Phone — 398-3507
Fax — 398-3509
Website — www.sechristconstruction.com
THE PORCH STAIR MAKEOVER
Ok, so your porch steps are losing their luster, in fact, they are rotten and you
almost fell through them. Exterior steps really take a beating from harsh
weather conditions to the kids and pets bouncing down them two at a time.
Yes, you need a porch stair makeover!
What building products will you choose to use for this project?
Southern yellow pine, the historically correct product,
is still the right material for those homes built in the
downtown district of the historical community. Traditionally, yellow pine construction needs a lot of attention to keep it maintained.
Yellow pine is also utilized throughout the United
States for many building purposes. It is economical
and safe to paint or stain to create the desired appearance you are looking for. Wood is a good choice for replacement steps.
However, it is important to maintain them on a regular basis.
Another economical alternative is pressure treated lumber. Pressure treated
lumber is hard enough to resist abuse. Always purchase “choice”, “premium”,
or “select” treated boards. The better quality grades don’t warp or twist. With
proper staining and sealing, your steps will last for the life of your home.
June 2014
Josephine Garis
Cochrane made the
first practical mechanical dishwasher
in 1886 in Shelbyville,
IL. She was a rich
woman who entertained frequently. She
had servants to do her dishes for her but
she wanted a machine that could do the
job faster without chipping any of her dishes. She exclaimed, “If nobody else is going to invent a dishwashing machine, I’ll do
it myself!” And, she did!
Her friends were very impressed with her
dishwasher invention and asked her to
make one for them. Soon, the word
spread and Cochrane was getting orders
for her dishwashing machine from restaurants and hotels. She patented her design
and went into production. She started the
Garis-Cochran Manufacturing Company in
1893 which became part of KitchenAid,
which finally became part of Whirlpool.
For a more superior look, prefabricating new PVC skirtboards and risers can
be used to cover pine or pressure treated lumber steps if they show no signs
of decay. This retrofit system installs right over existing wood to give a slipresistant, no-maintenance stair. Once the new assembly is neatly in place over
the old stringers, it is like working on a brand new set of
stairs. This is a preferable choice since the old stair will
not have to be completely rebuilt and it will look like
new.
CAKE TOO?
Vinyl is a mid-range choice for stair construction. It’s
durable, precision-fit components provide a snug secure
fit with easy installation. It gives the look of wood and all
its natural beauty but it is without splinters or termites and virtually maintenance free.
Check Us Out!
Finally, the adage, “you get what you pay for” certainly holds true for the high-end building material.
Yes, the quality wood composite costs more than
alternatives, but it is tough to beat for durability and
maintenance-free good looks. The material is
made of a blend of wood and cellulose materials
with virgin plastic. It looks like natural wood but it is
non-skid and splinter-free. It keeps its good appearance, without fading and it
is easy to install and clean.
Sechrist Construction and Remodeling offers the homeowner Certaineed’s
vinyl and composite materials for their stair building needs, as well as, historical yellow pine construction and pressure treated lumber. The final decision is
YOURS.
What, you want to have
your cake and eat it too?”
“Of course! What good is
cake if you can’t eat it?”
Have you stopped at our Facebook site lately?
“Like Us”
Advice is what we ask for when we
already know the answer but wish
we didn’t.
Erica Jong
Sechrist Construction and Remodeling, Inc.
The Relaxing
Staycation


Turn Off the phone, TV, computer and
stop the mail and newspaper
Try Something New-take a tour, go
canoeing, bike ride, hike and picnic

Visit the zoo, museum and amusement
park, bowling, town pool, or local spa

Splurge-eat out, go shopping, take in a
movie, play mini golf, baseball game
FINISHED SPRING PROJECTS
Zimmerman, Lee and Dorothy— Garage; Windows; Sidewalks
Dwyer, Jim and Bobbie— House Roof; Shutters
Smalley, Judy— Garage; Concrete Apron
Sechrist Farms— Shed Addition; Milk House Roof
Todhunter, Joni— Storm Doors Install
Miller, Gene and Sue— Gutter Clean Out
Office Addition—Siding, Electrical, Insulation
WEIRD FUN FACTS

The elephant is the only mammal that
can’t jump!

A duck’s quack doesn’t echo anywhere, no one knows why.


To produce a single pound of honey,
a single bee would have to visit 2 million flowers.


