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Living in Kitchener-Waterloo.

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Open House every Saturday at the

REEP House for Sustainable Living

at 20 Mill Street (near Queen) in Kitchener.

Visit this super-insulated, water-wise century brick home and education centre. See demonstrations of an in-floor heating system, ground-source heat pump, tankless water heater, grey-water system, insulation options and more.

Guided tours of REEP House are available every hour on the hour. Receive free advice from a Certified Energy Advisor to your home energy savings questions.

Currently you can win A FREE Evaluation! Visitors to our Saturday Open House may enter our monthly draw for a free ecoENERGY Evaluation, Solar Potential Assessment, or Electricity Savings Audit!

Date: Every Saturday
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
Address: 20 Mill Street, Kitchener

More information: REEPgreen.ca

Parking: REEP House parking is limited. Please park at nearby Victoria Park.

Here are some items to consider to better winterize your home in this video from Lou Manfredini and Marvin.com

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Summer is coming and so is the hot weather!

Here is a webpage from WikiHow.com (a user edited online how to manual) with lots of ideas about how to stay cool without using air conditioning. A great green idea and a money saver as well...

Just add water... Sweat it out... Dress (or undress) for success... Breathe like a dog... spicy food... Put a freeze on things... and many more ideas.

Cool-Yourself-Without-Air-Conditioning

Old House Web has information on many aspects of renovating and owning an old home (or a not so old home).

Some of the topics that are included on the site are: Product Reviews, How to Advice, a Green Guide, an "In the Garden" section and an Architecture and Design .

Featured articles include:

• Knob and Tube Wiring

• When to Turn to a Contractor

• Old Windows

Visit the Old House Web site.

With the proper planning and education constructing your own fence can be a breeze. Learn the basics of building a fence from the experts at The Home Depot. This video covers everything from fencing materials to the basic tools needed for the job.

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When you decide to renovate or upgrade we always suggest that you get at least three estimates from trusted professionals before you hire someone to complete work on your behalf. However, if you would like a "ball park" estimate of the cost to complete a project, this may be the tool you are looking for...

This tool, provided  by Pillar to Post Home Inspection, provides a list of the estimated costs to upgrade or replace the major systems and components in a typical home. It also provides a general guideline for the life-expectancies of those systems.

These estimates reflect the average basic costs for supplies and installation of building materials in United States and Canada. Costs may vary depending on regions, upgrades, complexity and disposal fees.

It is our strong recommendation that you obtain a minimum of three written quotes from reputable licensed local contractors for validation before starting any project.