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Ask The Pro Newsletter
-Create Your Personal Decorating Plan
-Tips To Save You Money On Your Energy Bill
-Protecting Your Family Against Flooding
-Tips from Ace Hardware
-How to find a good contractor
Volume I, Edition 9
The Ask The Pro Newsletter is your outlet for pre-qualified contractors, tips from professionals, and
instruction on how to find safe contractors. The Ask The Pro Newsletter is loaded with information to
keep you up to date in what to look for when hiring professionals today.
For more information on how to find qualified contractors, weekly tips from Ace Hardware, and weekly
information from qualified professionals listen to the Ask The Pro Radio Show Saturday 11am-12pm
central on CNN 650. For more information about the Ask The Pro Radio Show click here to visit our
website!
If you are not currently a subscriber to The Ask The Pro Newsletter but would like to receive the email
on a monthly basis, you can subscribe here.
Thank you for your interest in the Ask The Pro Radio Show.
Jim Klauck
Host, Ask The Pro Radio Show
______________________________________________________________________
INTERIORS by Decorating Den
Martha Gray
Create Your Personal Decorating Plan
A beautiful home doesn't just happen. Good decorating is the result of good planning and should start
by developing a comprehensive, detailed decorating plan.
What should be included in your decorating plan? Everything that needs to be done, including timing,
priorities and budget. It's vitally important to write down everything and be as specific as possible.
Most people feel they need assistance in creating and implementing their decorating plan.
Professional interior decorators have the talent, experience, specialized knowledge, and resources to
help you pull it all together. They can also save you time and money. After all, the most costly
furnishings you will ever buy are the ones that prove to be mistakes! Here are a few suggestions that
will help you understand our own preferences and prepare you to work with a decorator.
Begin by collecting decorating magazines - or design books. Consider cutting out photographs of
furniture, styles, window treatments, color schemes, floor and wall coverings, etc., that appeal to you.
Then, compile everything you've collected into a notebook and organize it into sections for each room
you'll be doing. If you choose to work with a decorator, your preplanning will make it much easier for
you to communicate your likes and dislikes.
Evaluate your present furnishings and decide what you would like to keep, eliminate, and re-do. Write
down the various items in your notebook. What will be your overall color scheme? Does the carpeting
need to be replaced? Which room do you want completed first? What budget have you established for
each decorating project you wish to undertake? Knowing this information will prove valuable in doing it
yourself or in working with your chosen interior decorator.
And remember - no matter what your lifestyle, your home should be a reflection of your tastes, your
likes and your interests.
For more information, call Martha Gray at 281-855-1800, or log on to www.decoratingden.com.
______________________________________________________________________
Efficient Attic Systems
John Hawkins
Tips To Save You Money On Your Energy Bill
Texas has some of the highest electric rates in the Southwest. We all feel that pain each time we open
costly energy bills during the warm months, which in Texas, means most of the year. And, to make
matters worse, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that natural gas rates will increase
significantly this winter: a winter which the Farmers’ Almanac predicts will be much colder than normal.
But there is good news. And it’s right up in your attic.
The key is to make your attic work as efficiently as you do in your daily life. The main culprit for high
energy bills is your attic temperature, which can reach as high as 150 degrees in the summer.
A simple three-part system will:
1. Lower your costly energy bills.
2. Reduce stress on your heating and cooling systems, prolonging their life.
3. Reduce your energy use and lessen your carbon footprint.
Here’s how:
1. Install a radiant barrier
A spray-on radiant barrier can block as much as 75 percent of the sun’s radiant heat from entering your
attic. And it’s easy and fast to have installed. A radiant barrier can lower your attic temperature by as
much as 35 degrees.
2. Increase your attic insulation levels
Did you know the U. S. Department of Energy estimates 90 percent of homes in the United States are
under insulated? The DOE recommends 18” (R-49) of blown-in fiberglass insulation for Texas attics. A
quick look up in your attic will determine if you’re sorely in need of more and better insulation. Proper
insulation will keep your warm inside air from escaping to the attic in the winter, as well as keep your
home cooler in the summer.
3. Balance your attic ventilation
Properly installed ventilation is a system of soffits on the eaves of your home and vents on the high
pitches of your roof. Soffits pull the cooler outside air into the attic and vents exhaust the heated attic air,
a process which cools your attic in the summer and removes damaging moisture in the winter.
Most homeowners are not aware of how many soffits and vents are needed to properly vent their home.
An trained and certified energy efficiency consultant will be able to determine what your home’s specific
needs are and provide you with a plan for making your attic work for you instead of against you.
Remember:
An efficient attic will use less energy, reduce the strain on your heating and cooling systems and save
you money on high energy bills, all while helping conserve our nation’s precious energy resources.
