw een HOST D evelopm ent, Inc., and Portland Community Design The project j i- 5»« 7 i t ***• a ■¿i i ï f ' - ’-',: - J a,t. 4 .. News USA Advances in textile technology make it possible to have cotton rugs that don’t pill, fade or fuzz. high-tech engineering, the develop ment of yarn processing techniques that create durable, 100 percent cot ton rugs is a turning point in the home fashion market,” says Wolf gang Strahl, senior vice president o f Textile Research and Implemen tation for Cotton Incorporated. While nylon and acrylic cause static electricity and vegetable fibers such as sisal and coir can be scratchy underfoot, Strahl says these new rugs maintain all the positive attributes people associate with cotton, in cluding its touchable softness and cushiony comfort. Sold through car pet dealers. Cotton Classics can also be found at department, specialty and furniture stores nationwide. table below is a rough guide. A free home energy audit will five you a detailed report on measures that will save you the most money, the fastest. Electric and gas utilities provide au dits at no charge for their heating customers. Ifyou heat with oil, wood or propane, call the SHOW program to schedule a free audit: 1-800-454- 8660. Utilities and the SHOW pro gram offer low-interest loans for home weatherization. Rebates also may be available for the work you want to have done. To Learn More Publications on home weather ization are available free of charge from Oregon Energy Line, a service of the Oregon Department o f Energy and the Oregon State University Ex tension Energy Program. Call toll- free in Oregon 24 hours a day: 1 -800- 457-9394. Request Finding and Fix ing Hidden Air Leaks and a publica tions list. LISCENSED IN ORECON SINCE 1975 Singles & Seniors, I can help you! features three bedroom single family row house homes w ith off- street parking, landscaping and a c h i l d r e n ’s p la y a re a . The ro w h o u s e s o f f ic ia lly b ro k e ground May 12, 1994 in the city ’s ome wnership "reet at ¡me Dad’s Eliot neighborhood. HOST (Home Ownership a Street at a Time) Development, Inc., is a private non-profit corporation. Since 1991, Portland Community Design is a non-profit design and planning center whose mission is to improve the homes and neighbor hoods of its community members. PCD does demonstration develop ments to create examples o f the best urban and community' design. For more inform ation, please contact Howard Nolte (503) 33 I - I 752 or Mark Shapiro (503) 292- 0106. J.L.S. Lawn Service office: 503-335-0263 pager: 503-940-7721 Service Estimates Speedy Service Friendly Call For Quote Painter heating oils Best Cash Prices 104 NE Russel Portland. OR 97212 282-5111 249-1719 ur 778-9360 4712 NE 66th Ave Portland OR 972IX "1st Class Gaurantee" A-ZEBRA r a . RMLS Ô George A. Hendrix MBA, GRI, Broker Realty Inc. 300 NE Multnomah, Suite #16 Portland, Oregon 97232 (503) 230-1390 • (Res.) 287-6837 New & used books on Business, Music, & African-A merican Studies POWEL'S CITY OF BOOKS 9 AM - 11 PM Monday through Saturday 9 AM - 9 PM Sundays Used books bought every day till 8:30 PM On the #20 Bus line • One hour free parking 1005 West Burnside Street 228-4651
