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HARDWOOD CARPET CERAMICS VINYL LAMINATE AREA RUGS PEEL & STICK WINSTON CHURCHILL & HWY. 7 . 905-873-7955 Find us in the heart of historic Norvali i t t f i t i lBECAUSE YOUR HOME IS YOUR PALACE LAMINATE 79 per sq. ft. from HARDWOOD $325 per sq. ft. from AREA RUGS 70% NEW ARRIVALS DAILY Up to CARPET $189 per sq. ft. installed* from WALL TO WALL *Minimum 300 sq. ft. For Service & Prices at its best! P048101CN 02/05 State Farm Fire and Casualty Company Canadian Head Office, Scarborough, Ontario Homeowners insurance can be your MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION. LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR, STATE FARM IS THERE. Providing Insurance and Financial Services Lora Greene, Agent 211 Guelph Street Georgetown, ON L7G 5B5 Bus: 905-873-1615 lora.greene.b47g@statefarm.com 4 Home, Lawn and Energy, Wednesday, October 3, 2007 An energy-efficient house can also be a healthy house, especially for those who pay attention to their windows. By taking measures to curb heat loss through windows, you not only lower energy costs year round, you also have an opportunity to improve indoor air qual i ty and sustain recommended humidity levels (30%-55%) without window condensation. Excessive mois- ture often leads to unhealthy mould growth on the sills and deep inside the framework structure. Now is a good time for homeowners to ask: Do structural problems exist that contribute to heat loss and an unhealthy environment? Here is a preliminary checklist to identify such problems and help get you started: Are my windows difficult to oper- ate? Do windows and/or window frames appear to be cracked? Is there moisture damage and stains on windows and doors? Is there moisture between the two panes of glass? Is there visible mold growth on any surfaces? Was there condensation on glazing, jambs or sills? Is there blistering or peeling paint? Is any of the caulking cracked or missing? Repair and moisture control options range from quick fix solutions like cleaning, painting, moving curtains, plants and window screens to perma- nent, equity-building window unit replacements. Take a look online at www.healthsmartwindows.com to help with options available to you. "Keeping moisture off the glass is achieved by maintaining the warmest overall surface temperature," says Erin Johnson spokesperson for Edgetech, an industry leader in 'health smart' win- dows. "When making replacement deci- sions therefore, avoid windowpane edg- ing materials that are made of alumini- um or stainless steel. Instead, spacers like the "super spacer" are made entirely of polymer structural foam. This materi- al conducts heat and cold at a rate 950 times lower than aluminium, and 85 times less than stainless steel. If you can't tell what the edging materials are made of, be sure to ask." For the most durable, long-term investment, homeowners may want to avoid plastic spacers as well. The rigidi- ty of plastic can cause seal failure and it can literally crack the glass edges on extremely cold or hot days. "If you don't tackle and solve water damage problems," Johnson says, "you risk structural deterioration, energy inefficiency, and perhaps most impor- tantly, unsightly and unhealthy mould growth. Mould is a fungus that releases chemicals and spores. As it grows on window sills or deep inside the frame- work, it can cause irritations, headaches, allergic reactions and even serious ill- nesses for the occupants, especially infants, pregnant women, elderly peo- ple, and those with respiratory prob- lems." News Canada Prevent an unhealthy environment Curb heat loss with new windows