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HomexpertPlumbing Problems in the Good Old Summertime

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Every season brings its own pressure to bear on the sys-tems that run your home.

While your attention on your plumbing may naturally be top-of-mind in winter, be aware that summer also has a way of creating pesky, messy problems. Fortunately, many of these can be avoided, and problems of any size have a solution.

So, what could your plumbing be facing as the weather warms?

Water usage – Water bills can go higher when more people are showering for the day, then re-show-ering after outdoor activities. Add in watering that comes with lawn care and gardening, and you can get a sense of the extra pressure from greater needs.

Adopting a few good habits can help. For example, make sure your sprinklers are watering the lawn, not the house or sidewalk. Run the washing machine and dishwasher only with full loads. And use a broom to clean walkways, not a gar-den hose.

Clogged toilets – This is a year-

round concern, but in summer,

if kids are spending more time at

home, they may be bringing in more

friends more often. The increased

activity alone will increase the po-

tential for a clogged toilet.

One helpful hint: place a small gar-

bage can next to your toilet. That

will help prevent the temptation to

throw miscellaneous things into the

toilet – saving it instead for its in-

tended use. If you do have a clog, a

plunger may solve your problem, but

if you’ve got a lodged foreign object

or a system backup, give us a call.

Leaks – Leaks are another year-

round concern – sometimes leading

to a big mess, most times leading to

a larger water bill. Give your plumb-

ing a regular inspection, checking

faucets, toilets, washing machine

hoses, icemaker lines, pipes and

other equipment for any signs of a

leak. Outdoors, don’t forget to check

sprinkler heads or pool equipment.

Hello Friends,

So nice to be back in touch and to have this opportunity to reconnect. Whether you’re vacationing or staying nearby, we hope you’re enjoying some summer fun.

With beach trips, lake breaks, pool time and more, a lot of summer fun seems to center around water, doesn’t it?

Have you ever thought about all of the ways water is a big part of our lives? Our bodies are made up of about 70 percent water, for example. For that matter, water covers about 70 to 75 percent of the earth itself.

Each day in the U.S., we use about 346,000 million gallons of fresh water. And the average person in this country uses any-where from 80 to 100 gallons of water daily. Flushing toilets ranks as the highest user.

So, there’s no question water is a big part of our lives. The natural connection here is that

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Inside This Issue:Aquatics – Exercises for Anyone Paint by NumbersLandscaping for the Allergy Prone

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Aquatics – Exercises for Anyone

Paint by Numbers

Water exercise, aka aquatics, is one of the best non-impact fitness activities you can

do. In fact, it’s good for almost everyone, including pregnant women, the elderly, people recovering from injury, as well as those who are overweight or suffering from arthritis.

According to the American Council on Exercise, water ex-ercise can encompass all of the components of fitness: cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance and flexibil-ity. And when done regularly, it can help reduce body fat.

The ACE points out that the buoyancy of water reduces the “weight” of a person by about 90%. There’s a corresponding effect – meaning, the stress on weight-bearing joints, bones and muscles is reduced in a similar fashion. And you aren’t as likely to experience injury or sore muscles after a workout.

Water creates resistance. It’s denser than air, and a workout can raise the heart rate and tone muscles at the same time. For example, as you try

to maintain your posture while currents push and pull against your body, you’re working core muscles of the abdomen and back, improving posture and reducing risk of back problems. Using hand-held

paddles, water chutes and other devices can increase resistance for a more intense workout.

This type of resistance also has safety components. When standing in water, you’re not likely to fall down or take a misstep. Also, with water exercise, you’re reducing stress on the joints and bones

of the lower body. And as the pressure of water stimulates blood circulation, that’s a good thing for people who have peripheral arterial disease or swelling in the legs.

You can find a water fitness class at many YMCAs, community centers and fitness clubs. Look for classes that include a warm-up, cardiovascular and muscle conditioning, stretches, balance exercises and a cool down.

HealtHWise

HomeFront

Painting your home is one of the easiest, most inexpensive

ways to spruce up the look while you boost the value. Plus, it’s a simple do-it-yourself project – any mistakes can easily be repainted. So if you’re looking to brighten up your home, here are a few tips:

A lower price isn’t always a bargain. Sure, you can spend $10 to $15 on a gallon of paint. But cheaper paints often require more coats and are less durable.

Investing in a higher quality paint ($31-$50 per gallon) means a little more upfront, but greater savings and value in the long run.

Think twice about trends. Yes, it’s easy to repaint – but you don’t want to look at your walls and say “What was I thinking?” One craze right now? Metallic paints. They’re great for making a statement with a bold look. But these paints often require several coats and can be very expensive.

Be sure it’s what you want before you make the leap.

