Winterizing Tips for Your Home to Begin NOW

Help S&W Stop the Sinister Mr. Drop!

Get your waterproofing questions answered at www.swwaterproofing.com/forum

Hi everyone, welcome to our second newsletter! We hope these newsletters – and especially our “Special Project Highlight” section – remind you that we’re more than just a commercial waterproofing company. I can’t tell you how many of you told us, “I didn’t know you did THAT?” after our inaugural newsletter came out in July. Check out our web site (www.swwaterproofing.com) to see everything we can do for you.

Right now, we’re putting our money where our mouths are. For years, we’ve been telling customers about the economic benefits of what we do – just ask us about the green roofs we’ve installed – and now we are installing solar panels here at our office! By the end of the year, we’ll dramatically slash our energy consumption (and the bills that accompany it!) and reduce our carbon footprint in the area. We’re thrilled about it and we’ll let you know more about the project in our Winter 2014 newsletter! But for now, let’s “kick-off” our Fall 2013 with some fun!

A Message from our President/Owner, Bob Svoboda:

If you shudder at the thought of shivering through another frigid winter, building industry experts say now is the time to consider winterizing your home. Several simple and cost-effective measures can yield both immediate and long-term benefits.While instinct may prod you to increase

the heat during winter and keep your home toasty all day long, that’s not always cost-effective. Investing in a programmable thermostat allows you to adjust the temperature remotely, lowering the setting when the house is empty, and save money in the process. Modern thermostats let you monitor the indoor temperature of your home remotely via your smartphone or online. By keeping the temperature low when no one is home and programming the thermostat to increase the temperature when everyone arrives home, you could notice a 10 percent drop in your heating costs.Fall is also an ideal time

to ensure your furnace is functioning optimally. Schedule an appointment for a professional to inspect and clean your furnace once a year. By doing so, you’ll help your furnace

function more effectively and last longer.If ice damming on the roof is an annual

problem, consider taking measures to completely stop dams from forming. Major damage can result from ice damming, so it’s never too early to start thinking about a long-term solution. Ice damming occurs when warm, indoor air escaping through the roof melts snow on the shingles. The water then refreezes as it runs off the roof, creating a barrier of ice at the edge. Shovelling snow or chipping ice away can threaten life, limb and roof, so it’s best to consider more permanent solutions.While caulking or weather-stripping

can help address the gaps allowing the

Office: 816.931.5311 www.swwaterproofing.com Fax: 816.931.8187

S&W WATERPROOFING FALL 2013 NEWSLETTER

continued on page 3

The Environmental Protection Agency has named indoor air quality as one of the top five environmental risks to public health citing research that indoor air may be up to 100 times more polluted than the air outside. With Americans spending 90 percent of their time indoors, purifying indoor air is paramount to keeping families healthy - especially those with family members suffering from asthma and allergies.“Poor indoor air quality has been

linked to a host of health issues such as headaches, dry eyes, nasal congestion, nausea, fatigue, heart disease and chronic respiratory disease,” says Chris Chase, product marketing manager at Aprilaire. “For individuals that suffer from asthma or allergies, air particles such as pollen, dust and dust mites are known triggers for asthma attacks and allergic reactions.”More than 25 million Americans have

been diagnosed with asthma and 50 million suffer from allergies. Dust alone is comprised of dead insects, dust mites, mold spores, pollen, dander, skin flakes and other particulates that can be harmful to health. Controlling indoor air quality can provide relief for asthma and allergy

30 YEARS

IN BUSINESS!

Indoor Air Quality: What You Can’t See CAN Hurt You

continued on page 3

2 www.swwaterproofing.com

Halloween Fun Facts:

Thanksgiving Fun Facts:

In the last few years, Halloween has become almost as popular with adults as it has been with children and in America especially, it is big, big, BIG business! Show off around the office by parceling out this Halloween trivia like miniature candy bars!!• Jack O’ Lanterns originated in Ireland

where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep spirits and ghosts away on the Samhain holiday.

• According to an old European tradition that dates back to the 1700’s, if you want to see a witch on Halloween, put your clothes on inside-out and then walk around backwards. Do the same thing in 2013 and you’ll probably see a cop!

