Spring is here, and so is the potential for accidents as customers begin their spring cleaning, outdoor landscaping and home improvement projects. Be safe, especially while working outdoors near utility power equipment.

For residents considering roof repairs, exterior painting, landscaping or building a patio, following a few simple precautions can help avoid an accident:

Working Safely Outdoors
* Be sure to use extension cords marked for outdoor use. An indoor
extension cord used outdoors can result in electric shock or cause a
fire hazard.
* Call a licensed professional if your home repairs require work near
power lines.
* Look up, stay away, stay alive — even momentary contact with electric
lines can injure or kill. This applies to lines attached to utility
poles as well as those entering buildings. Always keep yourself, your
equipment, and anything you carry at least 10 feet away from power
lines. Contractors and other professionals needing to work within 10
feet of a power line should call 215-841-4000 in advance to make
arrangements to have PECO protect the work area. Be aware of power
lines that run through tree limbs and branches. Climbing or trimming
trees near power lines is dangerous. Trees located near aerial power
lines should always be trimmed by a qualified contractor.

When working underground, customers should call before they dig, especially when planting trees, building a fence or laying a foundation. Call three business days before beginning a project that involves digging. Professionals will then come out to locate and mark all underground facilities. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) recently approved the use of 8-1-1 as a national abbreviated telephone number for commercial and residential customers to use to provide advanced notice of excavating activities.

Inspect Your Home for Electrical Safety
* Check outlets and extension cords to make sure they aren’t overloaded.
* Examine electrical cords to make sure they are not frayed, damaged or
placed under rugs or carpets.
* Make sure the proper watt light bulbs are being used in light fixtures
and lamps.
* Install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in areas that can get
wet such as the kitchen, bathrooms or outdoors.
* An older home may be inadequately wired for today’s electrical usage,
so to avoid the risk of fire or electric shock, hire a licensed
professional to replace worn and outdated circuitry and add additional
outlets to accommodate appliances and electronics.
* Test smoke detector batteries annually.

Use Electrical Tools Wisely
* Inspect electrical tools on a regular basis, including large tools such
as table saws, drill presses and bench grinders. Look for frayed power
cords, broken plugs or cracked housings. Never use a damaged product.
* Never use electrical tools in the rain or in wet areas. Specifically,
do not use electrically powered lawn mowers on wet grass.
* Use three-pronged outlets and plugs.
* Always wear appropriate personal protective equipment like face
shields, glasses, gloves and boots. Refer to the owner’s manual for
recommended protective equipment.

How do you pick a home repair or home maintenance contractor who’ll do a good job without ripping you off?

Here are 8 top tips from an expert that may help homeowners pick the right home repair or home maintenance contractor for their work:

1. Experience matters. Pick a home repair or home maintenance contractor
with enough experience to do your job right. When we’re called in to
fix problems caused by other contractors, the most common cause of the
problem is that the person who did the original work didn’t have the
experience or skill to do the job right the first time.

2. Get a firm price. With a few exceptions, home repair and home
maintenance contractors should be able to give you a firm price in
writing before work begins. The exceptions are jobs where it’s
impossible to know up front how much work and materials will be
required — some emergency plumbing repairs, for example. Make sure
the price quote specifies what’s included.

3. Get a firm schedule. There’s nothing more frustrating than work that
doesn’t get done on schedule. Ask your home repair / home maintenance
contractor for a firm schedule and insist on being able to cancel a
contract if work doesn’t start on time. Consider price incentives for
work being completed on time for major projects that take a long time
to complete.

4. Get multiple bids on large projects. Always a good idea. Pay
attention to how the people preparing the bids approach your project.
The degree of professionalism a home repair / home maintenance
contractor shows when bidding your project is a good indicator of the
professionalism they’ll bring to your work.

5. Consider price and value. Price is always worth considering. But
choose the home repair / home maintenance contractor who will give you
the best value for your money. Value includes the quality as well as
price. If you receive widely varying bids for a project, try to
figure out why. The bids may include different quality material or
levels of work. Cheapest isn’t always the cheapest or best.

6. Inspections are important. Be wary of home repair / home maintenance
contractors who try to get you to skip permits and inspections by
promising to do the work for less money if you do. Permits are there
to protect you. The inspector’s job is to make sure the work done on
your home meets local safety and quality codes. Skip this step and
the few dollars you save today may cost you big bucks down the road.

7. Get a guarantee. Get a guarantee in writing and understand exactly
what it covers — or doesn’t cover.

8. Check references. Ask for references from other homeowners who’ve had
similar work done. And check them out with the Better Business Bureau
too.

Roofs take a tremendous beating during the winter months. Extreme weather conditions, including volatile temperature changes, can cause roofing shingles and flashing to expand and contract, creating damage. Heavy snow loads and ice dams also take a toll on a roof. Missing, cracked or damaged shingles may develop into leaks. Home repair experts recommend that homeowners have their roof inspected at least once a year to identify and address problems early, before serious damage is done.

Many homeowners are avoiding this annual spring repair ritual by installing durable and environmentally-friendly metal roofs. In fact, the number of homes with metal roofs has doubled over the past five years. Why? Today’s metal roofing is available in a wide variety of styles and colors to complement any architectural style. Metal roofs resist cracking, shrinking and eroding and stand up to hail, high winds and wildfires.

These time-tested roofs also save energy and can help to save the environment. Installing a metal roof can save homeowners up to 40 percent in annual energy costs, depending on the geographical region. And, the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 allows for a tax credit for homeowners who install qualified energy-efficient improvements to an existing home, including metal roofs that meet the Energy Star(R) program requirements.

Most metal roofing systems are made of recycled material. In fact, these investment-grade roofs contain up to 56 percent recycled material, from production to installation to reuse, far superior to traditional asphalt shingles. Often, metal roofs can be installed directly onto an existing asphalt roof, reducing landfill waste associated with tearing off the old roof.

“Metal roofs come with a long term warranty, increase the value of your home and cut energy costs.