Heider Construction, Inc.

 400 Woburn Street

PO Box 420

 Tewksbury, MA  01876

 (978) 851-2652

News and Seasonal Information

This is the page where we'll announce special news and provide seasonal information that you may need. 

Click here for a great calendar from HolidaySmart.com

Spring Has Finally Arrived!

Spring is here again and the snow season is almost over.  This year there was a lot of damage done by wind and water. 

We can help you clean up your property and repair the damage done last winter, and suggest ways to minimize its effect on your property next year.

And remember, if you have underground utilities that need work we can use our Directional Drilling equipment to drill underground to install or repair buried pipes without the big mess of traditional open trench excavation.

Be sure to check out our Home Safety tips below, and visit www.ready.gov for more preparedness information.

A Quick Guide To Better Fuel Economy 

If you want to travel further on each gasoline dollar follow these simple tips: 

Source: 2008 Fuel Economy Guide at www.fueleconomy.gov

Is Your Water Too Hot? 

It’s a risk seldom thought about, but by simply turning your water heater temperature down you may prevent a serious injury.  In fact, about 3800 injuries and 34 deaths occur in the home due to scalding from excessively hot tap water each year.*  The Home Safety Council recommends that you:

For more information, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.

*U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

General Home Safety Tips

Every home should have a year-round home disaster supplies kit: a battery-operated radio, flashlight, matches, extra batteries and an extra set of house and car keys. Have an ample supply of wood for the fireplace and plenty of nonperishable foods that can be eaten without heating. Keep bottled water and juices on hand in case your power and water supplies are interrupted.

Other items to consider including in the kit are extra prescription medication and items for babies or family members with special needs. Consider storing an ample supply of necessary items to sustain every member in the home for at least three days, in case you’re snowed in or iced in and cannot leave the house.

In preparing your property for winter you should remove any dead tree branches close to your house and utility lines. Ice and snow, combined with winter winds, can cause limbs to snap and break and could do damage to your home and utility lines.

Clean your gutters before the really cold weather comes. Snow and ice can build up quickly, especially if your gutters are clogged with debris. When thawing begins, water from melting ice has nowhere to drain and can back up under your roof shingles and get inside your home, causing water damage to walls and ceilings.  The trapped ice, snow and water can even weigh the gutters down enough to cause them to fall off the house. Consider buying screens to help keep your gutters debris free.

Check your homeowner’s insurance policy to make sure coverage is adequate for the type of winter weather in your area. Learn what is excluded from the policy.

Make sure your furnace, auxiliary heaters and fireplaces are adequately maintained and serviced. Many fires related to auxiliary heating sources are preventable through simple annual maintenance. Before installing a wood-burning stove, check with local fire officials as to codes and proper installation techniques. Do not store kerosene in a non-approved container or in your home and be sure to keep alternative heat sources from flammable materials (walls, furniture, curtains, etc.).

During the winter, drain water pipes if your power goes off and is expected to be off for a long time, or if you plan an extended stay away from home. To drain, turn off the water heater and main water supply, open all faucets in the house and drain the system by keeping the valves open. Drain all toilets by holding the lever down until the tank empties.  To keep drain traps from freezing you can add a 50/50 mixture of environmentally friendly automotive anti-freeze until they are full.

If well water is used, the pump’s electric switch should be shut off and the pressure tank and system should be drained. 

Snow Loads

Last winters' snow storms have reminded us that we need to pay some special attention to the snow building up on our roofs.  That huge amount of ice that builds up on the edge of your roof may cause water to back up under your shingles and leak into your home.  The damage this water causes can run into the thousands of dollars in ceiling and wall repairs.  The extra heavy ice and snow load on the roofs of even properly built structures can cause them to collapse.

If you think you had an unusually large amount of ice and snow on your roof last winter, or are experiencing a water leak of any kind call us out to look at your situation and get our experienced recommendation.  It's true that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", but only if the ounce is applied before the damage happens. 

And don't forget the links we have provided for our friends who are always there to help repair, weatherproof and spruce up the inside as well as the outside of your home too!  We also do insurance repairs and make sure your home is fixed properly.

                                  This is a great idea!

You probably already have a personal security alarm system that is portable and requires no installation.  

Start keeping your car keys next to your bed on the night stand. If you think someone is trying to get into your home, or if you hear a noise outside your house, press the panic alarm on your car key chain.  

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar, or rapist, won't stick around.  After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their window to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. 

Test it! It will go off from almost everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob.  

It works if you park in your driveway or garage!

Try yours to make sure it works before you rely on it. Just know that you must press the alarm button again to turn it off.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot.  The alarm can work for you the same way there.

This is an important idea that should really be shared with everyone, man and woman alike. It could save you from being robbed or assaulted.

Send mail to webmaster@heiderconstruction.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2008 Heider Construction, Inc.
Last modified: 03/11/09