Express yourself. Your home’s paint is a great way to express your family’s personality. Are you cozy and warm? Suave and sophisticated? Sleek and modern? Picking the right paint for your family, from color to finish, shows who you are – and makes your guest feel right at home with you.

Landscaping for the Allergy Prone

Allergy landscaping? Yes, it’s a real concept and an

appropriate one, given that the beauty and bounty of springtime are compounded for many by the distress of allergies produced by the lawn and garden.

So what’s right as a sight for sore eyes while not being too tough on the respiratory system?

Showoffs Preferred. Generally, non-showy is worse than showy. For better breathing, some of the better tree choices are apple, cherry, red maple, pine, spruce. But you’d want to avoid aspen, birch, elm, oak and pecan, among others. Despite its popularity, the olive tree is a particular culprit, thanks to its barbed pollen.

At the same time, flowers that aren’t showy tend to produce more pollen as well. They’re not favored by the bee pollinators, so they depend on the wind to carry their pollen away.

In contrast, colorful blooms attract butterflies and bees for pollination. Pollen tends to be deeply embedded in the flowers, but that’s a good thing. If pollen is at the surface instead, that allows for easy dispersal into the air. Check with a nursery to find out which plants aren’t high-pollen producers.

Sneezable Grass. Ornamental grasses are also pollen producers as they grow over large areas with flowers that bloom for a long period. Lawn grasses can also be rough on allergies, but frequent mowing can minimize flowering.

Besides making good choices with an eye to beauty and a nose to allergies, you can also develop good allergy-resistant habits. For example:

Pick the right time. If you garden later in the day, pollen counts tend to be lower, and the

wind is calmer. That means less exposure for you.

Choose adequate gardening apparel, including gloves, coveralls, long sleeves, sunglasses, hat and possibly a protective mask. Remove and wash your clothes after gardening.

Trim your hedges. If you keep them pruned back, you’ll help keep pollen at bay. The fewer the flowers, the less pollen that gets into the air.

Watch where you’re planting. If plants loaded with pollen are near doors and windows, the pollen can get on your clothes as you come in contact with them.

seasonal sHiFt

• Garter snakes, though reptiles, bear live young, just as mammals do.

• All continents, with the exception of Antarctica, are wider in the north than in the south.

• One-fourth of the 206 bones in the human body are located in the feet.

• More than 100 descendants of Johann Sebastian Bach have been cathedral organists.

• William Howard Taft is the only man ever to have been both chief justice and president of the United States.

Did You Know?

Homexpert

HomePoints

They’d tell you their concerns. Mostly about how they want to serve you well. They hate bursting and leaking. And they really don’t want to ruin your home’s walls,floors, or ceilings. Or unknowingly deliver contaminated water to you and your family.

They’d also tell you where they feel stresses and pressures building. But, we can do that too.

A simple plumbing check-up twice a year can help you eliminate

problems that are growing in your

pipes. Just call us to get started on

our Plumbing Maintenance Plan.

You’ll save time with prescheduled

checks and Priority Service. You’ll

save money with a parts discount.

And you’ll get a very important

conversation started with your

pipes.

<COMPANY> at <PHONE>©2012

If your pipes could talk...

Drain Surgery$25 Off

Got a slow drain? Giveus a call. We’ll get it fixed,

and you’ll get a $25 discount. Remember, pipes can burst if they aren’t maintained. Unclean pipes can contaminate water.Clogged pipes wear down your

faucets and appliances. But we can take care of it all.

Call <COMPANY> at <PHONE> to schedule an appointment.

This offer expires on <DATE>.©2012

What Does Your Laundry Have to Do With Your Plumbing? More than you may think, actually.

You see, burst hoses on washing machines are one of the most common causes of home flooding. The damage can go from the hundreds of dollars up into the thousands. Too bad since prevention costs only a fraction of that. When you get your plumbing system tuned up by <Company>, we don’t just check to see if you have problems. We’ll go ahead and replace your machine’s supply hose at no cost. You tend to the laundry, We’ll tend to the plumbing. Just call <phone>.

©2012

your plumbing is a big part of your life. Please be assured, we count it as a privilege to be your solution whenever any plumbing problems occur. We know that your plumbing is as integral to the opera-tion of your household as water is to the way we live our lives, and you can count on us when you need us.

So whether you’ve got a messy mishap, or are thinking ahead to home improvements, or simply want us to make sure everything is working as well as it should, just give us a call.

In the meantime, we wish you a warm and happy summer.

Sincerely,

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Inside This Issue:Aquatics – Exercises for Anyone Paint by NumbersLandscaping for the Allergy Prone

Running your clothes and dishwasher

only when they are full can save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month.

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