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A deck in good condition can increase your home's worth Renovating your kitchen or bathroom-- projects often cited for best return on investment-- can certainly increase the value of your home. Yet, many don't know a well­maintained deck can do the same. The Home Depot Canada shares these tips for maintaining your existing deck or building a new one: The Annual Tune­up After a hard Canadian winter, every deck can do with a good wash, clean and seal to keep it looking its best. To ensure your deck's longevity, clean the deck with a heavy duty deck cleaner. It removes old waterproof sealers and semi­transparent stains that show signs of winter damage, restoring wood so it's ready to be sealed or stained. Simple Repairs To prevent wear and tear on a natural wood deck, tackle repairs as soon as the damage is done. If you're inspecting your deck regularly, these repairs can be simple. Look for popped nails and loose railings or boards and replace. If left too long, a weak spot in the floor can lead to further and more costly damage. Update Time For an old deck or one that hasn't been maintained well, a larger update might be in order. Easy signs include moisture damage or rot in deck framing. If this kind of damage is visible, 3 Home, Lawn & Garden, Tuesday, April 26, 2011 the deck needs replacement. One deteriorating joist or post usually indicates more will soon follow. Start from Scratch Building a deck to extend living space is a great option and in keeping with the growing trend in out- door living. Once you determine your budget, make an appointment with an associate at The Home Depot to discuss your deck plan and how you can get started. There's a large selection of design options and materials to fit small, medium and large bud- gets so get ready for summer! For more information, visit www. homedepot.ca/decks or your local The Home Depot store. --www.newscanada.com PUBLIC Look for us at the Erin Home and Leisure Show, Sat. April 30th, 2011 AUCTION HARDWOOD & LAMINATE FLOORING LOCATION: 3620B LAIRD ROAD UNIT #6, MISSISSAUGA ON SATURDAY APRIL 30 th 2011 at 11:00 AM PREVIEW: FRIDAY from NOON - 5 PM and DAY OF SALE from 9 AM - SALE TIME Mix and Match W hile incorporating patterns into your decor scheme can be tricky, you need not be intimidated. Understanding the concept behind mixing and matching patterns will help you create a balanced and pleasing look. Using patterns can add further interest and character to your space. Learn the basics behind creating a successful combination. road map fabric to be repeated in other fabrics in the room. If you can't see the colour from 36 inches away, then it isn't dominant enough to repeat in the room. Remember not to repeat every colour equally; the main colour should be visible in 60 per cent of the room; the secondary colour should make up 30 per cent; and the accent colour 10 per cent. · Vary the type of patterns you are using. Florals are curvy and free-flowing; stripes are linear; checks and plaids are orderly; geometrics show various shapes. If you want to mix two patterns from the same group, such as two florals, then be sure they are different sized patterns, i.e., a large floral with a complementary small floral. · Vary the size of the patterns so you have a large pattern, a medium pattern and a small pattern. If you are going to mix two patterns of the same size, they should be different types. For example, two large floral patterns would compete with each other, but a large floral with a large stripe could be very striking. · Use larger patterns on larger items ­ sofas or draperies ­ and smaller patterns on smaller items ­ toss pillows or chair seats. This will help avoid a sense of the patterns being too busy. After all, a small pattern on a large surface repeats many, many times, whereas a large pattern repeats far less. · Determine your pattern tolerance level. If you love patterns, then go ahead and put them on the sofa or draperies. If you are pattern-shy, then limit your use of patterns to changeable items, such as toss pillows or an accent chair. Decorating Den Interiors Local design experts are available for group presentations on this and other topics. 1.800.263.0242 decoratingden.ca UNRESERVED AUCTION, NO MINIMUM BIDS · OVER 40,000 SQ FT Take Advantage of Low Auction Pricing. Our average buyer saves thousands of dollars over Retail. We sell by the square foot so you only have to BUY WHAT YOU NEED! You loved the last one so top quality Hardwood Flooring for less is back. This Auction will feature Top Quality 3/4" Pre Finished nail down hardwood flooring and will be sold regardless of Cost or Loss. You can expect to see beautiful Oaks, Maples, Cherries, Black Walnut, Japanese Exotics, Bamboo, Birch, Golden Oaks in a large variety of Finishes including Hand Scraped and Wide Planks up to 5" wide. There will also be a nice selection of Laminates and Engineered hardwood that can be laid right over Concrete. Both Feature an easy click together installation. The Engineered hardwood has a solid hardwood top that can be refinished up to 3 times. Buy from the original Flooring Auction and the biggest and the best. We have sold over 2 Million square feet of flooring in the past 3 years. Our buyers return time and time again for excellent products and value. ALL PURCHASES MUST BE PAID FOR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE AUCTION. REMOVAL IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE AUCTION UNTIL 4PM, BRING YOUR TRUCK OR TRAILER, FORKLIFT ON HAND TO ASSIST WITH LOADING. Here are a few tips to guide you. · Select a "road map" fabric first. This is the pattern on which the rest of the scheme will be built. This pattern would be the largest and/or the most colourful one in the room, although it may not be the most-used pattern in the room. · Consider the other patterns in the room, such as art or area rugs. Treat these as fabrics when choosing more patterns, unless you are willing to change them. Either of these could be the road map pattern for the room, and fabrics would be selected to work with these. · Select the dominant colours from the A SUCCESSFUL PATTERN SCHEME: Fabric source: Kravet Canada Fabrics kravetcanada.com 28621_15 Poppyfield 12 Jerry 15 CitySquare 12 31195_13 30493_324 All flooring will be sold by the square foot to the highest bidder; BUY ONLY WHAT YOU NEED! CASH, VISA, MASTERCARD & DEBIT · STANDARD 15% BUYERS PREMIUM APPLIES 36 JUNE/JULY 2011 renoanddecor.com FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT ONLINE AT WWW.FLOORAUCTION.CA 905-820-0555 Karen Timms Owner/Interior Decorator 519.941.8639 1.888.632.9529 www.decoratingden.ca email: ktimms@sentex.ca Each franchise is independently owned and operated