_____________________________________________________________________
Dagley Insurance & Financial Services
Nathan Dagley
Protecting Your Family Against Flooding
Did you know, EVERYONE lives in a flood zone? Twenty-five percent of flood insurance claims come
from the low-to-moderate risk areas. In 2006, flood insurance claims exceeded $550 million dollars,
with an average paid claim of nearly twenty-six thousand (Source: National Flood Insurance Program).
Flooding is the nation's #1 natural disaster. Many people do not know that just having Homeowners or
Renters Insurance does not protect you when flooding is caused by a hurricane or tropical storm.
Flood insurance can protect you and you will be reimbursed for covered costs if you experience a flood.
Flooding can happen anywhere it can rain. Some people believe that if you live on a hill you are safe.
Well, in many cases you are not out of the woods! You are still at risk of being a victim.
To protect you and your family from being at risk of flood damage here are some tips:
• Have an evacuation plan
• Have a safe place for important documents
• Build an emergency kit
• Purchase a flood policy
Contact Dagley Insurance and Financial Services at 281-644-1000 to see how you can save your
assets and no longer be a prospect of flood damage the next time “Hurricane Rita” flood seeps into
your home.
_____________________________________________________________________
Tips From Ace Hardware
The Helpful Hardware Man's Corner - Answers by Lou Manfredini
Q: I have a cedar fence that has two different color stains because of [another hardware retailer's]
mistake. It has become weathered and I would like to renew [with] waterproof stain and possibly [make
it] termite resistant. I need your help to resolve my problem. I want it to look professional.
A: First cedar naturally will resist termites, so you have that covered. I would pressure wash the entire
fence and try and remove the old stain carefully with the water pressure. Then choose a good oil-
based, semi-transparent fence stain in a color dark enough to blend the remaining colors. Apply it after
the fence is dry and you should have a good consistent look.
________________________________________________________________________________
Finding A Good Contractor
Sponsored By Check A Pro
When considering a contractor always be sure to 'Check' them out! You should:
-Research license information with the State of Texas
-Ask them for references
-Ask them if they are insured
-Contact the local business bureau
For a list of pre-qualified service providers visit www.checkapro.com. All Check A Pro members have
been pre-qualified through the following:
-Reference Check
-Local Business Bureau Review
-License Check w/ the Sate of Texas
-Tips To Save You Money On Your Energy Bill
-Protecting Your Family Against Flooding
-Tips from Ace Hardware
-How to find a good contractor
Volume I, Edition 9
The Ask The Pro Newsletter is your outlet for pre-qualified contractors, tips from professionals, and
instruction on how to find safe contractors. The Ask The Pro Newsletter is loaded with information to
keep you up to date in what to look for when hiring professionals today.
For more information on how to find qualified contractors, weekly tips from Ace Hardware, and weekly
information from qualified professionals listen to the Ask The Pro Radio Show Saturday 11am-12pm
central on CNN 650. For more information about the Ask The Pro Radio Show click here to visit our
website!
If you are not currently a subscriber to The Ask The Pro Newsletter but would like to receive the email
on a monthly basis, you can subscribe here.
Thank you for your interest in the Ask The Pro Radio Show.
Jim Klauck
Host, Ask The Pro Radio Show
______________________________________________________________________
INTERIORS by Decorating Den
Martha Gray
Create Your Personal Decorating Plan
A beautiful home doesn't just happen. Good decorating is the result of good planning and should start
by developing a comprehensive, detailed decorating plan.
What should be included in your decorating plan? Everything that needs to be done, including timing,
priorities and budget. It's vitally important to write down everything and be as specific as possible.
Most people feel they need assistance in creating and implementing their decorating plan.
Professional interior decorators have the talent, experience, specialized knowledge, and resources to
help you pull it all together. They can also save you time and money. After all, the most costly
furnishings you will ever buy are the ones that prove to be mistakes! Here are a few suggestions that
will help you understand our own preferences and prepare you to work with a decorator.
Begin by collecting decorating magazines - or design books. Consider cutting out photographs of
furniture, styles, window treatments, color schemes, floor and wall coverings, etc., that appeal to you.
Then, compile everything you've collected into a notebook and organize it into sections for each room
you'll be doing. If you choose to work with a decorator, your preplanning will make it much easier for
you to communicate your likes and dislikes.
Evaluate your present furnishings and decide what you would like to keep, eliminate, and re-do. Write
down the various items in your notebook. What will be your overall color scheme? Does the carpeting
need to be replaced? Which room do you want completed first? What budget have you established for
each decorating project you wish to undertake? Knowing this information will prove valuable in doing it
yourself or in working with your chosen interior decorator.