The longest time between
two twins being born is 87 days.

Romans used to clean and whiten
their teeth with urine. Please don’t do
it, though.
Y
O
U! !
Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants
grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent
of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. All composting requires three basic ingredients:
It takes more calories to eat a piece
of celery than the celery has in it.
Earth is the only planet not
named after a god.
T
H
A
N
K
Composting At Home


Page 2
Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches,
and twigs.
Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable
waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds.

Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is
important for compost development.
Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens.
You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized
particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the
green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to
help break down the organic matter.
What to compost? Fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds,
shredded newspaper, yard trimmings, grass clippings, leaves, dryer
and vacuum cleaner lint, fireplace ashes, wood chips, cotton and wool
rags, hair and fur, nut shells, cardboard and hay.
Page 3
What gets wetter as it dries? A towel.
I’m full of holes, yet I’m full of water. What am
Q.– We
are thinking of redoing our deck. It is currently
made of pressured treated lumber, but it is a number of
years old. What do you recommend for remodeling a
deck as far as material goes? Real wood or synthetic?
Also, what do you look for in assessing whether a deck
actually needs to be replaced or merely refitted?
Pete and Maggie
A.– This is definitely the season to redo your deck. I
suggest building your new deck with real wood that has
been properly treated. Synthetic decking is beautiful and
keeps it value, but it is high in cost. Wood decks are affordable and lasting with a little homeowner maintenance. Telltale signs that your deck needs to be replaced
are rotting or splintering boards, broken railings or floor
boards that have pulled away from the nails. A good contractor can tell by seeing the actual deck whether it needs
to be replaced or simply updated.
If you have a question you would like to ask?
EMAIL THE EXPERT by sending your question
to [email protected]. Please be
sure to include your name and phone number in
case additional information is required to answer your question.
I? A sponge.
It’s red, blue, purple and green, no one can
reach it, not even the queen. What is it? A
rainbow.
A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays
for three days and leaves on Friday. How did he do it?
The horse’s name is Friday.
WHAT HAPPENED?
In 1776, the Declaration of
Independence was approved by
the Continental Congress.


In1863, the Battle of Gettysburg began during the American Civil War

In 1885, Louis Pasteur gave the first successful anti-rabies inoculation to a boy
who had been bitten by an infected
dog.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong took his
first step onto the moon.

In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed his
small plane off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard
killing 3 adults on board.
In 2002, 9 coal miners are
trapped in Quecreek Mine, Somerset County and rescued after 77
hours underground.

Celebrate Slurpee Day—July 11th
This year the ubiquitous convenience store will celebrate its 87th birthday. In observance of the eponymous date, 7-Eleven, the store, will dole out free slurpees. Mark
your calendars now, and be sure to set aside an extra 20 minutes of recovery time from
the subsequent brain freeze.
Serving Clinton
and Lycoming
Counties
CREW
Steven Sechrist
Charlie Diffenderfer
David Lehman
Josh Pearson
Check out our Website:
www.sechristconstruction.com
From My Desk:
Strawberry Chantilly
Directions:
“In matters of style, swim
with the current; in
matters of principle,
stand like a rock.”
At Sechrist Construction and
Remodeling, we follow the current
trends of design in remodeling.
Trends come and go and change
with the times.
At one time, brass was in but now
brushed nickel is the right choice.
Which do you prefer? metal or
shingled, wood or composite, vinyl
or standard?
When it comes to codes and
values, however, we stand for
quality, professionalism and
endurance every time.
Steve
Ingredients:
1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped
Walnuts
2 Egg Whites
1 Cup White Sugar
2 Cup Strawberries
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix flour, sugar and
butter until crumbly, Stir in chopped nuts. Press 2/3
of the mixture in the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish; the
remaining crumble will be used for the topping. Bake in
preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool crust completely.
In a large deep bowl, stir together egg whites, sugar,
strawberries, and lemon juice. Whip with electric mixer
at high speed for 10 minutes.
In another mixing bowl, whip whipping cream until stiff
and fold into strawberry mixture. Spread over cooled
crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Freeze
for 6 hours or overnight before serving.
Sit a rain barrel under any gutter down spout to collect
GREEN and store rainwater from your roof that would otherwise
be lost. It can be used to water flowers and gardens. You
TIP
will save 1,300 gallons of water during the peak summer
months.