The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 70

NO.6

ISTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY / PRYKHODOV

Consider a Smart
Thermostat
RICH BACKUS,
PRESIDENT OF TIMBER RIDGE CRAFTSMAN
Clients who approach Backus these days for custombuilt homes usually know they want a smart thermostat
before they even sit down for their first meeting. He
attributes this to recent media buzz over the makeover
of this ordinary home device.
"As recently as last year it wasn't on the consciousness," Backus says.
Smart thermostats do two pretty smart things. One:
the product monitors a family's heating habits over a
period of time and then automatically sets a heating
schedule based on usage patterns. Two: the smart thermostats allow homeowners to adjust their heat with a
click of their iPhone.
"It's one more step toward the future," Backus says.
"The future will feature greater energy conservation as
well as greater simplicity."
The cost of these thermostats installed runs about

A smart thermostat allows homeowners to adjust their
heat from anywhere by using their iPhone.

$300, says Backus. In most cases, he doesn't think smart
thermostats will save more money in energy costs than
a $50 programmable thermostat. Still, he likes the devices because they come equipped to give users data on
how much energy they're consuming and how making
a small change, like turning the heat down a degree,
can impact their energy usage. He believes this will
translate to people cutting their consumption.
"Forgive me for quoting Abraham Lincoln," adds
Backus. "He said, 'Let the people know the facts and
the country will be safe.'"

Microfiber cloths are

NO.7

environmentally friendly
and make cleaning the
house just a little bit

Invest in
Microfiber Cloths
ISTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY / DANIEL KRYLOV

easier.

MICROFIBER CLOTHS
ARE ALICIA PFEIFFER'S
WEAPON OF CHOICE
FOR TAKING DOWN A
DIRTY HOUSE.
70 JULY/AUGUST 2014

ALICIA PFEIFFER,
OWNER A PLUS CUSTOM CLEANING
Microfiber cloths are Alicia Pfeiffer's weapon of choice
for taking down a dirty house.
"They'll lift anything off of any surface," she says.
"Anything you can think of. And they won't damage
any surfaces. Plus, they're environmentally friendly."
Like any cleaning tool, you need to be careful about
cross contamination. You don't want to put the same
microfiber you used on the bathtub to work on a
kitchen counter. Also good to know: You want to wash
microfiber by itself in hot water and air dry.
As a professional cleaner, Pfeiffer buys her cloths in
bulk at Lowe's, in packs of a hundred. Regular folks,
she figures, can make do with a half-dozen or so.
THE

R OANOKER.COM


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The Roanoker - July/August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - July/August 2014

Contents
Letters
The 360
The Flavor
The Gossip
The Gist
The Calendar
Brainiacs 2014
New Threats to Cyber Safety?
Can You Go Home Again?
Fall Fashion in the Green Room
Great Family Sapces
Home Advice From the Experts: 10 Great Tips
What's Your Home Worth Now?
Dining: Summer Treats Around the Valley
The Dish
The Perfect Weekend
Education Excellence
Top 100 Realtors
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Cover1
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Cover2
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 3
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Contents
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 5
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 6
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 7
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Letters
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 9
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The 360
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 11
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The Flavor
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The Gossip
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The Gist
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 15
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The Calendar
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 17
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 18
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 19
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Brainiacs 2014
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 21
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 22
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 23
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 24
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 25
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 26
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 27
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Education Excellence
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 29
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 30
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 31
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 32
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 33
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 34
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 35
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - New Threats to Cyber Safety?
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 37
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 38
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 39
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Can You Go Home Again?
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 41
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 42
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 43
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 44
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 45
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Fall Fashion in the Green Room
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 47
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 48
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 49
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 50
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 51
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 52
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 53
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Great Family Sapces
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 55
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 56
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 57
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 58
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 59
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 60
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 61
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 61A
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 61B
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Home Advice From the Experts: 10 Great Tips
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 63
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 64
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 65
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 66
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 67
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 68
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 69
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 70
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 71
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 72
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 73
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 74
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 75
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - What's Your Home Worth Now?
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 77
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 78
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 79
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 80
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 81
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 82
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 83
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 84
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Top 100 Realtors
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 86
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 87
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 88
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 89
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 90
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 91
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 92
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 93
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 94
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 95
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 96
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 97
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 98
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 99
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 100
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 101
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 102
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Dining: Summer Treats Around the Valley
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 104
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 105
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 106
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 107
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 108
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 109
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The Dish
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 111
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 112
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - 113
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - The Perfect Weekend
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Cover3
The Roanoker - July/August 2014 - Cover4
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