When looking for advice, most do-it-youselfers turn to their brothers-in- law or the clerk at the local hardware store. Unfortunately, such advice, while readily offered, may not be the most reliable and up-to-date.
Fortunately, there is a plethora of professional sources in the Chicago area that are more than happy to share their qualified home improvement suggestions and recommendations.
These sources range from government agencies to manufacturers`
associations to social service groups. Some specialize in such specific areas as energy and home environmental issues, while others offer a broad base of information.
But best of all, many offer home improvement advice free of charge-or for a nominal fee.
”(Home improvement) sources are valuable experts because most professional contractors aren`t willing to just chitchat with folks over the phone and offer their advice,” said Marylee McDonald, a managing editor with the Small Homes Council-Building Research Council, a nonprofit home remodeling information clearinghouse with the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. ”A home is most people`s biggest investment,” she said. ”And a lot of people don`t know much about maintaining a home; so agencies like ours can be extremely helpful to them. Not only do we help them protect their investment but we teach them how to maintain their investment.”
Even if a homeowner plans to hire a contractor to undertake a specific project, tapping into a home improvement source can only make a homeowner a more educated person, McDonald said.
”You can ask more pointed questions and you don`t have to take the contractor`s word,” she said.
The following is a list of home improvement sources for do-it-youselfers in the Chicago area, arranged by area of expertise. Most can be contacted by phone or mail, though some even have a drop-in service or will make house calls.
This list is, by no means, complete. But it is a good start for the average do-it-yourselfer.
Remodeling and rehab work
– One of the biggest sources for Chicago-area residents is the aforementioned Small Homes Council-Building Research Council. The staff there takes calls from home improvers from 9 a.m. to noon every Monday through Thursday at 1-217-333-1801.
”We can`t recommend contractors or specific products, but if you`re stumped by a home improvement project, we can offer suggestions on what to do,” McDonald said.
In addition, the agency offers more than 100 do-it-yourself publications on such topics as replacement windows, termite control, solar water heaters and old house restoration. Publications cost 50 cents with a small additional postage fee.
A two-year subscription to the agency`s ”Council Notes” quarterly home improvement newsletter costs $5, including postage.
For more information, write to the University of Illinois, Small Homes Council-Building Research Council, 1 E. St. Mary`s Rd., Champaign, Ill. 61820-6995; or call 1-800-336-0616.
– For homeowners who are seeking professional contractors to handle part of a home improvement project, the not-for-profit Professional Remodelers Association of Illinois offers a free contractor directory published twice a year.
The directory also offers information on selecting a contractor, keeping home improvement records for IRS deductions and making insurance recovery.
The association will also give advice over the phone to homeowners considering remodeling work.
The directory will be mailed free if you call 664-6541; or write to the association at 840 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1920, Chicago 60611.
– If you are a condominium or townhouse owner, remodeling and rehabbing information is also available through the Association of Condominiums, Townhouse and Homeowners Associations. The association offers lists of businesses that specialize in services and products for multifamily dwellings. Call the association at 987-1906 or write to 343 S. Dearborn St., Room 304, Chicago 60604.
– Your local municipality may also be a source for remodeling information. The Evanston Planning Department (708-866-2928), for example, offers free technical information to people restoring and rehabbing their architecturally significant homes.
Most local municipalities will also provide building code requirements for remodeling projects free of charge. Contact the building department of your local city or village hall for more information.
Energy and the environment
– The Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources offers several publications on energy efficiency. Such publications are free, and some of them can be picked up during business hours on weekdays at the department`s offices at 100 W. Randolph St., 11th floor.
To help homeowners with energy-efficiency questions, the department also has several energy specialists available who can be reached at 814-3870.
To have department publications mailed to you, call 1-800-252-8955. A brochure on household hazardous waste information and energy conservation material also is available at this number.
– The Center for Neighborhood Technology, a Chicago-based not-for-profit private agency geared to helping city residents, offers phone information on home energy savings. The center also offers information on the possible toxicity levels of home improvement materials and can suggest non-toxic alternatives.
The agency also offers walk-through home energy audits that start at about $180.
In addition, the center publishes its ”The Neighborhood Works”
newsletter six times a year, offering information ranging from do-it-yourself projects to utility news to upcoming home improvement events. The cost is $25 per year.
Several additional publications, ranging from an energy-savings guide to recycling information, are also available from the center for a nominal charge.
Call the center at 278-4800 or write to 2125 W. North Ave., Chicago 60647.
– Posters showing potential hazardous wastes found in the home can be obtained free by writing the Hazardous Waste Research and Information Center, 1808 Woodfield Drive, Savoy, Ill. 61874. Also available is a brochure on how to read a chemical product label.
– Local utilities are another source of information: Peoples Gas offers several energy-savings publications. Write to the firm at P.O. Box 22, Chicago 60690; or stop by its energy conservation centers from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at 401 S. State St., 87th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue or 4839 W. Irving Park Rd.
”Waste Watchers Guide: 101 Ways to Conserve Electricity at Home” is available from Commonwealth Edison. For a copy, write to Edison`s Public Affairs Department, P.O. Box 767, Chicago 60690-0767.
Consumer services and home safety
– The City of Chicago Department of Consumer Services offers printed material on how to protect yourself from home repair fraud.
To receive the material free of charge, call 744-9400 or write to the department at City Hall, Room 808, 121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago 60602.
– Information on do-it-yourself home safety projects is available from the home safety department of The National Safety Council, 444 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611. The council also offers a free quiz that parents can take with their children on how falls can happen in the home.
Appliances and home equipment
– The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers offers several informational publications, including guides on dehumidifiers (25 cents);
humidifiers (25 cents); room air cleaners (50 cents); room air-conditioners
($1.50); and a refrigerator and freezer selection guide ($1.50).
The publications list brands and models that are in the association`s certification programs and offer certified ratings, such as water output in gallons for 24 hours for humidifiers, and efficiency ratings. The publications can also help consumers determine the capacity of the appliances they need.
To obtain the booklets, send your request and the specified fee to the association at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago 60606.
– The Sewage and Sump Pump Manufacturers Association offers a packet of information on sump pump installation, maintenance and options. To obtain the package, send $5 to the SSPMA, P.O. Box 298, Winnetka 60093-0298.
Municipal sources
There are numerous other programs and information available to home improvers, especially on a local level.
For example, Evanston offers low-interest loans and grants for home repair and improvement projects to low- and moderate-income families.
Cicero, meanwhile, offers emergency home repair grants and also has a caulk and paint reimbursement program for homeowners.
Many other municipalities have similar programs that may offer financial aid, technical expertise and even materials.
For more information, contact the community development or building department at your local city hall.
