Home Improvement Scams On The Rise
According to Assistant NYS Attorney General, Carlos Rodriguez, Rochester NY ranks #1 on list of reported home improvement scams in upstate NY.
Your greatest investment is your home. Unfortunately when it comes to making a home improvement or repair, some people become victims of dishonest contractors who - among other things - demand advance payments for projects that are never performed, never completed or completed in a shoddy and unprofessional manner.
Now, through nyknowyourcontractor.com, the Office of the Attorney General provides New Yorkers the tools they need to make informed decisions when it comes to hiring a home improvement contractor. You can search to see which contractors have been subject to legal action, and which contractors have had substantiated consumer complaints filed against them.
If you are the victim of an unscrupulous contractor, The Attorney General encourages you to notify their office, just click on the “File a Complaint” link.
Tune into H&Y Radio with the Fixie Chick Saturday at 10:00am to hear our guest, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Rodriguez.
Your greatest investment is your home. Unfortunately when it comes to making a home improvement or repair, some people become victims of dishonest contractors who - among other things - demand advance payments for projects that are never performed, never completed or completed in a shoddy and unprofessional manner.
Now, through nyknowyourcontractor.com, the Office of the Attorney General provides New Yorkers the tools they need to make informed decisions when it comes to hiring a home improvement contractor. You can search to see which contractors have been subject to legal action, and which contractors have had substantiated consumer complaints filed against them.
If you are the victim of an unscrupulous contractor, The Attorney General encourages you to notify their office, just click on the “File a Complaint” link.
Tune into H&Y Radio with the Fixie Chick Saturday at 10:00am to hear our guest, Assistant Attorney General Carlos Rodriguez.
Gas:Today gas-burning hearth products are the most popular hearth category. Thanks to significant product innovations almost 70% of all hearth products now burn gas.
Easy, Safe and Efficient
Gas appliances have convenient optional features that allow you to have a beautiful fire at the touch of a switch, thermostat or even a remote control. All gas stoves, fireplaces, inserts and logs can burn either natural gas or propane (LP).
Wood:
When people think of a fire on the hearth, they think of burning wood, which is natural. Wood is the traditional fuel. It grows locally, is abundant in most areas and is one of our few renewable sources of energy. For many, nothing beats the warmth and beauty of a true wood fire.
Environmentally Sound
Burning wood also makes great sense from an environmental standpoint. As concern about global warming and greenhouse gases increases, so does the attraction of using renewable biomass for energy. Trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, replenishing the atmosphere. Most firewood comes from harvesting dead trees. Unlike fossil fuels, there is no net carbon contribution when burning wood, as those same gases are given off when the tree decomposes in nature.
Clean-burning, Efficient and Economical
Burning wood has become less polluting and more efficient over the past decade.
Wood Alternatives:Wood Wax Firelogs
Wood wax firelogs are made of recycled sawdust mixed with wax. These neatly wrapped logs are available many places including supermarkets and convenience stores. They ignite easily and quickly, burn cleanly, leave little ash and offer a longer more consistent burn than cordwood.
Wood Pellets
Pellets are a fuel option that answers the need for clean-burning, renewable energy. Pellets are made of compressed sawdust that might otherwise end up in landfills.
Corn:
Clean, dry shelled corn is a renewable fuel option that is burned in freestanding corn stoves or inserts or in some pellet/biomass stoves. The corn must be clean and dried and stored in an area free from rodents, birds, squirrels or other vermin. The corn is sold by feed and seed stores or directly from farmers.
Coal: Coal is clean burning, producing no visible smoke or creosote. Coal stoves can burn longer per fuel load than wood stoves and provides an even and controllable heat.
Oil:
Homeowners without natural gas have an economical, convenient reliable room heating option. An oil stove runs quietly unattended without electricity as long as there is fuel in the tank.
Electric:
An electric stove or fireplace is a simulated gentle wood fire, but without a chimney or venting system. Electric fireplaces and stoves have a built-in heater to provide the right amount of warmth controllable by the flick of a switch.
50 mile restriction on the transport of firewood
Higher heating costs mean more people are heating their homes with firewood, increasing the risk of spreading forest pests. These pests can kill thee trees in nearby forests and in your yard!
Because of deadly pest infestations across the northeast, The NYSDEC, Division of Lands & Forests has issued a 50 mile restriction on the transport of firewood. Additionally, the movement of firewood INTO New York State is prohibited, unless it is treated and labeled according to NYS guidelines.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU:
If you heat with firewood, you can expect pay higher prices as supplies decrease and demand increases.
Firewood TIPS
Got Firewood?
Increasing energy costs means an increase in demand for firewood as a renewable home heating fuel. Mac Stringer, a local firewood supplier, offers these tips for homeowners heating with firewood.
-Whatever wood species you use, it will burn more efficiently and be more convenient to use if it is properly seasoned.
-Firewood should be processed in early spring to be ready for burning that fall.
-Piece length should be at least 3" shorter than the firebox.
-Never leave firewood in a pile on the ground for more than a couple of days. Wet wood on the ground quickly attracts bugs and mold.
-Wood should be stacked in an open area exposed to sun and wind.
-Green wood will not season properly in a wood shed or in deep shade.
-Stack wood on rails to keep it off the ground.
-Cover just the tops of firewood stacks.
-The ideal storage is close to, but not inside, the house.
-Avoid storing large amounts of wood in the house because mold spores and moisture can affect indoor air quality.
-Bring in wood to warm up before burning.
-Clean your chimney once a week by adding 2 TBS of salt to a burning fire.
DID YOU KNOW?
The average American household consumes over 100,000 gallons of water and generates over 22 tons of carbon dioxide each year. AND The United States is responsible for 21% of carbon dioxide emissions, yet we have less than 5% of the world’s population.
Keep up with the latest Eco-friendly home tips. Tune into Home&Yard Radio, Saturdays at 9am, Sports Radio 950 ESPN.
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