Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1970-05-14, Page 16•THE HURON EXPOSITOR, SEAFORTH, ONT., MAY 14, 1970 Gets Answers To Cost, Quality Queries Last year Americans Spent more than $12 billion on repairing and improving their homes! When that amount of money is spent, it's pretty obvious that Millions of families these days prefer to remodel their dwel- lings rather than to move. Why? For many reasons. They like the neighborhood in which they live and the conven- ience of shopping in familiar stores. They hate to leave the old friends and are reluctant to place their children into new schools of unknown quality. But, unfortunately, many, many families who don't move, don't plan to improve their pre- sent homes. They are afraid that the prices for . remodeling will be too high, the materials of poor quality, the workmanship shoddy. AVOID MISSTEPS Actually the average home- owner need have little fear in fixing up his home to his and his family's complete satisfac- tion. Reliable contractors exist to perform the work. Let's examine three common misimpressions of home im- provement and how you as a prudent homeowner can avoid missteps: The price for remodeling your home will be too high. It's true that construction industry costs are rising rapidly, because of labor charges, not because the remodeling contractor is waxing rich. (Most contractors are small businessmen whose incomes are not out of line \kith other wages in the community.) You can be certain of get- ting a fair price if you take the trouble to shop around and get bids on your job from at least two or preferably three home improvers. Remember also that a re- modeling job usually enhances the value of your -home, par- ticularly in these days of steeply rising values. So, consider your remodeling an investment rather than an expense. 2. The remodeling materials will be of poor quality. Here again, as a prudent homeowner, you can guarantee against shoddy goods by workirtg with a con- tractor who applies brand name products. 3. •The remodeling workman- ship will be poor. One way to be fairly certain of good work- manship on, your job Is to ask for and then check a contractor's references before you hire him. Go look at some of his other work. In this way you can judge for yourself whether you are dealing with a reliable remodeling businessman. I nc re asingb? homeowners complain of long delays before a contractor will even, look at their job, The reason is that there's a labor shortage in the construction industry—as more people than ever before take steps to fix up their dwellings. Talk to the home improvement loan officer , at the lending in- stitution you are planning to finance through about costs. Get his suggestions. Incidentally, very often he can also recom- mend a qualified contractor. Last but not least, play fair with the contractor you select. Don't change plans in the middle of the job and expect him to adhere to his schedule and originally quoted price. Don't demand extras from him as your price for signing a completion certificate (without which he won't get paid by the lender). Enhance Floor With Carpeting • 0 ft•m•t% • GRASS SEED GARDEN SEEDS Dutch Set Onions Packaged or Bulk DAHLIA and GLADIOLI BULBS a LAWN & GARDEN SUPPLIES LAWN MOWERS — TILLERS — GARDEN TOOLS — PEAT MOSS — GARDEN & LAWN FERTILIZERS NOW IN STOCK a FERTILIZER BULK, BLENDED OR BAGGED for all your requirements CONTRACTS AVAILABLE FOR SEED BEANS . a • • 0' ADD NEW BEAUTY TO YOUR HOME THIS YEAR WITH,FLOWERS AND PLANTS FROM MacLEAN'S Choose from our large stock of: * MIXED POTS * POTTED MUMS - GLOXINIAS * FUCHIAS * HYDR- RANGES * GERANIUMS * "MARI- GOLDS * PANSIES * ETC. CUT FLOWERS IN GOOD SUPPLY This is a good Spring for putting in CONCRETE BARNYARDS CALL US FOR FREE INFORMATION . AND ADVICE. 