Shirey Handyman Sponsors Cutting-edge Zero Energy Project

Shirey Handyman is proudly announcing our sponsorship of the Zero Energy Idea House, an innovative green building project being led by our sister company, Shirey Contracting. Located in Bellevue on W. Lake Sammamish Parkway, the Zero Energy Idea House will be a demonstration home, showing the public how to utilize various green building technologies and how they can minimize energy use.

Between the home's own energy generation and conservation techniques, energy bills for the 1,700 square foot home are predicted to be less than $40/month! The project, which just broke ground in July, will be an inspiration to environmentally conscious homeowners across Puget Sound and we couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of it!

Rampathon

Shirey Handyman recently participated in the Master Builder's Association Care Foundation's Rampathon, a program that builds free wheelchair ramps for disabled low-income homeowners in King and Snohomish counties. Eleven Shirey Handyman staff members volunteered their time to construct a ramp for one deserving King County resident.

Barney Savea, who lives with his brother in Sea-Tac, was the recipient of the Shirey Handyman wheelchair ramp. Barney was injured while working as a landscaper in California, when he fell while trimming a palm tree and suffered brain damage as a result. Following the Rampathon event, Barney was quoted in the Seattle Times saying the ramp, which has given him the freedom to access his home without assistance, is a blessing.

The 2008 Rampathon was Shirey Handyman's 5th year participating. Nearly 500 individuals volunteered, building a total of 30 wheelchair ramps for Puget Sound area disabled. Shirey Handyman's partner company, Shirey Contracting - who has been involved in Rampathon since its inception - constructed two ramps at this year's event. Shirey Handyman would like to thank Dunn Lumber for donating all materials for the ramp, Urban Landscaping for donating a day of landscaping to the Saveas, and Sutter Paving of Issaquah, who has pledged to provide a paved driveway for the family.

We are very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a worthy cause and are proud to have helped improve the quality of life for local community members in need.

Energy Efficiency Tips:

• Replace the light bulbs in your home and/or office with compact fluorescent bulbs – they last 10 times longer and save up to $30 a year in electricity.
   
• Unplug appliances like phone chargers when not in use. To learn more about the "phantom charges" these appliances draw, visit awesome.goodmagazine.com.
   
• Turn down the thermostat when you're not home - For every degree you lower the heat, you can save 3% in energy costs.
   
• Use your dishwasher's energy-saving setting and let dishes air dry instead of drying with heat.
   
• Use the energy-saving setting on your home computer - Desktop computers create 1,500 pounds of CO2 per year; using sleep mode can reduce the amount of energy used by up to 70%.
   
• Use cold water in the washing machine - 80%-90% of the energy used to do laundry goes to heating the water.
   
• The average American household spends up to $135/year in energy costs drying clothes - So hang-dry whenever possible, and always remember to clean out the dryer's lint filter, which makes it run more efficiently.
   
• For an easy way to measure your energy usage in real-time, check out The Energy Detective tool. This tool presents the information in an easy-to-understand format and helps homeowners manage their electricity usage more effectively.