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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-02-25, Page 16r( jw ,?$• yhi jmrri ^fAag^waarw .nasmi jiht PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1987. Plan deck project early for more fun in the sun “Summertime and the living’ is easy ...” A stunning but sensible design solution, this multilevel deck is an appealing alternative to one mammoth deck. Here, each deck area has its own mood and function, much like the rooms inside a house. A beautiful deck is much more than a wooden patio attached to the back of a house. It’s a unique environment that can enhance your property and provide endless hours of outdoor pleasure. To take advantage of the warm weather months ahead, the time to start planning your deck project is now. Advance planning enables you to complete your deck as soon as the warm weather arrives, and spend the rest of the summer having “fun in the sun’’ -- the activity decks were designed for. But how do you go about turning your ‘ ‘dream deck” into a real one? Here are a few suggestions to help you get started. •DEFINE YOUR GOALS More than just nailing pieces of wood together, building a deck allows you to create your own unique outdoor living environ­ ment, one that will suit your family’s needs. The design principle, “form follows function,” applies to out­ door as well as indoor projects. You should first decide on the goals - and therefore the function - of the remodeling. Then, investigate the ways a landscape plan can help you meet your needs in an attractive form. Look at your family’s lifestyle. Take into account individual pre­ ferences for sun-worship or shade, open play space or secluded Laminating made easy If you are laminating over a counter top or other previously finished surface, remove all paint, varnish and cement, and then sand smooth. Fill all voids with Elmer’s Wood Filler, allow to dry, and sand to a smooth even surface. Dust both the core structure and the laminated surface with a damp cloth. Using a clean brush, apply Elmer’s Saf-T Contact Cement, which contains no solvents, to core material and the back side of the laminate as directed. Use long even strokes and apply in one direction only. The adhesive is ready for bonding when it turns crystal clear - in about 20-40 minutes, depend­ ing on thickness. After drying, if area remains dull-looking, surface has absorbed adhesive and should be recoated entirely and allowed to dry again. Cut laminate so ‘4-inch extends over all edges. Place laminate carefully over structure. Roll down entire surface beginning from the middle and working out. Trim overlapping edges. Forappear- ance and safety, bevel all corners 45 degrees. privacy, lavish outdoor entertain­ ing or small family gatherings. •ANALYZE YOUR SPACE Once you’ve outlined your goals for remodeling your landscape (or for creating a new one from scratch) you’ll need to analyze your existing space. Sketching a plan helps get you started. Asyou start your plan, note such factors as direction of winter winds, direction and angle of morning and afternoon sun (who wants a deck that gets hot, late afternoon sun?), and unattractive views, such as that of a neighbor’s garage. Be sure to locate underground water, gas, phone, power lines, and septic tanks and their field on your plan. •START WITH GRAPH PAPER The one-inch squares on graph paper are divided into smaller segments to give you 10 squares to the inch. The larger squares will represent 10 feet on the ground - the smaller squares will be equiva­ lent to the one foot on the ground. After you have established the lot lines and the position of your house on the graph paper, locate and accurately record the various features on the plan - trees, walks and garage. Draw these features and all other structures on your lot plan. Seeing their relationship in the form of a diagram will help you visualize whatyou’ll want to add or change later. •DREAM ON PAPER Once you’ve finished your plan, you can “dream on paper”. This means drawing another plan, using the same techniques, which capitalizes on the assets and minimizes the defects of your outdoor space. As an example, the second plan could include planters in the right places to help screen out the view of a neighbor’s garage, locations of gardens, new trees, or hedges. ImprSve... Your Horne —1 \ \ X :— \ ~wtththe help of the Pro • Construction of new homes •Complete home renovations •Sanding & refinishing hardwood floors “over20years in Business serving this area. A third generation business •Free Estimates Paul Rintoul Construction 92 Victoria St. W. Wingham 357-3172 —