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FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT Wednesday SepCember Spa or hot tub Options to suit every taste The first hot tub in North America appeared in the 1 in Santa Barbara where some imaginative ex- converted some old wooden wine vats into hot tubs similar to the hot rubs they had used in Japan It was the start of the modem hot tubspa industry which has recently become popular across Canada and the United States Today the industry has grown far beyond converted wine tubs and con sumers can find a large number of hot tubs and spas on the market Whats the difference What the difference between a spa and a hot tub A hot rub is a water tight wooden container designed to hold to 1 gallons of water and one 12 people It may be round oval or rectangular with straight or slanted sides Most hot tubs have a heater pump and filter called support equip ment keep the w ater hot and clean Many also have hydrotherapy jets called or air bubblers to cre ate a bubbly water effect A spa isoperatedandusedhkeaot tub It also uses similar heating and filtering svstems Spa shells are usually turadoreitheravacuum formed acn lie material or constructed of concrete or on sue the most popular in Canada there are a variety of designs colours and sizes Design shapes range from squares and rectangles through rounds pears kid nevs and octagons Multi level scat ing reclmers and loungers are avail able features Standard colours include blue brown and marble solid blue bone and sequoia Spa sizes start with the intimate two person model and go to sizes that will hold 12 persons comfortablv For the hot tubs can buy ex pertly crafted round wooden tubs in a variety of woods redwood cedar mahogany and teak Where can you put them Most spas and hot tubs can be in stalled inspected and ready within a couple of weeks You can put them indoors or out below ground par below ground above ground You II find spa and ho tubs on patios decks and roofs family rooms basements and greenhouses almost any location conducive to a relaxing soak Increasing popular are the port able or self contained which can beset in the backward up indoors When the time tomes to move or change houses the portable spas utilize compact equipment pack ages with pump filter jnd heater hid den beneath the spa skirt All the owner has to do is have an electrician safely ire equipment to a power source fill unit with water and then turn it on Automated controls Today you can our spa or hot tub equipped with electronic control panels These can be set 24 hour low speed heating and filter ing and for automatic startup and shut down Control switches for heater whirlpool or air blower jets are now mounted on the side of the spa and can be operated while soaking A new innovation is a remote con trol which can from inside ihe house or even from a car or plane Such controls turn on the heater jets and blower A simpler control is a time clock which can be set to heat up the and automatically shut it down at preset times and at preset tempera aires Advances have also been made in the various chemicals to sanitize spa water and keep it clean and fresh The most popular are chlorine or bromine- based chemicals developed especially for use in hot water and free from chlorine odors associated with earlier chemicals available Hot tubs provide relaxation and Today you can also buy automated chemical controllers that monitor and automatically feed ofchlorme bromine or other pH con trolling chemicals into the spa Alter native water purifiers include those using ions or ozone to kill bacterid and algae Lights set into the walls of the spa are also becoming popular The latest development is a fibre optic light that illuminates without any con nection to the spa Benefits of soaking According to some medical a good soak in a spa or hot tub is a form of preventive medicine a enjoyment avoiding illness Spasandhot tubs offer a drug free way of reducing stress They are said to relax muscles encourage socialization and reduce anxiety Of course you should consult your doctor before using a spa or hot tub if you fiave any type of health problem KEEP COLD DRAFTS OUT Door and window draft guards are available that require no installation What are they They are tubes filled with loose material or sand and you simply aythem along the door bottom or where window sill meets sash They vary from two feet long to nearly four feet cost S3 WEIGHING WHICH HAMMER TO BUY When choosing an allpurpose ham mer make sure the hammer head is the right weight for the work youre doing say the experts at Stanley toos A hammer head that is too light makes the work harder than it has to be and one too heavy will be difficult to control An all purpose hammer say the experts should have a hammer head that weighs around 16 ounces Caulk for significant energy savings this fall two icei long id lour icci tun a wcigiis lo ST around 16 ounces Up to 30 percent of a homes heated air can be lost through leaks and cracks say energy experts Doors windowi chimneys and even the foundation of the house OiTer opportunity for leakage The Elmer Home Solution people re commend a general purpose goodqual ity caulk to help prevent heat loss and realize substantial savings Check problem areas For doityourself caulk applications the first step is to identify the main ar eas of heat loss Check spaces where pipes wires cables or water faucets en ter the house where door and window frames meet walls under window sills and between porches and the main body of the house for example Next select the right caulk For gen eral repairs look for caulks with high resistance to water such as Elmers Sili conized Acrylic Latex Caulk Its easy to use and a good choice for most uses around the home When to caulk Caulk when outside temperature is moderate as in the fall Extreme cold weather will produce frost or condensa tion on the joints hot weather may close joints through expansion Before filling a crack make sure the surface has been cleaned and the old caulk removed To fill a crack push the caulk along the crack with the angled opening running fairly flat along the sur face Do not let the bead get bigger than the tip On vertical cracks start at the bottom and push upwards To stop the flow twist the gun slightly as you disengage Remove excess with a rag dampened with water or a cleaning agent depending on the product used The objective is to join two surfaces of a crack Far gaps over onequarter inch wide first use oakum caulking cotton sponge rubber fiber glass or even news paper as filler before applying caulk After caulking smooth surfaces with a wet finger or spatula to smooth IDELREX ALUMINUM LTD Aluminum Siding Custom Made Windows Vinyl Siding Awnings So Hit fascia Insulated Doors Seamless Aluminum Roofing Shingles Trough Repairs I Gel t done right with years warranty materials A 5 years on workmanship Call for tree information 9am 8775383 TREE SERVICE FREE PROPERTY ANALYSIS 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE High Voltage Line Clearing Aerial BuckeVAsplundh 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