Just about the time your sugar rush from Halloween starts to subside, Thanksgiving rolls around to officially kick off the “holiday season”. Here’s some Thanksgiving trivia you can share around the Thanksgiving dinner table that might even get your goofy Uncle Jerry to shut up for a few minutes!• Fifty percent of

Americans put the stuffing INSIDE the turkey. And just about 98 percent of those

• Two years ago, more than 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were grown in pumpkin producing states. Illinois led the way with approximately 427 million pounds of jack o’lanterns produced.

• Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

• The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

• Halloween candy sales average about $2 billion annually in the United States.

people eventually put the stuffing inside themselves at some point during dinner.

• 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

• Turkeys have heart attacks!! When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.

• The earliest record of a Thanksgiving feast in America happened in 1607, and it has been observed in some form or another since then. However, it didn’t become an annual tradition until 1863 when President Lincoln proclaimed a “national day of Thanksgiving and Praise”.

• And even then, Thanksgiving wasn’t declared a national holiday until Congress did it in 1941.

displaying the attractive terraced green roof with ramps and pathways snaking through.When installation began on the serpentine

precast panels, each measured 18” tall, 8” wide, and 3’ long weighing approximately 300 pounds each! With the use of the construction drawings, manufacturer’s shop drawings, and layout by S&W, the challenge was met by piecing together the serpentine pattern for the planters. Once completed, S&W figured the layout for the pedestal paver system which covered the field for the two plaza decks. Many pavers were hand cut to create a custom match against the planter walls. S&W’s craftsmen made it look easy, but it took a lot of measuring and ingenuity to bring it all together.

• Chocolate candy bars top the list as the most popular candy for trick-or-treaters with Snickers #1.

• Halloween is the 2nd-most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first.

• According to the National Retail Federation, the average American will shell out $72.31 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $66.28 last year.

• Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey.

• Thomas Jefferson thought the concept of Thanksgiving was “the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.”

• The Guinness Book of Records states that the greatest dressed weight recorded for a turkey was 86 lbs at the annual “Heaviest Turkey” competition held in London, England on December 12, 1989.

• In the U.S. alone, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations. There is no official reason or declaration for the use of turkey. They just happened to be the most plentiful meat available at the time of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, starting the tradition.

Finally, when the paver system was complete the delivery of 300 cubic yards of engineered soil needed to be placed into the precast planter boxes on the plaza decks. A 150-ton crane began hoisting 2000 lb bags of soil over the roof of the building and into place. All work on the plaza decks was completed in December 2011 and consisted of 16,000 lbs of waterproofing, 1,500 sheets of 60 psi insulation, 1,800 pedestals for the paver system, 1,300 precast concrete pavers, 120 serpentine precast planter pieces and 300 cy of engineered soil and 2,300 man hours. We’re proud of our finished product and if you’re in the Manhattan, KS area, come and experience what native Kansas prairie landscaping is capable of doing.

Special Project Highlightthe work area and got the job done.S&W’s final phase of construction

consisted of installing a green roof system using a hot applied rubberized asphalt waterproofing, followed by installation of pedestal pavers, precast planter walls and engineered soil in planter boxes located on two separate plaza decks. We positioned the green roof terrace beneath the first and second floor exhibition areas and designed it with free form limestone retaining walls and elaborate native plantings. The third floor office section provides a backdrop for the south and west sides to create a terrace for beauty and recreation. Upon entering Manhattan over the Kansas River Bridge, travelers can get an eye-opening view

continued from page 4

S&W WATERPROOFING FALL 2013 NEWSLETTER

3www.swwaterproofing.com

Winterizing Tips for Your Home to Begin NOW

Jamie’s Just Right Cheesy Dip

sufferers and protect your family from getting sick. You can improve indoor air quality with two simple steps:1. Prevent irritants from entering the

house. Take measures to make sure dust, dirt and other pollutants are prevented from entering the house. Simple activities like removing shoes before entering the household, closing windows during high pollen days and not allowing smoking indoors help keep dirt and other irritants from entering the household.2. Install a whole-home air purification

system. A whole-home air purification system is installed as part of the central

air to escape, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Energy Saver website says that proper air sealing, insulation and attic venting are the best methods to stop ice damming from occurring. Spray foam insulation is one modern material that both insulates and seals to stop ice damming. Installed by professionals, spray foam insulation, like that available from Icynene, works well in all climates to completely seal the building, filling every gap to stop air leakage and stop ice dams from forming.As a long-term solution, spray foam

insulation helps maintain a comfortable temperature year round while helping to control monthly heating and cooling

heating and cooling system to capture and eliminate airborne contaminants. Whole-home air purification systems remove up to 98 percent of airborne contaminants down to one micron in size and are 40 times more efficient than a standard furnace filter. Each time the air system runs, the whole-home air purification system removes dust, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, pollen, viruses, fungi, mold and other dangerous substances from the air throughout the entire home,

rather than just the air in the immediate vicinity like a portable air cleaner.Other important considerations include

maintaining humidity levels as well as proper ventilation; especially if your home is newer or has been recently updated with tighter materials for more energy efficiency.

