Otto's Outdoors & Recreation

San Antonio Remodeling Contractor Does GreenSan Antonio Remodeling Contractor, Dunn-Wright Remodeling, participates in Live Green FestSan Antonio, TX October 2010. Dunn-Wright Remodeling President Jeff Stief recently attended the San Antonio “Live Green” Festival sponsored by the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department and CPS at Olmos Park Basin, both as an attendee at the Dunn-Wright  Remodeling display booth, http://www.dunn-wright.net, and as an observer of the recently renovated park and the features of other companies and their products.“I was really impressed with the improvements to the park” Stief said. “I used to live about five houses up the road from the baseball parks. That was almost 15 years ago. I would take Rio, my Golden retriever, for walks down in the trails and swimming in the creek back when the only way across that creek was a big pipe that crossed the creek and you had to walk and balance it Tom Sawyer style. Now they have a really nice bridge and paved walking trails. Even the old dusty overflow parking lot at the 281 bridge on Dick Fredrick Road (where the vendor parking is) is paved and striped” Stief said and chuckled “aren’t those “green” trails supposed to be base or recycled granite! Not asphalt!” Our specialty is San Antonio Remodeling Contractor.Stief said the festival was a wonderful setting for the event, the first one his company participated in from the park services, now in their seventh year. “I had to come to this one. Many our customers’ are from the area, Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, they should all be here and I’ve seen a few of them today. And of course I hope we’ve made some new customers’ from the turn out today. It just turned out to be a perfect day,” Stief said.“While I was here, my wife Sandra stopped by for a while to man the booth and I was able to go look at some of the other displays and there are some really good ideas about living green and helping to protect the planet, recycle reusable items which my family and I do as much as possible at home,” Stief said. “Unfortunately, a lot of the systems are also still very expensive, like solar panels, which would take decades to recover initial cost, plus any upgrades, maintenance, etc.” Stief said. “I hope in time, with technology and demand, some of the cost will come down in the future and make it more affordable with a system that will work with our utility company. I have a friend in the mountains near Ojai, California that bought an old apple orchid surrounded by a national park. There is no electricity. Her and her husband have solar panels that produce electricity for the home and stores the surplus in battery cells with backup diesel generators for white outs (snow days), but during those months there are still times when someone has to drive 30 miles down the mountain, in the snow possibly, to buy more diesel. I think in time it will get a whole lot better” Stief said.“A festival like this really makes you think about the way you live and makes you look around at how feasible some of these applications can work with you and your lifestyle,” Stief said. “I once read an article about green living choices and an architect, I can’t remember his name, said ‘the most green thing you can do to a house is not tear it down’.I couldn’t agree more” Stief said.“For years you see homes, especially in Terrell Hills and around here, where one day the home is gone and the land is being scraped for a new one. Me, I never met a house I couldn’t remodel” Stief said. “And when you look at the charm of the cottage district in Alamo Heights and some of the grand old homes being razed, it couldn’t be further away from being green. I had an old home in the cottage district built in 1945. I met the man next door whose brother and he built both his home and mine. When he explained to me that the windows in my living room were all different sizes because they built wood windows according to the size of glass available, my eyes were open! He said” Jeff, if you could find a 30” piece of glass, you built a 30” window. And if the next piece was 33”, you built a 33” window and stuck the big one in the front wall and the little ones in the back” Stief chuckled. “That’s green”“Being green isn’t tearing out the 1945 cabinet to install a throw-away cabinet from a big box store. If your existing cabinet isn’t repairable, custom build a new cabinet. The last one lasted 65 years and a good cabinet probably will too. If you’re concerned about killing a tree and your cabinet is paint grade, consider an alternate paint grade material.” Stief said. “If you’re happy with the cabinets but they look bad, consider refacing them” he said. “And now a day, if you don’t like the color of your tub and tile, there’s someone who can change that too, without dumping all that old stuff in a landfill no where near your home, just in your world”. Visit San Antonio Remodeling Contractor.Jeff StiefDunn-Wright Remodeling, Inc.1315 Basse Rd, San Antonio TX 78212210-821-6000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 210-821-6000 end_of_the_skype_highlightingWebsite: http://dunn-wright.netEmail: dwr@dunn-wright.net