41111111111.11111111.11111111111111MINNimmommommi, READY-MIXED CONCRETE ALL TYPES OF CONCRETE WORK CAN BE DONE EASIER • • • • QUICKER . • • • AND IN MOST CASES AT LESS COST WITH READY-MIXED CONCRETE FOUNDATION WALLS — WALKS — DRIVES ETC. CALL' US We will be pleased to give you prices on HURON CONCRETE SUPPLY LIMITED Seaforth, Phone 527-1206 Goderich, Phone 524-7361 Mitchell, Phone 348-8994 OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY • 18" Lawn-Master Electric Mower Quick, quiet, lightweight. Powerful 8-amp 110-volt C.G.E. motor won't Stall. Big 7" wheels with dual-tread tires. Cyclone deck with side discharge. Swing-over handle with on-off control. Less cord, Perforated tube deep-soaks. Connector, end cap; 1/2" coup- ling, 40-ft. Length 40 double-age teeth cut 2000 strokes per minute; 21/2 -amp motor CSA approved; 3-wire safety cord. ainnotrin TIRE Arove4 ts5..7).; Carpet tiles might be the, bright idea for the new floor treatment on the re-decorating list. If so, here are a few tips which will go ak long way toward mak- ing a carpet tile floor an easy yet professional-looking, do-It.- yourself job in every respect. First draw a diagram of the room on graph paper, laying out Hit proposed pattern either straight-line or dlagonally.This will serve as a guide to the number of tiles required in each color or pattern. Preparing the floor is , the next step. Eliminate loose' or creaky floorboards, by nailing them down with spiralsgrooved flooring nails. Then, thoroughly clean the fl,,nor. Remove any wax build-up, and make certain that the sur- face is .completely dry before beginning the installation. Now, stack the carpet tiles face down within easy react of work area. Making individual stacks for each color in the pat- tern will also save time and reduce the chance of making an error in the pattern, One of the newest methods of making a permanent or semi- permanent installation is to use an aerosol adhesive. :Easy-to-use can” is simply sprayed on the edges of the carpet tile andthen 'sprayed diagonally. - • Position each carpet tile so that corner and edges meet firmly but don't buckle. Should a tile need to-be realigned, the adhesive will allow. it to be picked up. If, however, adhesive has been allowed to dry more than five or six minutes, it Will be more difficult. As each tile is set in place, press • !down firmly, applying pressure over the entire area. There is no need to use anything other than the hands for pressure. Would you believe that I know the secrets of successful water- ing? Here they are: Water when the soil is dry two or three inches below the surface. Check it. Don't wait for plants to wilt and droop! Dig down a couple of inches, take a handful of soil and squeeze it. If it forms easily into a soil ball that does not crumble, do not water. IF it does not form up and crumbles easily - then it's time to water. After a gOod rain-soaking, watering shouldn't be necessary for about five days. But hot sun, low humidity and strong winds all have a quick drying effect. Sandy soil will absorb water readily - but dries out fast. Clay soil will not accept, or lose water, as quickly as sandy soil. So sandy soil calls for watering frequently - little and often. Clay soil calls for less frequent watering but more water each time. Watering must be thorough. "Surfac e only" watering can do more harm than good. Proper watering means soaking the soil to a depth of several inches.,. which means running your sprinkler for., several hours. It means not rushing. It means adjusting the faucet to stop too much water from rushing out, running off and flooding the top- soil away. Newly seeded lawns need moisture every day. Deep, fine; slowly-sprayed water to estab- lish good roots. Lawns of course are thousands of grass, plants. All lawns need more water than other garden features - and a sprink- ler hose is almost an absolute necessity. Why a sprinkler hose? It -covers the lawn effectively in a soft, rain-like spray pattern. It can be turned around corners, along curves and down hard-to- 'reach strips. LaWnS and flowers and most plants generally are best watered in the morning. Not in the aftef- noon. Not in the evening. Grass Crop Report "BY M.P.Mlller, As.Ag.Rep. for Huron County Spring seeding is well advanced in all areas with 90% completed. Spring seeding is about half up and looks good. Corn seeding is well underway with 30% planted. Soil is tending to be dry with showers