DO YOU LIVE SURROUNDEDBY MOLD AND MILDEW?

Research shows as much as 50% of the air in aliving area of a home comes from the crawl-space.

Treatment of your crawlspace seals out moisturefrom the walls and floor, reduces relativehumidity and the problems associated with it.

A clean and dry crawlspace will help keep yourwhole house dry, reduce heating and coolingcosts, and helps discourage the growth of moldand allergens.

Happy customers include: Emerson Cowart,Paul Robinson, Stephanie Duttenhaver, BobOswalt, Harry Heck and Jean Wright

Give Greg a call today for a FREE evaluation.

912.308.0955

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIMEYOU SAW WHAT IS CIRCULATING

IN THE AIR YOU BREATHE?

DIRTY AIR DUCTS lead to manyhealth and economical issuesthat can be solved with one

phone call.

Air ducts contain the following hazardous materials:

Mold

Dust Mites

Pollen

Allergens

Animal DanderConstruction Debris

Duct Cleaning IMPROVES AIR QUALITY

and LOWERS UTILITYBILLS

Call Greg today for a FREE evaluation.

912.308.0955

After

Before

ADVERTISEMENT

et’s face it, roofs are not terribly exciting. Theyjust sit there after all. They have no moving parts.They are usually a bland or dark color. Andthey’re actually at their best when we don’t noticethem. For if your roof is grabbing your attention,

it probably means you have a leak. Then, you realize no build-ing component is more important or works harder.

Not only must a roof endure a pounding from the elements,it has to do so flawlessly—or look out below. Just a few hours

of dripping can spoil Sheetrock and fine detailing. Andshould that dribble remain unnoticed, structural damage iseventually inevitable. Keep this vital role in mind when eval-uating what kind of roof to put over your head. For you don’twant to scrimp on your home’s protective shield.

Traditionally, when selecting a new roof one considers threethings—cost, durability, and aesthetics. But just as three wallsaren’t sufficient support for a roof, there should also be afourth selection-bearing consideration: environmental impact.Usually, we assume durability, aesthetics, and environmentalconsiderations clash with cost; that is, if we want somethinghandsome and long-lasting, we figure it’s likely to harm ourwallet and the environment too (since rot-resistant materialsare often highly toxic). But when we take a long range view,these tradeoffs usually disappear and we can happily satisfy allfour considerations. As it turns out, holding to maintainingan environmental awareness helps guide us to wise buildingchoices, pointing us toward an enlightened self-interest wherewhat best for the environment is also best for us.

Of course in the short run, cheap materials do cost less. Butif we follow this tactic, we end up with an obvious problem:a cheap roof. The inexpensive so-called “twenty-year roof ”often needs work or replacement in a third or half that time.

TAKING A BOTTOM-UP, BOTTOM-LINE APPROACH TO THE

TOP OF YOUR HOUSEBy Mike Kenny Roofing

L

68 • Fall 2008 • Savannah’s Home Improvement Guide

YOUR BEST CHOICE FOR A PROFESSIONAL ROOFING CONTRACTOR

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

All Types of Roofing:Shingles • Slate

Metal • Single-PlyCoating • Painting

Maintenance Programs Available

Licensed in Asbestos Removal

447.1933

THE ECO CRITERIA

To evaluate the environmental friendliness of a roofing materi-al, remember the “three R’s” — reduce, reuse, and recycle. Andremember that they roll off the tongue in order of importance.Reducing or eliminating materials leads off since “reducings”offer the possibility of totally avoiding pollution. If we don’tneed to make something in the first place, then the damagewhich usually accompanies manufacturing is gone. This is whyusing long-lasting, element-resistant roofing materials is soimportant. Every roof replacement means more mining, manu-facturing, spilling, and shipping.

Of course, no matter how durable a material is, it’s initial cre-ation still has an impact on the earth (and, of course, ultimate-ly on our health). The issue then, is how much impact? Howmany toxic chemicals or how much energy is needed to manu-facture a product and ship it? Are the raw materials used tomake it endangered or ecologically expensive? Are any recycledmaterials used in the manufacturing process? And once thematerial is shot, can it then be recycled or benignly disposedof? Last, is it possible for the product to serve more than oneenvironmentally positive function? For instance, there are nowsolar shingles, which both protect your home and generateelectricity.

