Photo by Irby Park County Executive Claude Ramsey, right, addressed the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee luncheon at which Don Wallis, left, president, introduced the speaker and presided. Also pictured are Kay Boyd, membership chairperson and member of the board, named Associate of the Month for July, and Odus Sweetin, president of the Remodelors' Council and member of the board, named July 2001, Builder of the Month.

Photo by Irby Park From left, David Crittenden, sales manager with Evans Lumber and featured speaker at the November meeting of the Remodelers Council, chats with James Shropshire, of Shropshire Construction, council chairman, Odus Sweetin, Sweetin Construction, vice chairman, and Don Wallis, Wallis Construction, secretary-treasurer. Window replacement for energy efficiency as well as cosmetic purposes is an increasingly important remodeling feature, according to David Crittenden, sales manager for Evans Lumber Co. Speaking to the Remodelers’ Council of the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee (HBAST), he outlined features of Lincoln Windows and told of the wide range of selections available. Lincoln’s replacement sash kit, he said, is available in 7 widths and 13 heights as well as custom sizes. Mr. Crittenden spoke at the Remodelers’ luncheon meeting at which council members discussed ways to improve the Remodelers’ Council booth at the next HBAST Home Show set for March 1-4 at the Trade Center. James Shropshire, council chairman, said the organization should emphasize the the Remodelers’ booth is a public service with the members providing free information and help to those visiting the show. Mr. Crittenden said Lincoln Windows, one of several lines carried by Evans Lumber, are made in Merrill, Wisc., and the company has been in business about 55 years. The products are shipped directly from the factory to Evans, he said. The line includes casement, awning, double hung and glider windows as well as specialty windows. The wood windows with aluminum cladding in six standard colors along with custom colors offer several glass options including insulated, LoE with argon gas, tinted or tempered glass. The replacement sash kit, said Mr. Crittenden, utilizes the existing window frame in combination with snap-in jambliners and energy efficient insulated sash. The quality solid pine sashes are available with either a primed wood exterior or sash wrapped with roll formed aluminum cladding and the interiors are primed to be painted or stained to match the existing interior woodwork. Windows are available with internal aluminum or wood grilles or simulated exterior grills. The replacement sash will tilt in or can be removed for easy cleaning inside. Jambliners are beige extruded vinyl with white vinyl as an option. With the replacement windows, he continued, “the first one you put in may take 45 minutes to an hour, but after installing the first windows, the time will be cut to 30 minutes.” A new product soon to be available, he said, is a window that can withstand 120 mile per hour wind being put on the market up north now and to be available here later. He said Lincoln Windows don’t advertise much but are high quality and the cost may be as much as 15 percent below other major lines of windows.

Photo by Irby Park Participating in the February luncheon of Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee were, from left, Dale Akins of The Market Edge, Jon Bell, HBAST president, Bob Reeves, Associate of the Month, and Odus Sweetin, was awarded Builder of the Month. Many Thanks! to Irby Park from Chattanoogan.com for his interest, courtesy, kindness, and cooperation. Sweetin Construction Company

Irby Park Top award recipients of the Home Builders Association of Southern Tennessee (HBAST) for 2001 include, from left, Lee Greer, Remodeler of the Year; Odus Sweetin, Builder of the Year; Dennis Tweed, Ralph Chumley Service Award; Kay Shields Boyd, Associate of the Year; Jim Sims, Associate of the Year; David Dalton, Developer of the Year and new president; Nina Boss, Women's Council Woman of the Year; and Ann Wallace, Rookie of the Year.

Photo by Irby Park Therese Ford Crahan, left, executive director of the Remodelors Council of the National Association of Home Builders, chats with Lee Greer, center, president of the local council, and Odus Sweeten, president-elect, at the monthly luncheon where Ms. Crahan was guest speaker.

Does It Work: Wireless Doorbell

Does It Work: Wireless Doorbell Story by Calvin Sneed on Thu, Jul 18th 2002 (6:07 PM) Makers of the Wireless Doorbell say you can place the remote chime anywhere within 50 feet of the doorbell.. DOES IT WORK, because it could be "opportunity knocking at the door." The Wireless Doorbell comes in two separate units.. a receiver unit that has the chime mechanism in it, and the doorbell unit. The doorbell unit uses a nine-volt battery and the chimer receiver takes two double-A batteries.. once you put in batteries, the chimes go off, apparently to show you that it works.. The directions say to begin by choosing a place to mount the doorbell button.. I placed it outside a back door. As for the chime receiver, I placed that on a kitchen wall.. the location is about seven feet away from the door.. when I pushed the doorbell button, the chimes sounded. Now, let's test it FARTHER apart.. the next location was on a living room wall.. the chime receiver is now about 30 feet away from the doorbell unit.. Once again, I went to the back door and pressed the doorbell button. The chimes sounded. So I tried it even FARTHER away.. the next location was in a back bedroom, about 60 feet away from the doorbell unit.. Five walls are separating the units.. I went outside the back door and pressed the doorbell button.. I heard the chiming where I was, which surprised me because of the walls. Odus Sweetin is a member of the National Association of Home Builders Remodelers Council.. he says some of his customers like the mobility of the Wireless Doorbell.. he says the product "is really good if you have a place where it's remote.. maybe you've put on an addition 10 years ago and now your hearing's gone a little bit and you would really like to be able to hear the doorbell in the addition you put on the house." The Wireless Doorbell.. DOES IT WORK? Yes, it did work for us, and it's a good idea to experiment with the product to find the best place to put it.. Mr. Sweetin says wires in the wall shouldn't interfere with it, unless you screw it into the wall where there's a live wire.. Try to avoid areas of installation near outlets..