expenses. Thanks to spray foam insulation’s air-sealing qualities, homeowners can reduce the size of their heating and cooling equipment since less effort is required to heat or cool the home, according to InsulationSmart.com.While air leakage can

cause energy bills to skyrocket and ice damming to occur, a well-insulated home and economical winterizing can help you get through the cold winter months.

Indoor Air Quality: What You Can’t See CAN Hurt You

continued from page 1

Ingredients: (serves 5-6)

• 1 pound ground hot pork sausage

• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• Corn chips

Directions: 1. Cook sausage in a large skillet,

stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well.

2. Drain diced tomato and green chiles, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.

3. Stir together sausage, diced tomato and green chiles, reserved liquid, and cream cheese. Spoon into a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with corn chips.

This cheesy sausage dip is the perfect party dip recipe. Terrific for tailgating on cool, crisp autumn mornings if you have an insulated travel baking dish. Best made with hot sausage, but if your family prefers a less spicy dish, use milder sausage. Serve with a substantial corn chip to ensure perfect scoops every time.

Hint: The words go in a straight line – in any direction!

C H N T S O H G W Y G T K Z S N R O C A E H A R V E S T H P R E V I V R V R A R G O P L O E M E N M Q E A K F A R M E R B U M D G B D W E A I F P B C O T B I N E E W O L L A H E R T S E A U T U M N L O B B W F C O R N U C O P I A F A V B E O C H E S T N U T S J Y H O A D R U O G K W O R C E R A C S W N I K P M U P I L G R I M T

ACORN AUTUMN CHESTNUT COBWEB CORN CORNUCOPIA COSTUME CRANBERRY

S&W WATERPROOFING WORD FIND!

How many of these words can you find? CROPS FALL FARMER FEAST FOLIAGE FROST GHOST GOURD

HALLOWEEN HARVEST INDIAN LEAVES MAYFLOWER NOVEMBER NUTS OCTOBER

PILGRIM PUMPKIN RAKE SCARECROW

continued from page 1

S&W WATERPROOFING FALL 2013 NEWSLETTER

Special Project Highlight

Construction news to be enjoyed over coffee.

Register for Our Newsletter and Enter for a Chance to WIN 2 FREE AMC Movie Tickets!www.swwaterproofing.com/amc

6601 Universal AvenueKansas City, MO 64120

Location: Manhattan, KS, Contractor: McCown GordonDescription: A 35,000 sq ft science center exploring the geology, biology, and cultural history of the Flint Hills.S&W Waterproofing was brought into the

project to work on foundation waterproofing, crystalline waterproofing, building air barriers, exterior and interior building caulking, and green roof/plaza deck waterproofing with engineered soil and a pedestal paver system.Some of the first challenges we faced

dealt with the waterproofing material for the foundation, an asphalt-based dampproofing. When the application was to begin, the material couldn’t be applied in colder

temperatures, so S&W worked with the McCown Gordon and Verner Johnson, Inc. Architects to provide a solution. We selected a two-component, synthetic rubberized, cold vulcanized, fluid applied membrane which gave the owner a single source warranty between the waterproofing and air barrier and allowed the owner to have a seamless waterproofing system for the exterior building envelope. With their equipment, S&W was able to apply material in colder weather to keep the schedule moving. The foundation consisted of a series of concrete cells that were 20 feet deep in some locations – not easy! We climbed from cell to cell with ladders and hauling spray hoses in and out of

continued on page 2

IN THIS ISSUEPAGE 1• Indoor Air Quality: What

You Can’t See CAN Hurt You• Winterizing Tips for Your

Home to Begin NOWPAGE 2• Halloween Fun Facts• Thanksgiving Fun Facts

PAGE 3• Seasonal Recipe Bliss

PAGE 4• Special Project Highlight

S&W WATERPROOFING FALL 2013 NEWSLETTER

30 YEARS

IN BUSINESS!

The Flint Hills Discovery Center Project

Drawing held: 11/30/13