The Citizen, 2005-10-20, Page 19THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2005. PAGE 19.
Winterproof your deck
Beautiful finish
Todd Wheeler of Brussels and his wife, Darlene, stand on
their new deck which they recently cleaned to prepare for
winter. Wheeler had his deck put in last year. (Heather crawford
photo)
important before winter’s cold
comes in. Weather-stripping your
windows can be done by visiting
your local building supply store.
Other recommendations for
making your home winter ready
include covering the outside air
conditioning units, cleaning any
portable humidifiers, testing well
water for quality every six months,
checking sump pump and line to
ensure proper operation and to
ascertain that there are no line
obstructions or visible leaks, and
repacing window screens with storm
windows.
During the heating season.
Crawford recommends checking and
cleaning or replacing the furnace air
filters each month. Ventilation
system, such as heat recovery
ventilator, filters should be checked
every two months.
For more information nn home
maintenace for fall and winter visit
the Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation website at
www.cmhc.ca or call l-800-668-
CMHC.
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By Heather Crawford
Citizen staff
Cold weather means more time
indoors for many families and fall is
the time to get your home ready for
the coming winter months.
For deck preparation Bill
Crawford, chief technical advisor
and research consultant for Canada
Mortgage and Housing Corporation
suggests cleaning your deck first
with a deck wash that can be
purchased at your local building
supply store, and then applying a
deck sealer. Crawford also
recommends removing everything
from your deck for the winter before
the snow comes. Moisture could get
trapped under furniture and ruin the
deck.
Crawford said the furnace is the
most important item in the home to
prepare for winter.
“You don’t want anything wrong
with the furnace,” he said. He
suggested having your furnace or
heating system serviced by a
qualified service company every two
years for a gas furnace and every
year for an oil furnace.
Opening the furnace humidifier
damper on units with central air
conditioning and cleaning the
humidifier is also suggested for
improved air quality.
Crawford said making sure your
windows are sealed tight is also
Time to prep
The fall is a good time to get
decks and gazebos winter
ready. (Heather Crawford photo)
Home remedies to clean floors
from ‘The Queen of Clean’
You have multiple floor surfaces
in your home. But can you use the
same products to clean them all?
Unfortunately, there isn’t one
universal product that can clean
them all. But that doesn’t mean
keeping your floors clean has to be a
hassle. You can mix some
homemade cleaning solutions that
are safe, inexpensive and effective.
Here are some clever tips for
cleaning floors, courtesy of Linda
Cobb, “The Queen of Clean®”:
CERAMIC
Ceramic floors, like those found in
bathrooms and kitchens, can pose an
interesting challenge. The flat tiles
are generally easy to clean, but oh,
that grout can give you a headache.
Don’t use a sponge mop on ceramic
floors; it will only push dirt into the
grout. Rather, use a rag or microfibre
mop. To create an easy ceramic
cleaning solution, mix the
following: one gallon of warm
water, one tablespoon of borax and
two tablespoons of clear ammonia.
HARDWOOD
There are many products on the
market to clean hardwood, and
several are quite effective. Yet, your
best cleaning item can be found in
the kitchen pantry — tea bags.
According to Cobb, boil one quart of
water and steep two teabags for a
few minutes. Pour the mixture into a
bucket, and dip in a soft cloth. Wring
out the cloth (it only needs to be
damp) and wash the floor with it.
The tannic acid in the tea gives the
floors a brilliant sheen.
Tip: To repair scratches in a
hardwood floor, fill in the scratch
with a crayon of a similar colour.
Heat the area with a hair dryer set to
high, and buff the area with a soft
cloth afterward.
VINYL
Versatile and easy to clean, vinyl
flooring can be found throughout the
house. A gallon of warm water and a
tablespoon of borax will quickly
clean it up. Borax can be found in
the laundry aisle of the supermarket.
It is typically used as a detergent
booster, although it also works as a
cleaning agent.
Linda Reaume
Design Consultant
♦ Bedrooms
♦ Home Offices
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♦ Vanities
♦ Entertainment Units
50 West St. Goderich 440-0352
Email: westcoastkit@cabletv.on.ca
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