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The Citizen, 1996-10-16, Page 14Autumn Home Improvement '96 STOP paying too much to heat your home GO directly to Tom Duizer Plumbing & Heating and find out how you can save hundreds of dollars annually by converting your heating system to natural gas and enjoy comfort throughout your home. There are a range of tank sizes to suit all your hot water needs. CALL TODAY There's still time to switch to Natural Gas this fall! Tom Duizer Plumbing & Heating Londesboro 519-523-4359 RUUD P---ower Rely on Ruud. HEATIN G DEAL ZATON You Don't have to live with bare walls Endless Decorating Accents including: • Limited Edition Prints • Open Edition Prints • Art Cards • Silk Plants • Austin Sculptures • Lang Calendar & Calendar Frames • & much more to complement any room Free Consultation - Free Estimates on custom matting er framing THE GREEN GALLERY 158 Queen St., S., Blyth (519) 523-4944 UTUMN HOME IMPROVEMENT DAYS General Carpentry • additions • replacement windows • framing • siding • roofing • drywall • taping • trimming Competitive Rates stinuites e7' Prints Construction 523-9354 "For all Your Carpentry Needs PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1996 Questions to ask before reroofing Though it's one of the most important home investments most of us will ever make, replacing a roof is one renovation project few homeowners are prepared to deal with. No matter what your reason for reroofing — whether it's to replace a roof that's damaged or leaking, or to enhance the home's look and increase its resale appeal — there are several basic questions to consider in getting started: • How do I find a reputable roofer? Selecting a qualified Steam, sauna focal point of luxury bathrooms Thanks to the technological innovation of Scandinavia's leading sauna manufacturers, steam baths and saunas have become affordable options for bath remodeling. Health-conscious people are adopting saunas and/or steam baths as an important part of their lifestyles, for reducing stress and relieving body aches. The fastest-growing component in luxury baths is the steam bath. Among the benefits and features: • Any tub/shower or shower space can become a steam bath with minimal work, and no additional floor space requirements. That means virtually any bathroom can include the luxury of steam bathing. • The steam bath is surging in popularity because it's a private, enclosed space for relaxation — perfect for the single user. From the smallest one-person steam shower to larger units for multiple persons, you can design it to fit your space, budgets and lifestyle. • New steam bath systems provide a quiet, continuous slow billowing steam, and digital touch controls — right in the steam bath — for time and temperature. To install a steam bath, you enclose an existing tub/shower area with moisture-tight walls and ceiling, and a special vapor-proof steam bath door. Ceramic tile on the walls and ceiling is a common choice. Preformed waterproof enclosures also are an option. You install the steam generator up to 50 feet away, usually plumbing it into the existing water system. The digital controls and small decorative steam head install the steam bath. A popular option is a special reservoir on the steam head that holds scented oil. If you're planning a luxury bath for a new home, you have more options, such as European pre-fab, enclosed steam rooms for two to 11 people, and prefab sauna rooms with lots of glass and angles. A sauna and a steam bath in the same bathroom provides an in-home European health spa. roofing contractor requires more than just a scan of the local newspaper or yellow pages. Your evaluation should be thorough and well-considered, focusing on the contractor's relia- bility, reputation and experience. Has he been referred by a trusted neighbour or building materials distributor? How long has he been in business? Can he provide references from previous jobs? Does he carry comprehensive liability and workers' compensation insurance? If the roofer meets these and other basic criteria, you then may want to ask about his membership in professional organizations, or his participation in contractor education programs sponsored by roofing manufacturers. Such programs provide roofing contractors with information on roofing materials and application processes not readily available elsewhere. The best of these programs require annual requalification, which ensure that the roofer is familiar with the latest technological and other advances. • How do I select the right roofing product? As with any major purchase, selecting roofing shingles requires finding out what's available, -comparing competing brands, and weighing the costs against the features and benefits most important to you. You're probably most familiar with the three-tab strip shingle, a standard design which is long on perform- ance but short on aesthetics. If appearance is a major factor in your reroof decision, you may want to consider the new generation of "designer" shingles — shingles which offer characteristics such as a textured look, random overlays for depth, and unique colour blends. Product warranties also are important. Warranty duration for asphalt shingles usually ranges from 20 to 40 years. Generally, the higher-grade designer shingles come with warranties of 30 years. Equally as important as warranty duration is the protection offered by the manufacturer in the first few years following shingle application. That's because, say contractors, this is when problems caused by defects are most likely to occur. So look for manufacturers' warranties that cover labour as well as materials during the first three to five years following shingle application, and carefully examine the warranty provisions concerning proration, transferability and ventilation. • How do I evaluate the contract? Once you've selected a roofer and roofing product, it's time to put your name on the dotted line. But before committing to the work, you'll want to make sure that the contract includes certain basics, such as compliance with local ordinances, agreed-upon product choices, reasonable project start and stop dates, and manufacturer's and contractor's warranties.