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D ecember 28, 1994 • T he P or i land O bserver
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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.
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Stop Air Leaks
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Begin your winter tune-up by
sealing air leaks. Ifyou want to tackle
just one project this weekend, plug
. • ■
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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
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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
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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
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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
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9 AM - 9 PM Sundays
Used books bought every day till 8:30 PM
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1005 West Burnside Street
228-4651