| Â | Michael F. Simon Builders September 2010 Newsletter As summer's wrapping up, and fall officially starting in 3 weeks, it's not too late to finish that summer to-do list. If you're looking for a hand, give us a call. We've done everything from replacing windows and doors, replacing hardware, remodeling, additions, to new construction. No job is too small for us!
Thank you for taking time to read our newsletter and for thinking of the Michael F. Simon Builders Team in your future building or remodeling plans. Best regards,
Wauktoberfest Fall is coming fast, and so are the fall holidays and celebrations. A fast growing fall tradition here in Waunakee is "Wauktoberfest". Admission to the grounds is FREE! Wauktoberfest definitely puts the FUN in fundraiser for local charities. This is the sixth annual Wauktoberfest at the Endres Manufacturing (802 S. Century Avenue, Waunakee, WI 53597) grounds in Waunakee. Some of the things you will be able to do are as follows: Enjoy the dachshund dash, beer keg race, frau carry, limburger cheese eating contest, and more fun events on Saturday afternoon. There's also a Beer Taste from 1-5 p.m. on Saturday featuring 25+ craft brewers from Wisconsin and beyond. Also, storytelling and free movies for the kids on Saturday and fun races on Sunday, including cup stacking. We have a German Travel Fair on Sunday afternoon and a bike & run biathlon for kids in grades 3-6. There's a big screen televisions for weekend football games, polka bands and German choirs with dancing under the big tent all day, both days. For the kids, we have inflatable's, movies, a ventriloquist, and pumpkin decorating both days. PLUS, lots of good food both days! For more information, visit wauktoberfest.com. Michael F. Simon Builders is involved in and promoting this community activity because the Waunakee Community Foundation has again been chosen to be one of the benefactors of the event. As you may recall a few years ago, a little boy here in town was suffering with a rare and fatal skin disease. His family's only bathtub was on the second floor of his home. We were asked if we could add a bedroom and bathroom for Andy, so his last months could be spent in less pain, eliminating the trips of being carried up the stairs daily for bathing and soaking. The Waunakee building community stepped up big time and presented Andy and his family with a fantastic Christmas present with the addition. Andy was able to enjoy the room for about a half year before he passed on. Shortly after this, several of us who were involved in this heartwarming project decided we needed to form a foundation, so we can provide a tax deductible vehicle to contribute to other worthy projects here in Waunakee. Thus the Waunakee Community Foundation was born. Well, Wauktoberfest is a great time with plenty of activities for the kids and adults alike. You will need to eat that weekend anyway, so come out and spend some time (and money) at a great event for a very worthwhile cause. For more information on the foundation, visit their website, http://www.waunakeefoundation.com.
Current New Home Project: Master Bathroom Overhaul Right now, one of our remodels in progress is a small yet luxurious master bathroom remodel. The owners have lived in the home for years and although there was nothing wrong with the design of their master bathroom, they wanted a facelift. (Before picture below)  First to go was the carpet, being replaced by a beautiful tile flooring. Next, the rarely used soaking tub, which was the center piece of the room, was removed. The small existing shower was moved over to take over as the centerpiece where the tub was. Soon we'll be installing the custom glass shower doors which will let the beauty of this bathroom shine through after it's finished. Make sure to check back next month for the before and after pictures!
Sealing Air Leaks Sure adding insulation is a great investment, but only after you've sealed your home. This is because insulation doesn't stop air from moving through it. Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out of your home during the winter can waste a lot of your energy dollars. One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal, and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. You can save on your heating and cooling bill by reducing the air leaks in your home. The following diagram shows where to concentrate your efforts. 
How Does the Air Escape?
Air infiltrates into and out of your home through every hole and crack. About one-third of this air infiltrates through openings in your ceilings, walls, and floors. - First, test your home for air tightness. We recommend getting a Home Performance Test, which will give you an easy to read ‘plan' to follow.
- Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
- Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets.
- Install foam gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on walls.
- Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes with low-expansion spray foam made for this purpose.
- Look for dirty spots on your ceiling paint and carpet, which may indicate air leaks at interior wall/ceiling joints and wall/floor joists. These joints can be caulked.
- Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with more efficient windows, such as double-pane.
- When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes—24 hours a day!
- Use foam sealant around larger gaps around windows, baseboards, and other places where warm air may be leaking out.
- Replacing existing door bottoms and thresholds with ones that have pliable sealing gaskets is a great way to eliminate conditioned air leaking out from underneath the doors.
| Â | Â | Featured Lot For SaleTuscany Ridge, Waunakee 5740Â Tuscany Lane, Waunakee, WIÂ (Lot 13)
Click for Printable Lot Map  & Here for a Google Map
This development is located just north of Carriage Ridge subdivision off of Woodland Drive. This large 1.25 acre lot has mature trees, abuts a conservancy and is located on a private drive. Priced at $249,900.00.
Green Tip: CFL Light Bulbs An Energy Star qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Our Tip this month is to replace the 5 most frequently used lights in your home with CFL light bulbs.
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Tips from Bob & Terry: Bob Clemens (remodeling expert) and Terry Dowell (Project Manager) from Simon Builders, have picked up a few tips and tricks over their 50 plus combined years here at Simon Builders. They'd highly recommend getting a Home Performance Test this summer. Is part of your home uncomfortably warm in the summer and too cold in the winter? We are currently remodeling a home that wasn't properly sealed and insulated when it was built a few years ago. We had a third party verifier conduct a whole house energy audit which included a blower door test and infrared camera to show us where the problem areas were. We'll fix these problems and retest. Then the homeowner will get government rebates and have lower energy bills with a more comfortable home. If this sounds like something that your home needs, give us a call, we'd love to help you out! Check back next month for a preview of the energy audit with some of the thermal pictures that were taken. If you'd like Bob & Terry to answer any specific home related questions, feel free to email them to
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Cheers to You: Our New Referral Program  The greatest compliment we can receive is a referral from you! If you know of anyone looking for a lot, a new home or a refresh or remodel in their current home, please have them give us a call.
As a token of our appreciation, we will treat you to a wine or brew of the month club, if your referral builds with us. Please contact us for more details. Cheers & thank you!
New Product: Rolling Glass Shower Doors MTI Whirlpools . Ideal for oversized showers, Teutonic series sliding-door enclosures are available with one, two, or three panels. Rugged, industrial-looking rollers glide along a rock-solid stainless steel track, allowing anyone to effortlessly slide the 1/2"-thick, 200-pound sheet of tempered safety glass. http://www.mtiwhirlpools.com. 
In the next issue: » Home Performance Testing
» New Products » Green Tips » Master Bathroom Update » Tips from Bob & Terry » Our Latest Testimonial
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