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Cobb Fire and Emergency Services is encouraging residents to change their smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when they change their clocks back for daylight savings time this Sunday, Nov. 1.
The Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery campaign aims to remind people of the importance of changing batteries in these life-saving devices. Prevention is key and working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Two-thirds of deaths result from fires in homes without working smoke alarms. Residents are also reminded that smoke alarms should be replaced at least every 10 years and tested once a month to ensure they are working. For more information, including simple home safety tips, visit cobbfire.org
Good News! Even in this bad economy, property values continue to climb for everyone living in a Cobb Habitat home! Recent appraisals indicate a 30%+ increase in appraised value over the actual purchase price of the home! One of the reasons for this is that everyone does their part to enhance the entire community by maintaining their property. That is part of what being a good neighbor is all about.
Another part of being a responsible homeowner, and good neighbor, is paying attention to Cobb County ordinances. Fines can be imposed if homeowners are found in violation. Following are some common county violations:
Garbage
Garbage cans filled with garbage can only be placed at the curb the evening before collection and should be removed by 11:00 p.m. on the day of collection.
Outside Storage Limitations
No outside storage is permitted, with the exception of firewood and lawn furnishings.
Grass and Weeds Read the rest of this entry »
As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home’s heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills — and your comfort.
Furnace filters cost very little, and are usually sold in quantity packs to save you even further. Replacing filters once a month – especially in the the cold winter months and hot summer months – improves the furnace’s efficiency, helps it last much longer, and provides health benefits as well.
A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool — wasting energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system — leading to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure.
A furnace that does not work efficiently, will cost you more money in energy.
To know what you need for size, pull out the old filter, they are usually located for easy access on the furnace. The size will be marked on it, be careful to note the full dimensions, as even thickness is important. Filters are available from hardware, grocery, and discount stores.
Yard of the Month:
Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Nichols and family, 3672 Ten Oaks Circle, Powder Springs!
Garden of the Month:
Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Villegas and family, 1760 Aircraft Drive, Marietta!
We are absoultely convinced that we have THE BEST homeowners of all the Habitats anywhere! With over 200 homes to choose from, our decision on who to pick each month is very difficult. However, in our eyes you are all winners (and there are 12 months in the year) so don’t give up.
Do you have someone you’d particularly like to nominate? Someone you know has worked extra hard and should be recognized? Let us know (it’s ok to nominate yourself). Also, do you have any tips or ideas for other homeowners? Feel free to post them under comments or call and we’ll do it for you. We’re all about neighbor helping neighbor and learning from each other.
We’re most familiar with olive oil in relation to cooking, but there’s so many other ways it can be used; often avoiding the need to use chemicals, compounds and substances that aren’t very environmentally friendly. For these tips, you don’t need to use the best grade of olive oil.
- After polishing copper or brass, rub it with a little olive oil to slow down the reocurrence of tarnish
- Can be used as a stainless steel cleaner; apply sparingly
- Rub olive oil into wooden cutting boards to help prevent cracking, repel staining and marking
- Remove paint from hair or skin by dabbing a cotton ball dipped in olive to the affected area Read the rest of this entry »
Forget store-bought cleaners! Save a buck and the environment, too, with these earth-friendly solutions from DIY:
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/pac_ctnt_988_leader/text/0,,DIY_26336_68432,00.html
Looking for appliances, lights, tile, tools, porch furniture, area rugs etc? It’s worth checking out the Home Depot Clearance Center in Austell. Some of the items are scratch and dent, some discontinued, but everything is heavily discounted (some way below cost) and you’re sure to find a bargain.
Home Depot Clearance Center
3999 Austell Rd-Ste 101
Austell, GA 30106
(770)941-9600
Yard of the Month:
Congratulations to the The Lopez Family at 6980 Brumley Cove Drive, Hillcrest West, Austell
Garden of the Month:
Congratulations to the Bektic Family at 2597 Bates Street, Smyrna
We are amazed! After driving through every one of the Cobb Habitat neighborhoods, all of us, including our Executive Director, were absolutely blown away at how beautiful your yards and gardens are. The fact that we have super-great families living in Habitat homes is reflected on the outside as well! Thank you for the work and tender loving care you put in to making your neighborhood so beautiful!
If your home didn’t get picked this time, keep up the good work. We will be choosing a different winner each month, one for Yard of the Month and one for Garden of the Month. You could be the next winner!
Senior Connections provides home repairs such as roofing, plumbing and electrical; weatherization; and safety/accessibility modifications like wheelchair ramps and bathroom safety grab bars. If you are in need, and meet the requirements above, they may be able to help. For more information call 770-455-7602, extension 162 or visit www.srconn.org
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to scale back on items that are hard on the environment. Conservation often means using less or making smarter choices about what you do use — moves that will help you save, not force you to spend.
Consumers would do well to focus on three areas:
1) Reduce your reliance on fossil fuels. Don’t dash out to buy a hybrid car or trade in your train pass for a $2,500 titanium wonder bike. Simply make whatever form of transportation you use, especially your car, as fuel-efficient as possible. Some tips:
-Inflate your tires properly.
-Get regular tuneups and oil changes.
-Consider getting by with one car (an inconvenience for some, not possible for many, but it can save you thousands a year in gas, insurance and maintenance).
-Use public transportation whenever possible.
-Perhaps the most dramatic way to decrease your car’s footprint-Drive a little more slowly. Read the rest of this entry »
Q. Is there a natural, chemical-free, “green” way to get rid of ants?”
A. Here are a few things you may want to try:
- Pour lemon juice around ant areas.
- Baking soda can deter ants – pour a solid line in areas of activity and they won’t cross it.
- A mixture of borax and sugar or honey will attract and kill silverfish and ants.
- A ring of coffee grounds around sensitive plants can discourage ants.
- A puree blend of orange peel and water can be applied to an area to discourage ants from crossing.
- Ants hate vinegar; so spray it around doorways and other areas they frequent to repel them.
These suggestions were sent to us and we haven’t tried them all. Let us know how they work for you - or – if you have any other suggestions, please post them below.
Life insurance protects your loved ones, auto insurance protects your car, health insurance protects your good health and homeowners insurance protects your possessions. As with any insurance purchase, it’s important to evaluate coverage and research your options to find the best coverage for your dollar.
Here are some tips that may help you save money on your homeowners insurance:
Prices vary so it pays to shop around. Ask friends, check the Yellow Pages, refer to consumer guides, insurance agents, the consumer phone line of the state’s insurance commissioner’s office and the companies for price information. Read the rest of this entry »
Electricity:
• Georgia Power 1.888.660.5890, Estimated Deposit: $150 – $200
• Marietta Power 770.794.5150, Estimated Deposit: $150
Gas:
• ACN Energy: 1.877.226.5389, Estimated Deposit: N/A Credit Check required*
• GasKey: 1.877.427.7539, Estimated deposit: $150
• Georgia Natural Gas Services: 1.888.878.3258, Estimated Deposit: $150
• Infinite Energy: 770.379.9963 or 1.877.342.5434, Estimated Deposit: $150
• SCANA Energy: 1.877.467.2262, Estimated Deposit: $150
• Austell Gas Company: 770.948.1841, Estimated Deposit: Minimum $65.00 or letter of good credit from another utility company stating 12 months of on-time payments
• GasSouth: 1.866.762.6427, Estimated Deposit: No deposit required
• Walton EMC Natural Gas: 770.267.2505, Estimated Deposit: Based on Credit Worthiness Read the rest of this entry »
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