New Homes Builder Houston Area Offers Woodhead HomeNew Homes Builder Houston based Whitestone Builders constructs a Woodhead home, now on the market.Houston, TX, October, 2010:  Renowned new Homes Builder Houston Whitestone Builders has a new listing of a beautiful new house being built at 3702 Woodhead.  It is described by David Gordon, one of the principals, as a “traditional brick home with meticulously laid hardwood floors and beautifully detailed trim reflective of classic periodical styles.”The main features of the home include an elegant staircase, detailed custom hand-crafted cabinetry and alley accessible garages for privacy and security that won’t detract from the classic architectural style.Whitestone Builders specializes in modern, newly constructed homes that are renditions of  the archetypal styles of Southern, European, and Craftsman homes of yesteryear. However, their website stresses that each custom built home features large modern rooms and amenities.Graham Gamble, the other principal at Whitestone Builders, points out, “Old-fashioned principles like hard work and integrity never go out of style. Whitestone Builders begins your home on a foundation of quality and builds to exceed all expectations. And to master true quality, we blend sophisticated luxury with structural integrity, master craftsmanship, and classic architecture.”They have received awards for being the best new Homes Builder Houston has to offer in many categories, including best interior design, best kitchen design and master suite design.For a full listing of their new custom-built homes now currently under construction, or examples of the award winning designs new homes builder Houston Whitestone Builders has built their reputation upon, visit their website at http://www.whitestonebuilders.com .Author: Julie B. Cosgrove, freelance writer for Examiner.comWhitestone BuildersDavid Gordon, Graham Gamble5818 Dove Ridge, #200, Houston TX 77041Phone Number: (832) 274-3848 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (832) 274-3848 end_of_the_skype_highlightingWebsite: http://www.whitestonebuilders.comCompany email: dgordon@whitestonebuilders.com  or  ggamble@whitestonebuilders.com

Houston Custom Home Builder Give Good Maintenance Tips for New Home BuyersGraham Gamble,  one of the principals at Whitestone Builders, a Houston Custom Home Builder, shares some easy maintenance tips every new home owner should know.October, 2010 Houston, TX:  When a homeowner moves into a new home, everything should be fresh out of the box. All systems should be in good working order and under warranty. However, as Graham Gamble of Houston custom home builder Whitestone Builders, points out, that doesn’t mean they should be ignored.Just because you drive a new car off the lot, doesn’t mean you never bring it back for maintenance such as oil and filter changes or routine checks. The systems in a new home should demand the same attention. Here are some tips every Houston homeowner should know:1. YOUR AC/HAVC -  Late summer and early fall are excellent times to check  the AC/HAVC system. When you check your smoke detectors, clean the your home’s air system by removing dust from intake vents and coils.  Change air filters frequently, at least every three months. Never extinguish your gas pilot furnace flame, even in the summer. That will keep it and the air ducts dry and prevent any moisture build-up or corrosion.2. PLUMBING – Make sure every member of the household knows where the intake valves are and how to turn them off under sinks, around toilets, and near the appliances. Know where the shut-off valve is outside and how to access it.  Determine if your faucets are washer-less or not. Clogs can occur quickly. Try to use a plunger or plumbers snake and boiling hot water. If that doesn’t work, call your builder and have them refer you to a quality plumber.3.  GUTTERS and ROOF – Every spring and fall, inspect the gutters and flush them of debris, twigs and leaves. Check the soffits to make sure they are not clogged. These help your attic breathe by regulating airflow and moisture.Houston custom home builders like Whitestone Builders use quality systems, products and equipment. However, nothing is ever maintenance free. For more information about custom homes in Houston, contact Whitestone Builders at custom homes in Houston, Whitestone Builders or call (832) 274-3848 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (832) 274-3848 end_of_the_skype_highlighting.Author: Julie B. Cosgrove, freelance writer for Examiner.comWhitestone BuildersDavid Gordon, Graham Gamble5818 Dove Ridge, #200, Houston TX 77041Phone Number: (832) 274-3848 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (832) 274-3848 end_of_the_skype_highlightingWebsite: http://www.whitestonebuilders.comCompany email: dgordon@whitestonebuilders.com  or  ggamble@whitestonebuilders.com