Welcome back to the Hometime Circuit Breaker!

BEHIND-THE-SCENES

In the past we've given you advice about how to get along with your contractor and about how to make the remodeling process easier on your family. But let's face it, even if you do fight with your contractor, the job will eventually be done and you'll never have to see each other again. And strange as it may seem, after living in the new space for a year, your family will have forgotten all about the hassles of living through the remodel. This month we want to focus on another very important relationship you need to nurture during a remodel—the one with your neighbors. Screw this one up and you could make your life miserable for years to come.

When Hometime shows up to work in a neighborhood, the impact can be huge. The combination of television and construction can mean double the trucks, double the people, and double the noise of a typical remodel. That's why we've developed a program for keeping neighbors happy while we're around.

The first thing we do when we've decided on a new location is write a letter and distribute it to all the neighbors. In it we tell them what we'll be doing, how long we expect it to take, and, most important, who they can contact if they have any problems or concerns. We knock on doors as we distribute the letter and try to talk to as many people as possible; it's a lot friendlier and people seem to appreciate it.

Invite your neighbors to stop by and check on the progress. Houses in any given neighborhood have similarities. Your neighbors' houses may have the same space and layout problems as yours, and they're going to be curious about how you're fixing these problems. An added bonus? They may take pity on you when they see what you're living through and invite you over for a hot dinner or to use the shower.

As the project progresses, there are several things you can do that will lessen its impact on the neighbors.

• Ask subs to park on one side of the street only and to disperse their cars and trucks.
• Limit the noise of power tools to standard business hours. If you must work nights and weekends, be considerate: be quiet in the early morning and late evening.
• Make sure the radio—whether yours or the subs'—can't ever be heard beyond the property line. Same thing goes for rowdy conversations.
• Have materials dropped in the driveway or yard, not the street. This is particularly important for dirt, gravel, and the like that can get washed into the street during a hard rain or tossed around by kids playing in the pile.
• Playing off that last point, avoid creating attractive nuisances. Keep an eye out for kids and firmly discourage them from playing in your work site.
• Dumpsters are an eyesore. Have dumpsters removed as soon as they are full and only keep them around when they are truly needed. To earn good neighbor points, if there's any room left in your last dumpster, invite the neighbors to dump any scrap construction materials that have accumulated in their garages before you have the dumpster removed.
• Keep the yard cleaned up and as normal looking as possible. Keep an eye out for any trash that may have blown into neighbors' yards. Roofing materials are notorious for ending up in the neighbor's shrubs.
• Call the local one-call service to locate underground utilities before you dig. Besides the obvious fact that this could save your life, it'll keep you from severing your neighbor's power or cable lines.

Finally, although we don't get to so this as often as we'd like, when the project is done it's fun to throw a party for the neighbors to thank them for their patience and understanding!

This Month's CIRCUIT BREAKER Specials

Be the first on your block with a new Hometime short-sleeve polo shirt. These 100 percent cotton shirts are steel blue with the Hometime logo embroidered in dark blue. At the special Circuit Breaker price of $15.95 (regularly $17.95), they make nice gifts too!

Need help planning and doing your big remodel? Check out our special book–video combo. You get both the Hometime “Addition” video and the Taunton Press book Renovating Old Houses for just $18.95 (regularly $22.30).

 

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We thank the following companies for their support of Hometime:

                

    

Chevy Trucks is the original Hometime underwriter. We are pleased to have them with us again in our 16th year on public television. Chevy Trucks also supports syndicated broadcasts of Hometime.

Stanley, a longtime Hometime supporter, has returned as an underwriter for the 2002 season. For information about the complete line of Stanley products-from hand tools to hardware to fastening systems to doors-please visit them online at www.stanleyworks.com.

We are grateful for the support of Delta Faucet, now in its fifth year of underwriting. From innovative faucet designs to cutting-edge safety features, Delta continues to lead the way in the faucet industry. Delta Faucet also supports syndicated broadcasts of Hometime.

We are pleased to welcome Heil heating and cooling products as a Hometime underwriter. Heil energy-saving furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps help keep your home comfortable all year long. For more information about Heil heating and cooling products, visit www.heil-hvac.com.

We're proud to welcome Johns Manville as a new underwriter. Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products. Johns Manville has revolutionized the building industry by introducing formaldehyde-free insulation products. For more information about JM, visit www.jm.com.

We are pleased to announce the support of The Home Depot and Andersen Windows as sponsors of syndicated broadcasts of Hometime.

 

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