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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-18, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012. The Heart of the Home. www.mdldoors.com The perfect style can turn a simple doorway into a grand entrance, giving your home warmth and personality that’s uniquely yours. With hundreds of doors, sidelites and transoms to choose from, finding the perfect entrance system for your home is a breeze. Visit mdldoors.com to find a dealer nearest you. PERFORMANCEINSULATION Helping Families Keep Warm And Save $$ • Polyurethane foam insulation • Blown-in fibreglass wall systems • Blown-in attic insulation Toll Free 1-855-337-9276 (1-85 KEEP WARM) Mobile 519-531-0734 Brussels & Teeswater Residential • Agricultural • Commercial Contact us for all your insulation needs rstrome@performanceinsulation.ca Carpet still a viable flooring option for some peopleMS –Although many people maytout the benefits of hardwoodflooring over carpeting, there areplenty of individuals who like tohave the soft and luxurious feeling ofcarpeting underfoot. Selecting theright carpeting for a particular roomand purpose can be a bit dauntingbecause of the abundance ofavailable colours and materials.According to some, carpeting canalso be an added safety measure that makes play areas safer, potentially lessening the severity of an injury in the event of a fall. This is why carpeting is often preferred in children’s rooms and play areas.There are other advantages tocarpeting as well. It can help insulaterooms both in the summer andwinter. It can be easier on feet than ahard floor and few materials absorbsound better than carpet.Choosing the right carpeting for aroom comes down to identifying thekind of foot traffic you expect inyour home and which carpetingoptions most suit your needs. Here are some tips to get started. • Don’t overlook padding. Padding can make the difference in the way carpeting feels and how long it lasts. The thickest or most expensive padding isn’t necessarily the best orthe best-suited for your home.However, it is wise to pick a pad thatmatches the type of carpeting you’reselecting. You may be able to go witha thinner pad in low-traffic roomsand under dense carpeting likeberber. In high traffic rooms, choosethicker, more durable padding.Padding prevents carpet backing andfibres from coming apart over aduration of time, so if you’re spending a lot on the carpet, it pays to invest in a padding that will last the duration of the carpet as well. • Recognize the type of carpeting that best suits your needs. There aremany different types of carpeting,and they won’t all be the perfectmatch for your home. For example,plush and saxony carpets are betterin low-traffic areas. These carpetsmay show footprints and alsovacuum tracks and dirt. Berber,meanwhile, is more flat and dense,making it highly effective at maskingstains and tracks. Textured carpetslike frieze are cut from fibres of different heights, so they mask stains and are also softer on the feet than berbers. An entryway or a den may be better off carpeted in a dense carpeting, while a bedroom may be fine and luxurious with plush carpeting. Carpeting may come in stain-resistant varieties or low- maintenance options. These are generally best in homes with petsand children. However, you may beable to save money by opting out ofspecial treatments to resist stains andsimply invest in a steam vacuum,instead.• Choose colour wisely. Choosinga colour comes down to preferenceand how much the room will be used.Although light, neutral colours areoften preferred because they workwell in just about any room, lighter coloured carpets will show stains much more easily than other carpet colours. Carpeting can make a fine addition to your home and make it feel more comfortable and inviting. Remember to take your time when selecting carpeting, as your decision will have long-lasting effects. KRAEMER CONCRETE LTD. “Do It In Concrete” 5595 Road 130, RR 1 Brunner N0K 1C0 519-595-2343 Fax: 519-595-4903 220 Industrial Park Dr., Brussels N0G 1H0 519-887-8763 Fax: 519-887-8764 Jim Kraemer Two Locations to Serve You! Toll Free at 1-888-RING-KCL Prevention key with septic systems MS –When septic systems are working properly, homeowners seldom give them any thought. However, if there is a problem with a septic system, things can get messy and expensive very quickly. The key to keeping septic systems running smoothly is prevention. Septic systems are installed in homes that do not have direct access to municipal sewer lines. Septic systems are typically found in rural homes or in towns that may not have the resources for extensive sewer piping. While a properly designed septic system can be trouble-free, maintenance is still essential. Because septic systems tend to be out of sight and out of mind, homeowners can forget about them. But ignoring your septic system can cause problems in the future. How does a septic system work? Most septic systems have two main components: where the waste enters from the house and breaks down and a filtering system where the waste water exits into the ground. Waste travels from toilets and sinks to the septic tank, where natural bacteria help break down the waste. Then the remaining water flows out through a filter into the surrounding ground. Septic system problems occur when waste doesn’t properly break down, leading to system backups. At the least, you may notice odours coming from the drains or toilets in your home. Or you may realize that sinks aren’t draining properly or toilets are not flushing with the right amount of power. At the worst, toilets and the septic tank itself may overflow. Outdoors you could may notice soggy grass around the septic drain. Grass in one part of the leach field area may even be greener than in other areas. Each of these signs could indicate a septic system problem. The main culprits in septic system problems are blockages that cause the system to overflow or back-up into the home. Septic tanks need to be pumped out at regular intervals. A professional inspection is also necessary. Flushing or putting difficult-to-degrade items into the system also can cause problems. Be sure to heed the following: • Do not flush non-biodegradable items down the toilet or sink drains. Cotton balls or plastic can clog the system. • Do not pour cooking oil or grease down the sink drain. • Set up a regular maintenance schedule to keep the system working. • Advise guests as to what is and is not allowed to go down the drain. Those without septic systems may be unaware. Continued from page 19 will fit beneath windows or be able to fit in thin areas between sinks and toilets. Over the toilet is prime area for cabinetry. • Consider a frameless shower. This is a partitioned area of the bathroom that’s set aside for the shower and is typically only cordoned off by a thin wall or piece of glass. Or a shower with no walls at all is the ultimate in space-saving. The entire bathroom floor is decked out in tile, and a portion is sloped toward a shower drain. • Think about installing a skylight if you prefer natural light, but there is no room for a traditional window. Thinking creatively can help turn a cramped bathroom into a space- saving and well-designed room homeowners desire. Using cramped spaces Avoid cheap bric-à-brac Continued from page 21 planning those renovations or reorganizations, Robertson said go big or go home. “Everything is going to depend on the budget you have set for whatever changes you’re making,” she said. “But you don’t want to go small, if your budget is small, it may be better to wait and save up.” She said that, with a small budget, people can often buy small items and they aren’t really worthwhile in the end. “Avoid the cute, chintzy small Bric- à-brac,” she said. “The small always adds up. The more small you have, the more cluttered your house will be. Save for the big expensive pieces that will make people say ‘wow’ when they walk into the room.”