needed in South Huron. Canning peas are 50% planted with early ones uji‘Pproximately 2" and looking excellent. • Pasture growth is good with livestoCk out on pasture. and leaves of plants left wet overnight are susceptible to fungus. Don't miss the flower beds when gardens are watered. A soaking is what they - and their root-soil need; lay the sprinkler hose down between the plants and adjust the water flow to cover the flower beds only. Roses are special! Keep the foliage of roses dry. Splashing water carries black spot disease of roses. Get the water into the soil around the plant! Use a sprinkler upside down to soak roots thoroughly. And water roses in the morning only. Roses in full bloom are most thirsty! Sweet corn, beans and tortrat- oes all need planty of water in the critical growth period. But tomatoes and musk melons will tend to split if -they're over- watered during the final ripening stages. On the other hand, straw- berries need water to hold good moist roots. In dry spells even carrots, turnips and onions, which nor- mally get by on average ground moisture, need a soaking. Roughly speaking, shallow- rooted crops need a 3-inch watering once a week; deep rooted 12 inches. GrOups of shrubs have a, Collective thirst. Satisfy this with a good soaking. Big plants use plenty of water - and a light sprinkling means little or noth- ing. Rhododendrons and azaleas, with their shallow roots; may call for more watering than other shrubs. The surface of the soil should be moist. Water a tree by punching holes about a foot deep into the soil in a circle around the outer rim of branches. Let the water trickle down the holeS to the tree roots. Newly-set trees and shrubs need about two years to establish deep root systems. 'Water them well. When- grass doesn't .grow under trees the 'reason is usually lack of water - because the treeS are stealing it! To provide for l'oll11111."41111.101"11111111110"04111111."1111 BURNS CLEANER No Smoke, No Odour HEATING OIL Walden & Broadfoot Phone 527.1224 Seaforth egiinee.egingeemaggeeftieggyll this, water for an extra half hour under and around the trees. Roots get oxygen-starved and suffocated by too much water. Root growth is retarded too when the sun can not warm the water-I \ logged ground to a comfortable heat,coarse Don't overdo the water. No spray power that will wash away topsoil and seeds. No end-. less drenchingi Don't be a water- loggehre. T well drained foundations of buildings are often too well drained for good plant growth. Plants near buildings are shel- tered from the rain they might need - and sometimes heated by the sunlight •reflected from walls. Water these plants well (soak ground 12" to 18" deep) once a week to keep them in the peak of hot weather condition. Evergreens stay green be- cause they use water freely - in fact they lose it in evaporation all year round. So don't neglect them 477 Anhydrous Ammonia Available • SEAFORTH FARMERS Phone 527:0770 Seaforth. With Water How To Be Lawn Smart FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS FOR FUNERALS • • Covers up to 2200 sq. feet; Set 'n Spray dial with 4 settings — Full, Left, Right and Partial, Sprinkler 539 • • •• • Won't crack or split; resists sun, oabration, 7/16" with 1/2 " couplings. 50-ft. Gioen Vinyl „ $2.59. 18" Lawn-Master 3-h.p. Tecumseh Engine blade for clean-cut. Adjustable cutting heights, Rugged 2-cycle engine, rope-start, 4795 6" wheels, rubber tires, chromed handle, . OSCILLATING BLACK OPAQUE VINYL 50-ft. Hose • 0 18" Lawn-Master, 3-h.p. Briggs & Stratton Easy recoil-Siart; engine dial-control; 4-cycle, Shearmatic blade-hub, U-top handle, 6" wheels, Efficient `cyclone-action'-deck. Side discharge 2011 „`Tt7,Zmar:arineg 69.95 221' • • 20-FT. VINYL Lawn Soaker Hedge Trimmer 26.95 Border fence 4.65 POWERFUL 15" BLADE! 25-FT. PLASTICIZED STEEL Smart lawn or garden-guard. ' Green non-rust plastic coating. 15" high — in 25-ft. roll. Easy %'• to handle, fora Apply of CANADIAN TIRE r. Credit Card Today 4,&sels5NOM*1401 Set-rated agitator blade; 6- s $. .411444117444.1Z)natrroill'n St rong lo st, 16" Spreader 25.1b.capacity OP,,AMXPAM' • • •