The most appealing option, if you can afford it and your houseis structurally able to accommodate the extra weight, is slate.Slate sounds so old-fashioned that it’s hard to think of it as asolution to environmental problems. But slate has lots goingfor it. For starters, slate roofs last and last—for as long as acouple centuries. Broken slates can be easily replaced and dis-posal isn’t a problem. There’s an active market for used slates,including for shingles more than a hundred years old. Andthose tiles which are too chipped to reuse on a roof, can beused for landscaping.

For more information call Mike Kenny Roofing at912.447.1933.

Coastal Finishing Touchescan create the garage interiorof your dreams. We offerproducts from leadingmanufacturers, plus handleall the installation and evena limited lifetime guarantee.

To learn more, contact us fora free in-home consultation.

We Are Your Garage Floor Guys

912.631.2116

70 • Fall 2008 • Savannah’s Home Improvement Guide

Daily Valued Menu Specials

$5.99 Lunch SpecialsMonday - Friday

11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Fish Tacos • Alfredo • Half and Half Combo(Soup, House Salad or Half Farmhouse Sandwich)

Caesar Salad • House Salad • Burger with Fries

Brentwood Chicken Sandwich

WINGS BBQ, Mild, Plain & Thai $6.99 per person

STUFFED MUSHROOMS$4.99 per person

SANDWICHESFocaccia Turkey ClubBrentwood Chicken SandwichShaved-Baked HamSouthwest Chicken Wrap$7.99 per person

CHICKEN FINGER PLATTERSBBQ, Hot, Mild & Thai$7.99 per person

ASSORTED VEGGIE & CHEESETRAYSCucumbers, Celery, Carrots,Peppers, Broccoli, Provolone,Cheddar and Smoked Mozzarellacheese$7.99 per person

ASSORTED MEAT & CHEESETRAYSHam,Turkey, Roast Beef, Provolone,Cheddar & Smoked Mozzarella cheese$7.99 per person

SALADSChicken CaesarHeartland Grill or FriedBuffalo BleuAsian Chop-Chop$8.99 per person

LETTUCE WRAP PLATTERS$7.99 per person

DESSERTSCappuccino Cake, Bourbon PecanPie,Snickers Ice Cream Dome$2.99 per person

Orders also available through ourregular menu for catering services.

Call us today at 921.5712 and let Houlihan’s make your occasion special.

Catering - When you need to impress...Houlihan’s is your answer.

$5.00 OFFwith a purchase of $20 or more

magine that your child was suddenly ill or injuredand needed specialized care in a hospital many milesaway? Imagine that you needed to leave your hometo be near your child for weeks or even months? Nowimagine a place that provided you with all the com-forts of home – real beds, showers, laundry and

home-cooked meals – a real home…where no one is everturned away because of their inability to pay? Luckily there isa place that exists to help families during this unexpectedtime of need. It is called the Ronald McDonald House(RMH) and Savannah has been blessed to have onesince 1987.

The Savannah Ronald McDonald Housecelebrates its 21st birthday this year, hav-ing served more than 5,000 families sinceits doors opened. Whether they are par-ents watching their premature babyfight for life each day in the NICU orthose who are supporting a child facinga life-threatening illness, each family’ssituation is unique. But the commonthread they all share is the House, wherethey are able to visit their children 24-hours a day and rely on staff, volunteersand even other families in residence forsupport.

The 10-bedroom “Home away from home” serves

approximately 250 families each year that live 30-miles ormore outside the city limits of Savannah. These families havecritically ill or injured children staying in Savannah area hos-pitals and have no where else to go. It costs $65 a night tohouse one family and they are asked to make a $10 donationtowards this expense. However, most families are unable todo so and no family is ever turned away because of inabilityto pay. RMH raises money annually through its Share-A-Night fund to offset these costs. But it is important to notethat the House is not a Bed & Breakfast or a hotel, it is a

home. Everything that it takes to run your home, ittakes to run the Ronald McDonald House and

more.