And remember - no matter what your lifestyle, your home should be a reflection of your tastes, your
likes and your interests.
For more information, call Martha Gray at 281-855-1800, or log on to www.decoratingden.com.
______________________________________________________________________
Efficient Attic Systems
John Hawkins
Tips To Save You Money On Your Energy Bill
Texas has some of the highest electric rates in the Southwest. We all feel that pain each time we open
costly energy bills during the warm months, which in Texas, means most of the year. And, to make
matters worse, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that natural gas rates will increase
significantly this winter: a winter which the Farmers’ Almanac predicts will be much colder than normal.
But there is good news. And it’s right up in your attic.
The key is to make your attic work as efficiently as you do in your daily life. The main culprit for high
energy bills is your attic temperature, which can reach as high as 150 degrees in the summer.
A simple three-part system will:
1. Lower your costly energy bills.
2. Reduce stress on your heating and cooling systems, prolonging their life.
3. Reduce your energy use and lessen your carbon footprint.
Here’s how:
1. Install a radiant barrier
A spray-on radiant barrier can block as much as 75 percent of the sun’s radiant heat from entering your
attic. And it’s easy and fast to have installed. A radiant barrier can lower your attic temperature by as
much as 35 degrees.
2. Increase your attic insulation levels
Did you know the U. S. Department of Energy estimates 90 percent of homes in the United States are
under insulated? The DOE recommends 18” (R-49) of blown-in fiberglass insulation for Texas attics. A
quick look up in your attic will determine if you’re sorely in need of more and better insulation. Proper
insulation will keep your warm inside air from escaping to the attic in the winter, as well as keep your
home cooler in the summer.
3. Balance your attic ventilation
Properly installed ventilation is a system of soffits on the eaves of your home and vents on the high
pitches of your roof. Soffits pull the cooler outside air into the attic and vents exhaust the heated attic air,
a process which cools your attic in the summer and removes damaging moisture in the winter.
Most homeowners are not aware of how many soffits and vents are needed to properly vent their home.
An trained and certified energy efficiency consultant will be able to determine what your home’s specific
needs are and provide you with a plan for making your attic work for you instead of against you.
Remember:
An efficient attic will use less energy, reduce the strain on your heating and cooling systems and save
you money on high energy bills, all while helping conserve our nation’s precious energy resources.
_____________________________________________________________________
Dagley Insurance & Financial Services
Nathan Dagley
Protecting Your Family Against Flooding
Did you know, EVERYONE lives in a flood zone? Twenty-five percent of flood insurance claims come
from the low-to-moderate risk areas. In 2006, flood insurance claims exceeded $550 million dollars,
with an average paid claim of nearly twenty-six thousand (Source: National Flood Insurance Program).
Flooding is the nation's #1 natural disaster. Many people do not know that just having Homeowners or
Renters Insurance does not protect you when flooding is caused by a hurricane or tropical storm.
Flood insurance can protect you and you will be reimbursed for covered costs if you experience a flood.
Flooding can happen anywhere it can rain. Some people believe that if you live on a hill you are safe.
Well, in many cases you are not out of the woods! You are still at risk of being a victim.
To protect you and your family from being at risk of flood damage here are some tips:
• Have an evacuation plan
• Have a safe place for important documents
• Build an emergency kit
• Purchase a flood policy
Contact Dagley Insurance and Financial Services at 281-644-1000 to see how you can save your
assets and no longer be a prospect of flood damage the next time “Hurricane Rita” flood seeps into
your home.
_____________________________________________________________________
Tips From Ace Hardware
The Helpful Hardware Man's Corner - Answers by Lou Manfredini
Q: I have a cedar fence that has two different color stains because of [another hardware retailer's]
mistake. It has become weathered and I would like to renew [with] waterproof stain and possibly [make
it] termite resistant. I need your help to resolve my problem. I want it to look professional.
A: First cedar naturally will resist termites, so you have that covered. I would pressure wash the entire
fence and try and remove the old stain carefully with the water pressure. Then choose a good oil-
based, semi-transparent fence stain in a color dark enough to blend the remaining colors. Apply it after
the fence is dry and you should have a good consistent look.
________________________________________________________________________________
Finding A Good Contractor
Sponsored By Check A Pro
When considering a contractor always be sure to 'Check' them out! You should:
-Research license information with the State of Texas
-Ask them for references
-Ask them if they are insured
-Contact the local business bureau
For a list of pre-qualified service providers visit www.checkapro.com. All Check A Pro members have
been pre-qualified through the following:
-Reference Check
-Local Business Bureau Review
-License Check w/ the Sate of Texas
Check A Pro Radio Show Check A Pro Radio is sponsored by CHECK A PRO. Learn more at www.checkapro.com.