The House provides families with the basicamenities which include a kitchen, laun-dry facilities, TV/Playroom, great roomand outdoor area. Every night, volun-teers from the community provide ahome-cooked meal for the families.However, the Savannah community’sparticipation does not end there.Volunteers are the heartbeat of the

organization and provide invaluable assis-tance at the House with front office duties,

as weekend managers and more.

The Savannah House will undergo a “Semi-Extreme Makeover” this fall that will include

Ronald McDonald HouseKeeping Families Within Reach

I

72 • Fall 2008 • Savannah’s Home Improvement Guide

remodeling and renovation of its 10-bedrooms and all com-mon areas. Rooms will be repainted, re-carpeted and refur-nished, along with many other much-needed improvements.Board member Ralph Kuhn (J.T. Turner Construction) willbe overseeing the project and the renovated House will beunveiled in early 2009. Many groups and individualsthroughout the community will be involved in the redecorat-ing and updating of the House, which will be an addedtouch for the families who call it “Home.” They will knowthat someone in the Savannah area cares about them andwants to be sure that they are as comfortable as possible dur-ing their stay.

The House is the cornerstone program of the RonaldMcDonald House Charities (RMHC)of the Coastal Empire.Two other extensions of the RMHC include the RonaldMcDonald Family Room located in St. Joseph’s/CandlerHospital and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile program.The Family Room serves approximately 1,000 individualseach year who have a child in the hospital. It provides respiteto our local community that the House cannot.

Family members can access the room to grab a bite to eat, doa load of laundry, watch TV or check email and relax outsideof the typical hospital waiting area and hospital room envi-ronments. The room is operated seven days a week, 100% byvolunteer support. Another Family Room will open atMemorial University Medical Center in early 2009 that willserve families with children in the NICU, PICU and atBackus Children’s Hospital facility.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is a mobile dental unitthat provides dental treatment and health education tounderserved, school age children in Beaufort County (SC).During the 2007-08 school year, the Care Mobile staff pro-vided dental cleanings and examinations to approximately2,500 children. Those who are treated typically range in agefrom 5-13. The majority of them have never seen a dentistbefore. The impact made on the lives of these children intheir dental health is invaluable and school officials have seena drop in school absences due to dental-related problemssince the Care Mobile’s debut in 2002.

RMHC of the Coastal Empire has been blessed throughoutits 21 years with many dedicated donors and friends.Without these continued gifts, both large and small, the pro-grams and services could not have continued and expandedto serve the families and children they do. Often questionsarise about the relationship between Ronald McDonaldHouse Charities and McDonald’s. It is a common miscon-ception that McDonald’s funds the House 100% or that theyown the House, neither of which is true.

Internationally, RMHC is an independent not-for-profitorganization and McDonald’s provides a generous level ofsupport through its owner/operators, their suppliers, employ-ees and customers. There is a deep appreciation for theOwner/Operators that cannot be measured in words.

RMHC and McDonald’s are family and McDonald’s is rec-ognized for the tremendous strides they continue to make toensure the Ronald McDonald House Charities remains thesuccessful organization that it is today.

Savannah Area McDonald’s Owner/Operators are boardmembers, committee members, House and Family Roomvolunteers and donate their time and energy throughout theorganization on various projects. It is a personal and invalu-able commitment to the organization. But it still takes thesupport of the Savannah community and surrounding com-munities to operate the Savannah Ronald McDonald Houseand its programs 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours aday.

Be it through volunteerism or making a financial contribu-tion, no gift is too small or will go unrecognized. It is onlythrough our dedicated volunteers and the generosity of thecommunity that the RMHC of the Coastal Empire can con-tinue to provide the level of services and exceptional pro-grams to the Coastal Empire and surrounding areas.

You can learn more about RMHC and its programs and howyou can become involved at www.rmhccoastalempire.org.

Fall 2008 • Savannah’s Home Improvement Guide • 73